麻豆视频

鈥淚 think choosing a local college is really cool because of the networking opportunities that you unlock. Because YVC鈥檚 rooted in the community, those connections bear fruit a lot quicker.鈥� 

YVC Degree/Certificate Earned & Class Year 
Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Management 鈥�25 

Hometown 
Yakima 

Major 
Business Administration  

What is your current job? 
Human Resource Director for Astria Sunnyside Hospital 
We have a hospital in Sunnyside, one in Toppenish and a multitude of rural health centers spanning from Prosser all the way to Yakima. I handle all the HR operations for the entire system. It's rural health care, which gives me my tie back to the community and it's given me the opportunity to really create that relationship between YVC and Astria Health. We鈥檙e constantly looking for innovative and creative ways to attract and retain talent 鈥� especially when dealing with rural health care. We don't have multimillion-dollar facilities with all new equipment but what we do have is a passion for the valley and the community. And we find that in individuals close to home. So, our partnerships with schools like YVC are key. 

How did you decide on this major? 
I did Running Start back in high school, which is like a whole other lifetime ago. I wanted to be a stage actress and so I was pursuing a general associate in arts degree. Then life happened and I left school. I was working in the restaurant industry when COVID-19 happened. The pandemic for service workers was tough and I ended up getting really bored. I decided to see what I had left to finish my AA [and] found out there were just two math classes. I thought I'll just finish those up and complete my degree. Then I got to talking to one of the advisors and I asked if I wanted to do something else, what would make sense? I started talking to different people and realized that a business degree made sense, because I knew I would find myself in business in some kind of way.  Also, my best friend went to school here and has two bachelor's degrees. It made me think that she may open her own winery at some point and  need someone to handle the business side of it. So, I thought I couldn't go wrong with a business degree. I entered into the Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Management (BASM) program and absolutely loved it.  

How did YVC prepare you for further education or your current job? 
In a multitude of ways. I always like to tell people that the school curriculum gives you language. It gives you terminology and it helps you sound like you know what you're talking about. But where the real bread and butter is, is in the interpersonal communications and the networking. There are so many different people in different phases of life going through the BASM program and that was really what helped me 鈥� my day-to-day interactions. Health care has a lot of diversity as well. So, it helps me in those interactions day-to-day. YVC鈥檚 courses gave me some good language, some good conceptual and theoretical knowledge. I sit at the executive level now, so being able to be present in those conversations and tie [those concepts] back to BASM. I learned things like emotional intelligence and how that plays into the workplace. It鈥檚 really cool to see [these ideas] woven throughout our experiences. I also received exposure to stuff that I wouldn't be exposed to on a regular basis, like payroll or accounting, and being able to at least have some idea of what they're talking about is super helpful in the business realm.  

What would you say is the most important thing you learned at 麻豆视频? 
I went through this program 12 years out [of high school]. I wouldn't have ever thought that I would go back to school in my 30s. Now I tell people all the time anybody can do it, and it's local and it's here and there's programs designed for working people. I was able to do [BASM] while still working full time. You don't have to go to a big, fancy institution. You can stay close to home and get an even better education. 

Were there any barriers you overcome to be successful at YVC? Please describe how you overcame these. 
Being a single mom, it's tough. I needed to have income coming in and had to be able to work. Your traditional school schedule of early mornings wasn't going to work for me. I was shocked when I initially found out that they had this program that was really catered to working individuals. I was able to go to class in the evening. That was amazing. Finances are always going to be a barrier to some extent. But being able to step through the financial aid process was very easy with help.  I ended up having to extend my coursework because I couldn't handle the full-time load. So those are just natural life barriers. But I thought that YVC and the instructors were always very accommodating.  

Did you have a mentor on campus? 
I actually have several. [Business Instructor] Emily Oldham and I have become very close. She鈥檚 why I still have a lot of connections with YVC. I come back and get to guest speak in her different classes and that's really awesome. But during my program, [Economics Instructor] Brock Eubanks was a huge mentor for me. He helped me determine where I wanted to go after YVC. When I pursue my master's, it'll be at Eastern Washington University for organizational leadership. He really helped me to hone in on that and decide which program to go through.  

How do you stay connected to YVC as an alum? 
I guest speak frequently in Emily Oldham鈥檚 classes and have also spoke during [Business Instructor] Kyle Ashley鈥檚 Intro to Business class. Astria Health has a partnership with YVC, so I'm constantly in different communications with that. A goal I have within the next decade is to be able to teach [as an] adjunct at YVC as well. If everything continues to work out the way that it is, which is going awesome right now, then we'll just kind of see where it lands.  

How do you encourage other alumni to give back to the college? 
Our cohort has stayed very connected, so these opportunities tend to pop up. Today, as soon as I walked into the building for this interview I ran into three or four people. I think it just naturally happens. We enjoy the program here and so you want to get involved, and then you end up seeing familiar faces everywhere. It makes you want to come back. It's like a home away from home. 

Do you have anything else you鈥檇 like to share with us about your experience at YVC? 
I have spoken with a lot of different people who have a lot of different educational experiences. I've spoken with people who've done strictly online universities and I鈥檝e spoken with people that have moved out of state for programs and what I think is really cool about choosing a local college is the networking opportunities that you unlock. Because YVC鈥檚 rooted in the community, those connections bear fruit a lot quicker.