Student Spotlight | Jocelyn Gilmore | #VUHRDStory

In this month's student spotlight, we would like to feature one of our newer students in the Villanova HRD program, Jocelyn Gilmore. As an employee of the Chester County Intermediate Unit, she is excited for the opportunity to grow within her company.

After earning her undergraduate degree in Psychology, Jocelyn worked in a therapeutic support position for two years. She had a particular interest in working with students with special needs. When an opportunity arose for her to work at the Chester County Intermediate Unit, she found it as the perfect combination between administration, while still working in the education field.

Within the Chester County Intermediate Unit, Jocelyn currently acts as an administrative assistant for the Human Resources Department. She has been there for about two and half years and has really made herself a key member of the organization. When people need to reach out to her department, she acts as the face of HR. While in her role, she has leveraged the opportunity to learn bits and pieces from the various aspects that HR encompasses. She enjoys her work as a secretary, but Jocelyn strives to develop into a generalist, and eventually an administrator.

Jocelyn made it clear how much she loves her company. They are very supportive of her development and offer reimbursement for her tuition. Within her position, other members of the department take time to show her the ropes and expand her knowledge of the field. One of her favorite events within the company is their Annual Fitness Challenge, which Jocelyn acts as the head coordinator for every year. Fitness is very important to Jocelyn, and the opportunity allows interaction with students as well as others within the company. She does not always get to see the direct impact of her work but sees the "ripple effect" of how she affects the young minds of the Chester County school districts. She truly values this opportunity as part of her career.

While at Villanova, Jocelyn hopes to expand her network by taking up the various opportunities offered through the VUSHRM chapter. Jocelyn is currently enrolled in the Employment Law class with instructor Brendan Hennessy. She really enjoys his approach, which applies his experience in the field of employment law. She explains it as "connecting the dots" between the theory of the classroom to practical application.

Villanova HRD is excited to have her in the program and see her grow in her career!