Omar Velazquez Self Employeed/Owner, Student Loan Counseling Services
Location:
New Port Richey,
FL United States Birthday:
Dec 16th Joined:
Jun 3rd, 2015
I am the owner and CEO of SLCS. I have over 25 years of commended performance in key customer service operational and support roles. In early 1998, I started working for Direct Student Services, the first company that dealt with all different types of FFELP (Federal Family Education Loan Program) lenders and servicers throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. For over 10 years, I excelled as the Vice President of Operations and was very successful in the industry due to his exceptional knowledge on how to help his clients. I received many commendations on counseling clients during his time in this industry. In 2008, changes in Congress forced this industry to close its doors and left students at the peril of bureaucracy without proper guidance and direction.
Subsequently, I joined Progress Energy as a service representative where I exceeded performance metrics year after year. I was also chosen as a model and as a customer service trainer for new hires. My exceptional verbal/written communication skill makes me a great relationship builder that gains the trust of his clients. I have a passion in helping people and enjoys communicating with people.
I am currently working for a non-profit organization called Career Source Tampa Bay. I am a member of the outreach youth counseling team, which concentrates on potential candidates within the ages of 18-24 to receive free pre-vocational training that can assist them with securing a career.
I now want to take his knowledge and experience in the student debt counseling industry and passion to help students and graduates manage and control their debts. I recognize a demand for students and graduates to get proper direction and sees a void in the marketplace for these services.
My experience and knowledge in the student debt counseling industry, his passion to helping people and his relationship building attributes gives SLCS the needed tools to be successful.
Current Whereabouts:
Helping students with their college loan debt for over 18 years, and for over 25 years entertaining clients through my DJ services
Life & Professional Aspirations:
I love to see people succeed and enjoy life, be it through my DJ skills in a party or a social event or helping them take control of their student loan debt. My hope and dream is that one day hundreds od individual contractors join forces with me and create a powerful organization that will help millions of people world wide to make their college education dreams a reality and to avoid the financial side of this process from becoming a nightmare.
I was born and raised in Ponce, Puerto Rico and moved to the United States when I was 14 years old. I have lived in Florida since 1985. I started a small business 14. It was a DJ entertainment business. Mu first DJ gig was in 1986 at the High school I attended, (Hillsborough High). In early 1998 I started working as a manager and later as the Vice President of sales and marketing, for the first company in florida that dealt with all different types of FFELP, (Federal Family Education Loan Program) lenders and servicers throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. I was a member of this great industry for over 10 years. Changes in congress forced all of these great companies to close their doors in early 2008. Our job was simply to contact students and parents who were currently in repayment of their federally guaranteed student loans and assist them with their student loan consolidation process. I am now a full time student at Pasco Hernando State College for the 3rd semester in a row and I have opened a student loan counseling services company called SLCS.
Most Memorable Moment:
So far the most memorable moment in my college experience is to have been selected to be an ambassador for my local college campus due to my academic achievements and the support of my professors and teachers. I'm sure that I will be able to use my previous experiences, both professional and personal, to help students and colleagues in my school. I was also recently selected as the Hispanic male to represent my school at the Black & Brown College Bound event, both in 2015 & 2016.
High School: Hillsborough High in Tampa, FL
class of 1989
Activities & Accomplishments:
3.8 GPA, Basketball champions class of 88-89, President of the Latino/Hispanic/Spanish class. Member of the track and field team.
Best Memories:
Being part of a trio of great high school friends that motived people to do their best at all times. We used to dress the same way through our entire senior year, and became very popular through sports and other larger activities. The entire school nicknamed us "The Three Amigos"
We have some amazing things in stored for the 2017 calendar year. The programs we have available can pay for a student’s college tuition, or help them acquire a Microsoft Office certification. We also ...more
Posted by Omar Velazquez on March 1st, 2017 • 792 Views
Great organization to be a part of, I'm referring of course to HBCU connect. From my years within the FFELP student loan program, to my current career with a non-profit organization under the WIOA act, (Work Innovation Opportunity Act) I have always found HBCU connect to be a vast resource for networking and information gathering purposes.
Tagged by
Omar Velazquez on 03/01/2017
