I recently started a new position as an HR Manager for a medium sized operating company in the industrial automation field back in September of 2021. After 5 years of learning and growing in the label industry as an HR professional, it was time for a change. I graduated from York College of Pennsylvania in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Management and minored in HR Management, but I knew from my first Employee Relations course, HR was where my heart was. I spent a couple of years working in the corporate benefits field before transitioning ultimately to a manufacturing industry. Working in HR, don’t get me wrong, can be draining. The days can be long and fraught with unhappy employees, employees in crisis and occasionally an investigation; they can also be incredibly rewarding when you’re able to see someone you’ve helped coach grow into the leader you always knew they could be. The days are never boring, and never the same. It’s what I like about HR, I get to utilize a plethora of skills I have acquired, and I get to learn new ones every day. It’s exciting! Our role is to help organizations develop into business’ that can adapt, grow, and change with the ever-shifting landscape of incoming employees, social and economic challenges, and technology advancements. I started contemplating a master’s degree about a year and a half ago in the early stages of the pandemic. I was working from home, gathering data on how my facility was being impacted by COVID-19, and listening to one of my favorite true crime podcasts when I realized, the best way for me to elevate in my career, and the logical next step, was to obtain a master’s degree. I was terrified. Could I manage it? COVID had pretty much taken over my entire life, I was working fulltime remotely, while raising my then 4-year-old and I was quickly approaching the point of burnout. 2020 ultimately wasn’t the right time, but in 2021, I had a job change and I started to look at schools. I strongly considered three schools, Briar Cliff University, Southern New Hampshire University, and Avila University. All three schools had great master’s programs in the HR field, but ultimately what made my decision was the Organization Development program at Avila University. The Master of Science Organizational Development program is geared to help students gain knowledge and skills to enable them to master organizational psychology and be an expert at developing and managing teams. It also came with a certificate and concentration in Strategic HR – I was sold. I couldn’t have been more thrilled to have been accepted into the program and officially begin my courses in the Spring of 2022. Part of the program is an E-Portfolio, which I’ll be documenting here and on my new Instagram page @HRProfessional_OD. Here’s to looking forward to the journey as much as the destination! #ClassOf2023