Human Resources Management and General Management
"IUP and the Eberly College has been the guiding light on my path to success. I can confidently say that I have been equipped with the tools necessary to succeed in life and the business world. Overall, the past four years have easily been the best years of my life, and I am incredibly thankful for the memories that I have made at IUP.
"I am originally from a Pittsburgh suburb called Shaler. I come from a lower-class family, and I am the first of four siblings to have attended college. If I am being honest, I was not a great high school student by any means. But I knew that I was capable of more and was determined to succeed. With the support of my family and friends, I decided that the best decision for me was to pursue a business degree. My final decision to come to IUP was based on the incredible experience that I had when I toured the campus. Everyone I spoke with was so friendly, and the campus immediately felt like a home away from home. Eberly also was an excellent choice because of the wide array of majors and the AACSB accreditation.
"To me, my experience at IUP has been nothing short of a journey. In the past four years, I have had the opportunity to reinvent myself into the professional that I always knew I could be. Along the way, I had the help of numerous professors that guided me, and I was able to make countless friendships that will last a lifetime. Looking back, I am amazed by how much I have been able to grow professionally and as a person, and I am grateful for the education and preparation that Eberly has been able to provide to me.
"During my time at IUP, I was a member of the undergraduate SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management). At SHRM, we focused on professional development and community involvement. Our members were involved in topics such as professional networking, personal branding, and volunteering. Through SHRM, I was able to network with multiple professionals and focus on personal branding areas such as LinkedIn. In 2019, I was able to obtain an internship through the account that I created at our LinkedIn workshop, and in January 2020 I accepted a full-time HR position with the same company. I also served on the executive board for SHRM as the secretary. There, I was able to collaborate with the other board members, assist in scheduling, and keep members updated with professional events and opportunities.
"I strongly believe that I have contributed to the success of Eberly through the example that I set as a student. For my entire time at IUP, I was fully committed to my education and all the hard work that came along with it. Through academic success and club involvement, I was able to achieve every goal that I set in college. Hopefully, I can continue to serve as a role model for students who are trying to get on the path to success and are willing to work endlessly to achieve their goals.
"In the years to come, I plan to be an active and connected member of the IUP alumni. Being that I am working in HR, there is a high chance that I will be returning to speak about the opportunities that we will have at my current company. I would also be open to speaking with students about my experience and journey at IUP. Regardless of what the future holds, I hope that I can continue to provide opportunities and guidance for the future students of Eberly."