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Well, first and foremost, Manor doesn't allow you to be an introvert here. So, like that's something I learned quick. >> Hello, Blue Jays, and welcome to the nest, stories about life after Manor College. I am your host, Kelly Peiffer, vice president of marketing communications, and this is the best part of my day. My hope is that this podcast will encourage, inform, and inspire you, making you feel like at Manor College you belong here always. Before we get to today's guest, it is

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time for a segment of the show I like to call, did you know? Where we will share some fun facts about Manor College that you may or may not know. Did you know that Manor College offers new state-of-the-art laptops for first time full-time students? These laptops are part of Manor College's You Belong Here advantage, and they come to us through the Pennsylvania Broadband Authorities's digital connectivity technology program. Manor College received the first 200 laptops through this grant in April of 2025.

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The program seeks to place leading edge technology in the hands of people who might not have access. They help to bridge the technology gap that exists in the neighborhoods that Manor serves. This is the second year that students were offered laptops as part of the you belong here advantage. The laptops belong to students as long as they remain a student at Manor College. They come preloaded with Office 365 and students are able to put personal applications on their own laptops. In the year priors to having access to this

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technology, I've seen students write papers and complete assignments on their phones, on our library laptops, or just not complete them at all. Now, students are able to write a paper for Professor Dan Morrison's English class or complete an assignment for Dr. Stephanie Marks Vet tech classes using new technology at their ease of doing it from their home or from wherever they're working without any cost prohibiting them. It has truly been a joy of mine to see the excitement in students as they pick up their new

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laptops every August before new student orientation. Today's episode is sponsored by Manor College. We believe you deserve an education that feels like home. We offer associate and bachelor degrees in high demand fields like business, psychology, and practical nursing. Our small class sizes means that your professors know more than just your name. You get the personalized attention you need to truly thrive. Discover a supportive environment just outside of Philadelphia where success is built one student at a time. It is more

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than just a college. It is a community. Ready to find your place? Visit manor.edu today to explore your options and see why you belong here. Today we are thrilled to welcome a true member of the Manor College community. Coming from East Oak Lane, a neighborhood in North Philly, and a graduate of Bishop McDevitt High School, having studied computer information systems at Manor, this guest earned a bachelor's degree in business, graduating just six months ago in May. During their time as a student, they

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were highly involved on campus, dedicating time to track and field, basketball, and serving as a peer mentor. After graduation, they have stayed close to the nest because our guest now works right here at Manor as a systems administrator on our IT team. Please join me in giving a warm welcome to Kareem Haines. Hi, Kareem. >> Hey, thanks for having me. >> Thanks for joining us. It's such an honor to talk to you. So, Kareem, start us off by sharing. How did you hear about Manor College and why did you

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ultimate ultimately choose to attend? >> Well, it's kind of a funny story. Um, my mom, she worked here in the registrar's office. Uh, I'm not sure what her position was, but she worked here. And, um, as a kid, I remember being here in the parking lot, and I'm like, "One day, I'm I'm I'm come I'm come I'm going to come here one day, right?" And then like my grandfather in the car, he was like, "No, you're not. just a two-year school, yada yada yada.

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And then I end up applying here. I got in and then um yeah. >> Okay. Uh so many times when I ask that question to alumni, it starts with well my mom and then moms are just so influential in a in a person's life. And I I love that. Um so there you go. you thought that you might come here one day and even though your grandfather was a naysayer um you were right and as always mother knows best right so that that's >> mother's intuition >> mother knows best so describe for us it

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wasn't that long ago but describe for us what was your Manor experience like what was it like being Kareem at Manor college as a student >> well first and foremost Manor doesn't allow you to be an introvert here so like that's something I learned quick cuz I'm coming out of high school I was usually um quiet to myself and um here they kind of forced me to get out my shell be where I'll go and join events around campus and I think a funny story of mine is u in the dorms my first year

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here um I wanted to try for the basketball team but not I didn't want to cuz I didn't think I had the skills to do it but a buddy of mine knocked on my dorm door and he was like let's go try out I'm like dude I don't feel like doing it I can yada yada yada he kept knocking on my door knocking on my door and I end up trying out and I made the team as a walk on so it was pretty Good. Um, I did some volunteering events with Dr. Crosby as well for the breathing room. So, I've been a little bit

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everywhere I saw. >> Yeah, I I I love two things that stand out from what you just said to me. One, Manor doesn't let you be an introvert. I I really love that because it's kind of like um college is what you make of it, right? you can just go to class, go home, and and kind of particularly with a commuter school, you could kind of fall under the radar, but at Manor, we really try to um be a community, be a family, and in a family, we know your business. We know your name. We know

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what's going on in your life, and for better or for worse, we're we're trying to really get you involved and get you help and just like be that support. So, I love that. And then I love that your um friend in the res hall was kind of nagging you a little bit like come on let's go try it out. And then you made it and you got to have like a college athlete experience which is >> which not everyone gets to have that. So that's pretty special that you were able to do that.

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>> Yeah, it's pretty cool. Um that experience is Yeah. So what um so you studied computer information systems for us non-tech non-computer people. Can you explain like where did where did that passion come from? How did you know you wanted to study computer CIS I guess we'll call it? >> Um well two things part back to mother's intuition. She was always like you're a good you're a good problem solver. You always help your outside with the um the tech issues in the family should look

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into that. So um and another other part too is that I kind of always wanted to know like what how how does a computer work what's more there's more to behind this so I wanted to know more about that um and then uh computer systems allows you to learn more about networking databases um security and different systems stuff like that so give me like a a bigger picture of how everything works in a business so it combined computers and business so it allowed me to um to pivot myself into different careers

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>> yeah it's flexible It's super um usable like everyone I always say in meetings and when we're talking about different things at the college particularly in administration I always say all roads lead to finance and all roads lead to IT. So it's I mean it isn't everything. Um I can totally see you being like the Hannes family IT person where everyone's calling you like I got a got a virus. What do I do? And you're like all right I have to fix it. >> Can totally see that. And again, mother

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knows best. So that's really cool. So when you were a student at Manor, were there any people during your time that just really like supported you or influenced you um to either get involved or in your studies and kind of anyone that comes to mind that you want to kind of give a shout out to? >> Um it's a lot of people actually. Um first and foremost, I'll say Dr. curiosity because like there were some times I would go like through like a rough stint and that and she was always like a rock

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for me to lean on and talk to stuff like that. Um and she kept pushing me to go on um I'd say Ilia because he helped me be in this position today to have a career in it. So and he's been a really good mentor for me as well in my growing career. Um it's a lot of people. Um, I don't want to just right go on a tangent, but um, also kind of you actually too cuz like how how you get things done like you're efficient, you're precise on things, and like um, I always want to ask like what

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what's your like what's your reasoning behind that? How are you so like such like such a good like a a go-getter? >> Well, first let's give let's give kudos to Dr. Crosby weeks because she certainly is a mentor to so many and I love that even though like you you're not you know she's an early childhood education director of that you're not even in that program and yet you're naming her I think that's pretty cool. You probably never even had her as a professor right I'm assuming as like a

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teacher but just like being that support and that's kind of the beauty of Manor is that like people are not just siloed into like their program or their like sports team. people can kind of support each other like so diversely outside of um like inner mix, which is so neat. Um and yeah, you know, I I've always really been a really um a go-getter type of person. Um that's kind of just my nature of things. I've always been really involved. Even as a kid, I was in I wanted to do all the activities. I

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wanted to be in the band and play sports and do arts and crafts. And I I didn't like picking one thing. I wanted to just like try them all. Um, and I think that's kind of trickled over into my work life where I like being um, a jack of all trades, you know, and I think that's just part of my personality and Manor really lends itself well to that because we're so small. You do need jack of all trades because, you know, so many times we joke like, well, that wasn't in the job description. Um, and that's just

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the way kind of Manor keeps itself going is people who are willing to step up and um, run different events or get different programs going or have an innovation on something. And I think that's one of my favorite parts about working here is that you get to kind of do that and stretch that. And I can think of so many people who um are examples of that, too. I'll use one for example, Anthony Machcinski, our director of photography and content. you know, he's a writer, he's a social media

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person, he's a photographer, he's a videographer, and now he helps out with athletics. Like, he can do so many different things because of his skill set and his passion. So, it's kind of cool that, and I've seen that with you as well. You certainly make your way around campus and can help so many people. Um, something that I often think about with IT folks is that like it is everywhere. Everyone needs it, but it sometimes gets a bad rap. Sometimes IT people are kind of in like a stigma.

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People kind of think like they're one type. What's something that you've learned since being um interning with IT and now working in an IT team? What's like a myth about it that you're like, you know what, that's actually not true. That I want to set the record straight. >> I think you kind of know what it is that um they think we're like basement dwellers. Like we know we can't socialize. We can't talk to people. But like as you can see, most of our job is

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going out there talking to the user, helping them out and trying to get them to the solution of the problem. >> That was such an IT answer, Kareem. Calling users and solutions to problems. >> But no, you're right. The social You're right. The social aspect is certainly I think customer service for you guys is a huge part of it. Like you have to be able to and also I think like having the skill set to talk to a variety of different people. like you could be talking to another 20some year old who

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like is very tech-savvy or you could be training someone who's you know a senior citizen or a different generation who totally are like no clue what you're talking about. So, I think having the versatility of being like kind of social butterflies is something that I know our IT team is really grateful that you're on it. And I know people um when there's problems oftentimes the thought or the reaction is I'm just going to call Kareem or I'm going to Kareem. So, definitely the first first

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line of defense. Um and just so our audience knows, Kareem interned with our IT team as a student. So, the transition for you from student, intern to now full-time employee was pretty consistent. You kind of just jumped right into it. But how was that for you? And kind of you're still on campus. You still see friends and students that like you knew as like student Kareem and now you have to have this hat of like employee Kareem. How has that been? >> It's kind of weird honestly. It's like I

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I since I never left, it's like I'm still I still feel like a student, but it's different cuz like I'm staff, right? >> Um even I go around and help out staff members, they still think I'm a student. So, it's just like >> you're what like what are you doing here? Like, but it's just I'm here to help you out. So, um outside of that, it's kind of like a full circle moment, too, cuz like ever since being a kid and now I'm working here, it's just like a

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it's just surreal. >> Yeah. Oh, I love that. I mean, it's pretty common for other institutions and Manor. We've had alumni and we do have other alumni working here. So, that's fairly common. But, I think you're right. It's always a little funny when you work at a place where there's people the same age as you and like in the same generation as you, but they're doing something different. Um, I started working at Manor in 2012 when I was 22 years old. So, I was like the same age

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as the students. um you know and there is like you know it's good to keep boundaries and it's good to try to become you know but at the same time like we're a community we're a family um so I'm a little I am personally grateful that I'm a little bit older now than the students because for those first few years it is a little funny and it's just something you kind of have to like kind of just you know deal with and figure it out. Um but at the same time it's really

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cool because you have such a good perspective on like what our students are thinking, feeling, needing and you can share that with administration with us at the college so that we can be better servants to the students. So I would just encourage you to like use your voice and speak up if you feel like hey Manor could really be doing XYZ to support the students and like you have such a unique lens into that that >> others just don't because of just generational you know changes. So, um I

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find that that's a a unique factor and I always encourage young alumni who are around to like use that for the good because it can really help us just make sure we're helping students as much as we possibly can. Um, but Kareem, what what advice would you give current students um who are kind of like, you know, in the we're kind of at the part of the semester where it's it's like not quite home stretch just yet, but it's like we're starting to see the home stretch. Um, it's a it's a hard part of

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the semester, I would say, right about now. What advice would you give current students to like keep persisting? >> I guess be patient with yourself. Like right now may seem like a um a difficult challenge challenging time. It could be a good time too, but just be patient. Take it easy. Um make sure that you're in alignment with your goals. Don't stay don't stray away from the goals you want to accomplish as a student as a goal. The end goal is to graduate. So stay focused, stay consistent, and be patient

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with yourself. >> I love that. Be patient with yourself. I always think that's really important. Students get frustrated that maybe their grades aren't what they are. >> They just they just want it to be over. Um, but college is really a special time in a young person's life. You when you're in it, it feels like it's never going to end and you're like, I'm never going to graduate or I'm never going to finish this semester. But then hindsight's 2020. You know, you

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graduate, you look back and you think, oh wow, that was actually a pretty short stint in my life. And, you know, you have the rest of your life to still lead and look forward to. So, I think that's great. Be patient. That's people can always be more patient. I in many phases of life. >> Well, Kareem, thank you so much for joining us today. It has been truly an honor to talk to you and we wish you nothing but the best. >> Thank you. I appreciate it. Thanks for having me. >> Thank you for tuning in today. If you

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like what you heard, listen and subscribe on Spotify or YouTube and stay up to date with all new episodes by following Manor College on Instagram, Manor College. And that's a wrap on another episode of The Nest. Stories about life after Manor College. Remember Blue Jays, you belong here always.

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It was definitely a good opportunity for me to learn at a two-year college, build relationships, and learn that I could go to a school like Cornell University. Hello, Blue Jays, and welcome to the nest, stories about life after Manor College. I'm your host, Kelly Peiffer, vice president of marketing communications, and this is the best part of my day. My hope is that this podcast will encourage, inform, and inspire you, making you feel like at Manor College, you belong here always. Before we get to

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today's guest, it is time for a special tribute from our evening at Manor Gala that took place here on campus on November 13th, celebrating our 2025 gala honoree, Jane Zegestowsky. Jane served Manor College for three decades, helping hundreds of Blue Jays graduate and succeed in their careers, including today's guest. She first served Manor as a tutor and then a professor, then becoming the director of our learning center. She would go on to be Manor's associate dean of academic affairs until

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she retired. Today, she still serves the college as a valued member of our board of trustees. Manor College honored Jane at her annual gala and it was a beautiful night celebrating someone who has meant so much to the Manor community. While I can go on and on about Jane, we'd like to leave it to those who know her best in this little tribute video. >> What can I say about Missy? >> There's so many words to describe her. >> The saint. >> Just grace. >> Kind.

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>> She's just fantastic. >> Pardon the pun, but polymath. Genuine. >> Genuine. >> Genuine. sincere. It's kind of like genuine, but >> she's everything good. >> She's always there and she's always reliable and willing to step in. >> She exudes grace in everything in the way she walks and the way she talks and the way she moves and the way she shows up. >> She has a calmness about her. Really smart. I mean, I could keep going on on

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and on and on. She always told me what I needed to hear, not what I wanted to hear. Uh, and that that takes a particular skill to do that with love. >> When I first was um promoted to the dean of students here at Manor, um, everyone was very kind. And then I I met with Jane and I remember saying something to the effect of, "Are you sure you're ready for this?" And it took me a back for a second, but then I realized and I appreciated so much how she really wanted to make sure that I was prepared

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to take on such an important role at the college. And I feel like from that moment on, I felt like I could rely on her as a mentor. >> She's good at things that require a level of seriousness. She's good at things that require or that engage in comedy or humor. Uh she's good in work ethic, so she's just fantastic about everything. >> Today's episode is sponsored by the veterinary technology program at Manor College. Do you love animals? Are you looking for a career that's both

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challenging and incredibly rewarding? The discovery of a veterinary technology program at Manor College is right for you. Our program is AVMA accredited, ensuring that you receive a high quality education. You'll get hands-on experience from day one working with small, large, and laboratory animals in our state-of-the-art facilities. Our small class sizes means that you get personalized attention from those experienced professionals who are your professors. Graduates are prepared to pass the national exam and launch a

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fulfilling career as a veterinary technician. Whether you want to work in a private practice, emergency care, or research, your journey can start here. Learn more and start your future in animal care today at manor.edu/vettech. That's manor.edu/vettech. Today we have an incredible alumni joining us who shows us just how far a foundation built at Manor College can truly take you. Coming from Warminster, PA and a graduate of William Tennant High School. Our guest graduated in 2005 from Manor College with an associates

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degree in paralegal studies. While at Manor, they were deeply involved in campus life, contributing their time to Rotaract and Student Senate. After graduation, they took a big step forward, successfully transferring to Cornell University for a bachelor's degree and then attended Villanova for law school. This alumni is a published author and currently working at a Fortune 500 company as the director of human resources at L3 Harris. Please give a warm welcome to our special guest, Marshall Burstein. Hi, Marshall.

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>> Hey, Kelly. Nice to nice to be here. I appreciate you having me. >> Of course. Always a pleasure to talk to you. Can you start us off by sharing how did you first hear about Manor and what made you decide to enroll? >> So, interestingly enough, Manor was the only college that I applied to coming out of high school. So, uh I didn't know what I wanted to be when I got out of high school. Uh and my parents said to me, "Hey, you know, there's an opportunity to go to this small tier

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college uh that has a paralegal studies track. Uh you know, maybe law is what you want to do. maybe get a taste for it. So, I applied to Manor uh and got in and the rest was history. >> Oh, that's great. I love that. We don't often hear from alumni that Manor was like their one and only choice. Typically, it's amongst others. So, it was really cool. >> Only choice. That was it. >> One and only. Yeah. >> So, what was kind of your Manor experience like for you? Take us back.

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It was >> um 20 years ago. What can you what can you tell us what was it like for you as a student? >> Uh Manor was it was a great experience. Uh you know it was you know because matter is such a small institution it was very intimate. I had a lot of opportunities to build relationships with my classmates with my professors uh with some of the administration. Uh and in doing that it there was really easy to get help when I needed it. Um additional tutoring if I wanted it. um and get actively involved on campus. So,

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I am a huge proponent of smaller institutions. >> That's great. Exactly. I mean, when you're at a small school, it's hard to hide. You certainly can do it, but um I feel like it's just easier to get involved. And I mean, life's what you make it. College is what you make it. So, like if you want to have that full college experience, getting involved is definitely the way to go. when you were um at a student, were there any professors or staff who you felt like really had an impact on you?

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>> Yeah. So, uh one of the biggest, uh impacts on me my career, uh who I still keep in touch with today is Jane Zegestowsky. Um she was my calculus professor for calc 1 um and calc 2. And uh yeah, her and I, you know, we had a lot of time together where I would go to her for help and support. um for my classroom experience and you know she would give me guidance not just in mathematics but also as I was navigating the transition to um Cornell University which I eventually transferred to. So

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there was even a time where I was preparing to transfer that summer and I had to take a uh I had to take an examination to bypass some of the preliminary mathematics courses at Cornell. And uh Jane actually sat down with me. We went over some of the curriculum and I self-studied some some information through some of the textbooks that Jane gave me to get through that uh that test without having to take some mathematics courses at Cornell's. Interestingly enough. >> Wow. Yeah. I mean talk about like going

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above and be above and beyond like you know the duty of being a professor. Um that's great to hear. As you know, Jane was honored just last night at our annual gala. So, it was really special to honor someone who's had such an impact on hundreds and hundreds of students um at Manor. So, it's great to hear that that story. Now, now you, Marshall, are really interesting in that you wrote a book about like breaking in the back door of the Ivy League and Yeah. Um, like take us through kind of

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what was what kind of made you want to write a book about it and and how was it like living that life where like you did break in the back door of the Ivy League? What was that like for you? >> Yeah. So, I never anticipated going to an Ivy League institution, let alone getting into law school. Uh, you know, in high school, I wasn't really the academic type, but I recognized when I graduated high school that I had to do something with my career. I didn't know what it was. Um, and I was very dead set

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on applying myself when I got to Manor College. Um, and after the first year at Manor College, I was able to get a 40, able to get all A's. So, I started researching institutions that I could personally transfer to. Uh, because at the time, Manor College was only a two-year college. Um, so I discovered that I could transfer to some of these uh prestigious universities. uh and I started looking at what were the what were the requirements um to make sure that I could seamlessly transition and

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you know make sure that my credits would actually transfer. So I took required classes at other local institutions at the time in addition as a supplement to my coursework at Manor College. Um so it was definitely a great experience. Um, so yeah. So yeah, the uh so it was definitely a good opportunity for me um to to learn at a two-year college, build relationships, and learn that I could go to a school like Cornell University, quite frankly, um, and then get into Villanova. But I wrote the book because I wanted other

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people to see that they could forge the same path. >> Sure. Wow, that's so cool. Have you um have you heard stories from people who read the book and were like, "Oh my gosh, I did this, too." And kind of like built a little I'm sure there's a community out there of people who have kind of taken similar paths. Um have you found that and kind of stayed in touch with them? >> Yeah. Yeah. So, I've uh I've stayed in touch with a couple people over my career uh from L3 Harris and otherwise.

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So, super excited um to keep in touch with them um that have gone on um for one-on ones and things like that. But it it's been really great experience and a great opportunity for me to be able to stay in touch with them and watch their careers flourish. >> Yeah, that's so cool. I love that. I always love it when students come to Manor and they um maybe weren't the best high school student or struggled and or took a gap year or something. They weren't like that traditional, you know,

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um you know, a a student in high school and they come to Manor and they like kind of like have a fresh start. They have a chance to like clean slate and they get inspired. They meet a professor or someone here who really gets them motivated and then they can go on to something else in their life. I think that's so inspirational and I frankly think that's what the Manor like to me that's very Manor. That's kind of what we do here really well is take students um maybe like a diamond in the

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rough and then they come on to be this beautiful sparkly diamond a few years later. So I think your story really emulates that well. Um so today you are the director of HR at L3 Harris. Tell us about your role and tell us how like How did you make this transition into human resources from a law degree from a paralegal? What has your career trajectory kind of been like for you? >> Yeah. So, first and foremost, um when I went to school for paralegal studies, I eventually had the intention of going to

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law school. So, I found Cornell School of Industrial and Labor Relations by happen stance uh because they had a really high matriculation rate to law school. So I am going um I was kind of going on a whim to say okay well let me go to this school. I didn't really know much about it but it was focused on industrial and labor relations human resources. Um and it was a great opportunity. Uh at the time I didn't want to work in HR but I was learning about labor relations and other elements. Um so yeah so that was a

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great experience for me. Um, so I what I will say about Cornell, it was the school itself is industrial labor relations was very reminiscent of Manor College because it was a student body that was relatively small. There were only about 800 students or so within this institution which made it very comparable to men or in a way. Um, so that made it made it easy easier to acclimate. And then transitioning to Villanova Law, um, I made the decision I wanted to go to law school. Um, went through law school, I got barred in

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Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and then when I got out of law school, I wanted to pivot into labor relations. So working with unions, companies, doing collective bargaining agreement negotiations, contract negotiations, grievance administration, arbitrations. So I ended up at Bridgestone America's, the tire manufacturing company in rural Tennessee, working at a manufacturing facility in a labor relations capacity. Labor relations is only one facet of human resources. uh and I ended up getting exposure to talent acquisition,

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compensation and other elements and then broadened my horizon within HR and I never looked back. So that's kind of how I ended up staying in HR. uh my education between the paralegal studies degree, the Cornell ILR labor relations degree and my law degree ended up being a tremendous asset to me given that we deal with a lot of labor and employment laws within the human resources realm. Um so it was very complimentary to my future career even though I never anticipated working in human resources.

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kind of the story of you never know what you're going to be and you don't know where you're going to end up was definitely reminiscent of how I've approached my career. >> Yeah. Oh wow. That's so cool though that um these kind of unseemingly connected things end up being this huge asset later. And that totally makes sense. You're going to be dealing with laws and legal challenges and that that I I mean that makes perfect sense. That's awesome. Um, a question that I

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like to ask alumni when they're in different careers and professions is like what's a what's a myth or a misconception about working in HR that you want to debunk that people assume that you know you do or you don't do and you want to like set the record straight. >> Yeah. Um, so I would say there's not a lot of we call it personnel administration. Um, so we we actually at organizations, you know, our benefit service centers are through third-party vendors. Um, a lot of

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our short-term disability and things like that are third-party vendors. Um, we spend a lot of time as HR business partners with the leaders of the organization identifying business strategy. What are all the talent levers that we can pull to make sure that we'll still be a viable company in three, five, 10 years down the road. Um, so we actively look through all of our engagement survey results. Uh, we actively look at, right, comp, pay positions, ratios, how do we elevate engagement, compensation, and

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performance? Uh, how do we hire, right? How do we look for great talent? Um, I would say from an HR perspective, if you're in any organization, you want to align yourself with your HR professionals who can help you navigate your careers. A lot of people historically stay away from HR. Um, I would say HR is HR can be a great functional organization to align yourself with because we will educate you and show you how you can navigate your career path. Um, and what's out there that you might not be aware of?

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>> That's a good one. So, don't run away from the HR person. Run to them. >> I think that's >> run to HR. You know, a lot of people live by um the fact that like it's a great thing if HR doesn't know my name, but honestly, it's a great thing if they do because you're doing the right things in your career. H well that that's a great uh misconception to debunk and I think also really solid career advice. That's awesome to hear. So um

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kind of you know you are in a leadership role at L3 Harris kind of like what does the scope of your work involved and what part of your job do you find the most challenging but is also still really rewarding at the end of the day? Yeah. Um, you know, it depends on the day, right? Um, as a leader, I would say I've got a team of HR professionals. Um, and I think just coaching, guiding, and mentoring, right? It can be, you know, so many people, not just your team, but also the leaders that you support, right? that

00:18:41
can get taxing and can get exhausting. But also as you see them pivot, you see them change, you take they take your feedback, they take your advice, right? That's the most satisfying thing. Seeing them accelerate their careers in the organization, >> right? So the success of your team and seeing them um succeed frankly is something that's really rewarding but also challenging because managing other people is always challenging, right? No matter no matter what where you are, what you're doing.

00:19:13
>> Exactly. Yeah. And it's challenging yet satisfying at the same time. Yes. >> So when you were doing talent acquisition and I don't know how much hiring of talent you currently do, but when you look at candidates resumes, knowing that you went to an associates um degree college, how much do you look at that differently on candidates resumes? How much weight do you give that versus someone who has a bachelor's or who has multiple kind of steps in their educational journey like you had?

00:19:46
>> Yeah, I would say I would say that um in terms of my experience, bachelor's degrees are once you get your bachelor's degree, we're not necessarily looking at your associate degree. Um it's more so what is your bachelor's degree and what did you get it in? Do you have a master's degree or a graduate degree, would you get it in? Um I maybe I'm a little bit different, but if I see somebody who's gotten an associates degree and then gotten a bachelor's degree, you know, I take notice to that

00:20:19
because that's similar to my path. Um, and sometimes you can see people that have taken some grit and determination and they've gone to a two-year college. They've leveled up and gone to an even larger four-year institution. They've started out at a smaller company and then they've gone to a bigger company or they want to break into a bigger company like a Fortune 250 or Fortune 500. And that just demonstrates to me some of their ambition and a little bit more of their life story. um which sometimes

00:20:52
sells better than someone who went to an Ivy League university straight out of high school. Um you know I it's all about your life story and I think if you've got it you should share it. >> Yeah that's really good to hear and I think you having that perspective being able to like understand those those stories because that's part of you what you did as well is really just unique and kind of special. Um, as we kind of wrap up this episode, Marshall, what advice would you give to current Manor

00:21:21
students? Why is Manor a great option for them as part of their college journey? >> Yeah, I think to me it's the size of the institution provides again that intimate experience and it helps you seamlessly transition from high school to undergrad. having the close uh the opportunity to engage closely with your professors, the accessibility, the small campus. There's so many good things about Manor that allows that transition to be much more seamless and um provides you a little bit more ease as a student coming into a

00:22:04
college environment. um rather than being one in 50,000. Um you know, you can be a big fish in a small pond or a peer to so many others and you can really get to know everyone that you go to school with and I that's impactful for me whether it's your professors, the administration or your other peers. >> Yeah, the size is huge. It really um makes the community so special and it gives students just so many opportunities to connect with each other and like you never know how those connections are going to play out later

00:11:07
So, super excited um to keep in touch with them um that have gone on um for one-on ones and things like that. But it it's been really great experience and a great opportunity for me to be able to stay in touch with them and watch their careers flourish. >> Yeah, that's so cool. I love that. I always love it when students come to Manor and they um maybe weren't the best high school student or struggled and or took a gap year or something. They weren't like that traditional, you know,

00:11:40
um you know, a a student in high school and they come to Manor and they like kind of like have a fresh start. They have a chance to like clean slate and they get inspired. They meet a professor or someone here who really gets them motivated and then they can go on to something else in their life. I think that's so inspirational and I frankly think that's what the Manor like to me that's very Manor. That's kind of what we do here really well is take students um maybe like a diamond in the

00:12:08
rough and then they come on to be this beautiful sparkly diamond a few years later. So I think your story really emulates that well. Um so today you are the director of HR at L3 Harris. Tell us about your role and tell us how like How did you make this transition into human resources from a law degree from a paralegal? What has your career trajectory kind of been like for you? >> Yeah. So, first and foremost, um when I went to school for paralegal studies, I eventually had the intention of going to

00:12:45
law school. So, I found Cornell School of Industrial and Labor Relations by happen stance uh because they had a really high matriculation rate to law school. So I am going um I was kind of going on a whim to say okay well let me go to this school. I didn't really know much about it but it was focused on industrial and labor relations human resources. Um and it was a great opportunity. Uh at the time I didn't want to work in HR but I was learning about labor relations and other elements. Um so yeah so that was a

00:13:21
great experience for me. Um, so I what I will say about Cornell, it was the school itself is industrial labor relations was very reminiscent of Manor College because it was a student body that was relatively small. There were only about 800 students or so within this institution which made it very comparable to men or in a way. Um, so that made it made it easy easier to acclimate. And then transitioning to Villanova Law, um, I made the decision I wanted to go to law school. Um, went through law school, I got barred in

00:14:01
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and then when I got out of law school, I wanted to pivot into labor relations. So working with unions, companies, doing collective bargaining agreement negotiations, contract negotiations, grievance administration, arbitrations. So I ended up at Bridgestone America's, the tire manufacturing company in rural Tennessee, working at a manufacturing facility in a labor relations capacity. Labor relations is only one facet of human resources. uh and I ended up getting exposure to talent acquisition,

00:14:37
compensation and other elements and then broadened my horizon within HR and I never looked back. So that's kind of how I ended up staying in HR. uh my education between the paralegal studies degree, the Cornell ILR labor relations degree and my law degree ended up being a tremendous asset to me given that we deal with a lot of labor and employment laws within the human resources realm. Um so it was very complimentary to my future career even though I never anticipated working in human resources.

00:15:13
kind of the story of you never know what you're going to be and you don't know where you're going to end up was definitely reminiscent of how I've approached my career. >> Yeah. Oh wow. That's so cool though that um these kind of unseemingly connected things end up being this huge asset later. And that totally makes sense. You're going to be dealing with laws and legal challenges and that that I I mean that makes perfect sense. That's awesome. Um, a question that I

00:15:42
like to ask alumni when they're in different careers and professions is like what's a what's a myth or a misconception about working in HR that you want to debunk that people assume that you know you do or you don't do and you want to like set the record straight. >> Yeah. Um, so I would say there's not a lot of we call it personnel administration. Um, so we we actually at organizations, you know, our benefit service centers are through third-party vendors. Um, a lot of

00:16:16
our short-term disability and things like that are third-party vendors. Um, we spend a lot of time as HR business partners with the leaders of the organization identifying business strategy. What are all the talent levers that we can pull to make sure that we'll still be a viable company in three, five, 10 years down the road. Um, so we actively look through all of our engagement survey results. Uh, we actively look at, right, comp, pay positions, ratios, how do we elevate engagement, compensation, and

00:16:49
performance? Uh, how do we hire, right? How do we look for great talent? Um, I would say from an HR perspective, if you're in any organization, you want to align yourself with your HR professionals who can help you navigate your careers. A lot of people historically stay away from HR. Um, I would say HR is HR can be a great functional organization to align yourself with because we will educate you and show you how you can navigate your career path. Um, and what's out there that you might not be aware of?

00:17:27
>> That's a good one. So, don't run away from the HR person. Run to them. >> I think that's >> run to HR. You know, a lot of people live by um the fact that like it's a great thing if HR doesn't know my name, but honestly, it's a great thing if they do because you're doing the right things in your career. H well that that's a great uh misconception to debunk and I think also really solid career advice. That's awesome to hear. So um

00:18:01
kind of you know you are in a leadership role at L3 Harris kind of like what does the scope of your work involved and what part of your job do you find the most challenging but is also still really rewarding at the end of the day? Yeah. Um, you know, it it depends on the day, right? Um, as a leader, I would say I've got a team of HR professionals. Um, and I think just coaching, guiding, and mentoring, right? It can be, you know, so many people, not just your team, but also the leaders that you support, right? that

00:18:41
can get taxing and can get exhausting. But also as you see them pivot, you see them change, you take they take your feedback, they take your advice, right? That's the most satisfying thing. Seeing them accelerate their careers in the organization, >> right? So the success of your team and seeing them um succeed frankly is something that's really rewarding but also challenging because managing other people is always challenging, right? No matter no matter what where you are, what you're doing.

00:19:13
>> Exactly. Yeah. And it's challenging yet satisfying at the same time. Yes. >> So when you were doing talent acquisition and I don't know how much hiring of talent you currently do, but when you look at candidates resumes, knowing that you went to an associates um degree college, how much do you look at that differently on candidates resumes? How much weight do you give that versus someone who has a bachelor's or who has multiple kind of steps in their educational journey like you had?

00:19:46
>> Yeah, I would say I would say that um in terms of my experience, bachelor's degrees are once you get your bachelor's degree, we're not necessarily looking at your associates degree. Um it's more so what is your bachelor's degree and what did you get it in? Do you have a master's degree or a graduate degree, would you get it in? Um I maybe I'm a little bit different, but if I see somebody who's gotten an associates degree and then gotten a bachelor's degree, you know, I take notice to that

00:20:19
because that's similar to my path. Um, and sometimes you can see people that have taken some grit and determination and they've gone to a two-year college. They've leveled up and gone to an even larger four-year institution. They've started out at a smaller company and then they've gone to a bigger company or they want to break into a bigger company like a Fortune 250 or Fortune 500. And that just demonstrates to me some of their ambition and a little bit more of their life story. um which sometimes

00:20:52
sells better than someone who went to an Ivy League university straight out of high school. Um you know I it's all about your life story and I think if you've got it you should share it. >> Yeah that's really good to hear and I think you having that perspective being able to like understand those those stories because that's part of you what you did as well is really just unique and kind of special. Um, as we kind of wrap up this episode, Marshall, what advice would you give to current Manor

00:21:21
students? Why is Manor a great option for them as part of their college journey? >> Yeah, I think to me it's the size of the institution provides again that intimate experience and it helps you seamlessly transition from high school to undergrad. having the close uh the opportunity to engage closely with your professors, the accessibility, the small campus. There's so many good things about Manor that allows that transition to be much more seamless and um provides you a little bit more ease as a student coming into a

00:22:04
college environment. um rather than being one in 50,000. Um you know, you can be a big fish in a small pond or a peer to so many others and you can really get to know everyone that you go to school with and I that's impactful for me whether it's your professors, the administration or your other peers. >> Yeah, the size is huge. It really um makes the community so special and it gives students just so many opportunities to connect with each other and like you never know how those connections are going to play out later

00:22:39
in life, who you're going to call upon, who you're going to, you know, how things are going to shake out. So, I think it's really it's really good. Um I have a fun question. I know you're you live in Florida. You're a big Disney World Disneyland fan. What's like your favorite Disney World maybe ride? Um that like every time you go, you have to go on this hit up this one ride. >> The people mover. It's uh I mean we love the coasters, we love Tiana's Bayou, we love Big Thunder

00:23:14
Mountain, all of those things. But when you walk 20,000 steps in a day, the people mover is amazing because it's, you know, you just get on it and it's this little little uh little mini Montreal that takes you around for a good 10 minutes and, >> you know, seat. >> Exactly. >> The people, >> it's a short line, too. >> Wow. That's a good Disney hack right there. What's like a a food item that you love as well? Oh. Um, I would say if you go if you go to Epcot, No, if

00:23:48
you go to Epcot and you go to Canada, they have maple popcorn. Um, so it's the only place you can get maple popcorn is in Canada and Epcot. And if you buy the popcorn bucket that you can refill for like $2 and change, you can actually refill the maple popcorn bucket the same for $2 and some. Um, so yeah. Okay. So, get the bucket, make popcorn anywhere. Just go to Epcot and get the popcorn in Epcot and it'll be maple flavored popcorn. >> Oh, that's a good That's a That sounds

00:24:24
very like fall fall like too. We're in the fall season. That sounds really good. >> There's a lot of great tips and tricks on Disney. So, >> I'm sure I'm sure that you could probably go all day long. I know you're a big fan. Um, well, thank you, Marshall, so much for being with us today. It's been a joy talking to you and hearing kind of about your man or time and we wish you nothing but the best. >> Yeah. No, I appreciate the time. Um, always here and appreciate connecting

00:24:51
with you as always. Kelly, >> thank you for tuning in today. If you like what you heard, listen and subscribe on Spotify or YouTube and stay up to date with all new episodes by following Manor College on Instagram at Manor College. And that's a wrap on another episode of The Nest. Stories about life after Manor College. Remember Blue Jays, you belong here always. [Music]

00:22:39
in life, who you're going to call upon, who you're going to, you know, how things are going to shake out. So, I think it's really it's really good. Um I have a fun question. I know you're you live in Florida. You're a big Disney World Disneyland fan. What's like your favorite Disney World maybe ride? Um that like every time you go, you have to go on this hit up this one ride. >> The people mover. It's uh I mean we love the coasters, we love Tiana's Bayou, we love Big Thunder

00:23:14
Mountain, all of those things. But when you walk 20,000 steps in a day, the people mover is amazing because it's, you know, you just get on it and it's this little little uh little mini Montreal that takes you around for a good 10 minutes and, >> you know, seat. >> Exactly. >> The people, >> it's a short line, too. >> Wow. That's a good Disney hack right there. What's like a a food item that you love as well? Oh. Um, I would say if you go if you go to Epcot, No, if

00:23:48
you go to Epcot and you go to Canada, they have maple popcorn. Um, so it's the only place you can get maple popcorn is in Canada and Epcot. And if you buy the popcorn bucket that you can refill for like $2 and change, you can actually refill the maple popcorn bucket the same for $2 and some. Um, so yeah. Okay. So, get the bucket, make popcorn anywhere. Just go to Epcot and get the popcorn in Epcot and it'll be maple flavored popcorn. >> Oh, that's a good That's a That sounds

00:24:24
very like fall fall like too. We're in the fall season. That sounds really good. >> There's a lot of great tips and tricks on Disney. So, >> I'm sure I'm sure that you could probably go all day long. I know you're a big fan. Um, well, thank you, Marshall, so much for being with us today. It's been a joy talking to you and hearing kind of about your man or time and we wish you nothing but the best. >> Yeah. No, I appreciate the time. Um, always here and appreciate connecting

00:24:51
with you as always. Kelly, >> thank you for tuning in today. If you like what you heard, listen and subscribe on Spotify or YouTube and stay up to date with all new episodes by following Manor College on Instagram at Manor College. And that's a wrap on another episode of The Nest. Stories about life after Manor College. Remember Blue Jays, you belong here always. [Music]

00:00:00
I liked Fox chase so much that I wanted to keep being there even if it meant like an unpaid position. So I always tell students now like even if it's an unpaid position it's good for the experience. Hello Blue Jays and welcome to the nest stories about life after Manor College. I am your host Kelly Peiffer vice president of marketing communications and this is the best part of my day. My hope is that this podcast will encourage, inform, and inspire you, making you feel like at Manor College,

00:00:34
you belong here always. Before we get to today's guest, it is time for a segment of the show I like to call Did You Know? where we will share some fun facts about Manor College that you may or may not know. Did you know that some of the best advice for college students is also some of the most simple advice? I have a whiteboard outside of my office where I post a weekly question and people stop by and they write an answer. And last week's question prompt was one of my favorites. It was best advice for

00:01:05
students. Lots of advice was scribbled on the whiteboard, but my personal favorite that I saw was it said if it's not on the calendar, it won't get done. This really spoke to me as I am someone who kind of lives by the calendar both here at work and in my personal life for our family calendar. Practical, accurate. I really like that one. Another great one was ask questions. So obviously what is missing? What do you feel is some advice that you um have learned over the years that you want to

00:01:40
share with our students? Email us at the nest@manor.edu and tell us the best advice that you think is for college students. Today's episode is sponsored by Manor College's bird feed. Did you know that some Manor College students struggle with food insecurity? Manor College is proud to be an official PA hunger-free campus. Our bird feed food pantry provides a vital lifeline offering non-p perishable food and toiletries to those in need. But we can't do it without you. Your donation

00:02:12
of canned goods, dry goods, or financial contributions help us keep the bird feed stocked all year long so that no one in our campus is going hungry. Learn how you can help by visiting manor.edu/birdfeed. That's manor.edu/birdfeed. Coming up, we have a very special guest, someone who is making a real difference in the world of clinical research. Originally from Philadelphia, our guest is a proud alumna from girls high right down the road here on only a she came to Mayor College and immersed herself in

00:02:47
campus life serving as a presidential ambassador, a member of the lead program and even became the president of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. After graduating in 2023 with a bachelor of science and health services, she has gone on to an incredibly important role as a clinical research data specialist at the Fox Chase Cancer Center. Please join me in welcoming our guest Zoma Qurashi. Hi Zoma. >> Hi Kelly. How are you? >> It's so good to see you. I'm doing well. Thank you for joining us today on the

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show. So, Zoma, tell us a little bit about how did you hear about Manor College and why did you decide to attend? >> Yeah, so my both my older sisters went to Manor College. They're both Manor alumni. So, they both graduated in about 2015 2016. And I remember when I was applying for colleges my senior year of high school, um Manor College was one of the schools I applied to. Um it was not my choice at the time. And then I won't say any names, but I went to the college of my choice and they were more

00:03:55
expensive than I thought they would be. Um, got scholarships, all the financial aid, everything went through, but it was still too pricey. And I ended up withdrawing after like my first week. Um, and then I came over to Manor and they had gotten me all situated before classes started. Um, all that good stuff. And I chose my major as a health service, um, like bachelor's degree. Wow. I love that. I I know a little bit about your family history at Manor is roots run deep here with your family and

00:04:26
your sisters in particular. I know you're one of four and we've been lucky enough to have all four um girls come to the school. So, that's really special. You're what we call like a legacy family. Um but I I love your story about how like you went somewhere else and you realized pretty quickly, oh wow, this is really expensive for me. um I'm gonna I'm going to change and and typically you know coming into another institution once like ad drop hits it's like oh it's

00:04:53
really hard to figure those things out. So I'm glad that you were able to um pivot to Manor College and continue your family's journey here because that's really cool. Um what was it like what you were in college when any sisters were here as well? I know I think you were right. >> Um I don't think so. I think when I got to actually no so when I graduated from Manor in 2023 my second older sister she had graduated with her master's degree from Temple. So she was also in college

00:05:24
around the same time that I was. So I was getting my bachelor's and she was getting her master's degree and um I remember like I went to her graduation one week at Temple and then she came to mine the following week and then we had like a big party like at my house and stuff and it was really really cute and everything. So, we had like a nice little birdie like graduation party in my house. We had the owls and like the blue jays and stuff. It's very cute. >> Oh, that is cute. Yeah, I love that. Oh,

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that's so fun. Um, that's great. So, tell us, Zo, what was it like for you as a student? Like, what were you involved with? What was kind of like your college experience like? >> Yeah, so my freshman year I was a work study for the library. Um, and then in the spring COVID hit. Um so a lot of my uh Manor College experience was online but I remember when we had um like right before like we had started to come back onto campus I had gotten hired to be a library assistant on campus. Um I have

00:06:19
previous experience working in public libraries so they thought I'd be a good fit and I was working as a library assistant so I was an employee for the college. Um I was also a student so I got to go to both like the student events and the staff events. It was really really cool. Um I loved my time here. I was president of Phi Theta Kappa program as you mentioned earlier. Um and then I was also presidential ambassador. >> Yeah, you you did it. I feel like you had such a well-rounded experience here

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where you got to like do a little bit of everything. Um except for athletics. I guess that wasn't that wasn't your thing, but >> it wasn't my thing. But I think once we got back from COVID, I was kind of just like I want to do everything now because I missed out on so much during the pandemic and I was like now I'm going to do everything. I'm gonna end this year with like a bang before I leave. >> Yeah, that's a really good way that's a really good like positive take on on the

00:07:11
pandemic. You know, the pandemic was was so negative for so many um so many good reasons, but your outlook of like, okay, I'm going to like seize the moment and like get involved and do all the things. Um I think Zoma, you were part of the first group of presidential ambassadors. It's a it's a relatively um popular group on campus of students who kind of go to admissions events and represent the college as like a student influencer. And um it's a group that I get to co-advise with my colleague Ali

00:07:41
Mootz, our dean of students and someone was part of that first group. So that's a really special group for me. Kind of like our first class of students. I'm really proud that you were one of those. Um talk to me about your classes and studying health services. How did you know that was a field that you wanted to pursue? >> Yeah, so I've always been somebody who's like science, healthcare, all that stuff. Um, that's why I've chose the health services program in the first

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place. But like when I got to Manor, I think I really started to develop that love for like medicine. And when I took anatomy courses and biology and micro and nutrition and like I just loved learning about the human body so much and I knew that I wanted to work in healthcare, but you can ask anyone here. Everyone knew I was struggling to decide what exactly I wanted to do after I graduated, but I just knew that I wanted to work in healthcare at a hospital or like with like helping patients in whatever way I could. Um, but like I

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struggled with my four years of like trying to figure out what I wanted to do, which is like totally totally natural, totally normal. So many students don't know what to study, don't know even within that study then where to go. Oh, if you're studying business, it's like, okay, now now what's next? So, I think that's totally natural. So, did you feel that the health services gave you enough of like a foundation that then you could kind of pick specialty areas? >> Oh my gosh, absolutely. I always tell

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people that like taking anatomy and courses like medical terminology has helped me so much in my career as a data specialist. Like I've learned like so many things and now I'm a tutor for anatomy and those courses that I was studying like I tutor those courses now. So, I help students pass their anatomy exams and their biology and nutrition exams and it just feels like so good and like using those study tips that help me and like giving them to students and helping them pass their exams. And I

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tell people all the time like there's no un like feeling like like hearing that a student passed after I tutored them. Like that's like the best feeling and it's why I still do what I do here for the past like two or three years. >> Oh, I love that. Yeah. Thank you so much for like giving back. What a great way to give back to your alma mater is like by being a tutor and like sharing what you've learned and what you've know. I'm sure students really appreciate that and

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frankly we need good tutors. So that's really helpful. Um tell us about what you do for your career, what um I'm you know I don't work in the medical field obviously, but like what is a clinical research data specialist? It's a lot of words. Um what does that actually mean and what does your role mean to you? Yeah. So, we have a ton of cancer clinical trials at Fox chase. Um, we have different disease sites. So, we have like the gastrointestinal team. We have the sarcoma melanoma team. We have the

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genital urinary team. I am on the women's health team. So, my job basically includes entering and managing data for our clinical trials and on like gynecological and breast cancers. Basically, that's what my study portfolio includes. So I basically enter and manage the data into our softwares and when these studies close those results and that data gets pulled and that's how we publish results and get like all the information that we need to show that like this drug is effective versus like drugs that are already

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approved or like comparing drugs to other drugs that are already like on the market. >> Oh wow. That's complicated. It sounds complicated, but it sounds so important. And like you just think like doctors, you think of them doing the medical stuff, but there's so much more behind it. There's so much more. There's research, there's data, there's business, there's so much more. That's awesome. And um obviously Fox J Cancer Center is a pretty well-known entity in

00:11:27
the area. How has your experience been? And how did you get this job? Was it um an internship that led you to it or what was your pathway to it? because you're a really recent grad with like a full-time job and employment. This is something that a lot of our students are striving for. And how did you do it? >> Yeah. So, I I love what I do. Like, I was just recently promoted back in April to a DA specialist, too. I just recently got certified the other day as a clinical research professional. And

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>> Congratulations. That's awesome. >> Thank you. Yeah. And um when I was at Manor, I was interning at Fox Chase with the help of my boss at the time. I'll probably get into that a little more later, but he basically helped me land this internship by show like kind of telling me like start looking for your internship junior year. Don't wait till your senior year, the year that you're graduating to look for an internship because they're not easy gets. And I started off by getting like a summer

00:12:22
internship, a paid one. And I liked what I did there, but I wasn't fully in love with it, but it did teach me like what I didn't want to do for a career. And then I eventually started becoming like an intern volunteer. Like I liked Fox chase so much that I wanted to keep being there even if it meant like an unpaid position. So I always tell students now like even if it's an unpaid position it's good for the experience like definitely it's like even those kind of experiences are hard to get like in this

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day and age. So when you find an opportunity like that just take it like you need the experience to land a job. Um but yeah, I interned with them for about like six to nine months and then I started applying for positions talking to the human resources people there and after the interning and volunteering they eventually got to know me and they believe it or not human resources was the one who reached out to me and said hey like you know we interviewed you for other positions we don't think you were

00:13:18
a fit for those but there's a position that we think you would be great for in clinical research how does this sound and I think a lot of people especially me I didn't think that like human resources would be calling me and being like, "Hey, there's a job." Like I kind of just thought like, you know, I had these interviews in the past, they didn't work out, moving along. But when I got that email, I was very like shocked and I remember interviewing thinking I like completely blew the

00:13:42
interview. And then when I got the job, I was ecstatic. I was just like, "Oh my gosh, like this is something that worked out for me." And it just it ended up being something that I truly love. And I don't think I could ever see myself being in clinical research when I was at Manor. Like that's just something I couldn't picture myself doing. I didn't know how much goes into clinical research, how much goes into clinical trials. I had no idea that there's like a whole team of business people like how

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you said there's a whole like marketing aspect to it. There's a whole like, you know, there's so many laws and ethical like things behind it. So, I didn't know any of those things going into it. And I think now that I'm I've been in it for two to three years, like I'm learning just how much goes into approving a drug before it goes onto the market. >> Yeah. Wow. I love that. I love that story how it started with like an internship and just like being willing to like serve people and help people.

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and Fox Chase Cancer Center saw that in you and they saw like wow she is might not be the best fit for for this role, but her character, her passion for this is a fit for our um organization. So, major kudos to Fox chase Cancer Center and their HR team for like finding good people who they know, you know what I mean? That's really cool that they did that for you and I'm so happy. But I love your internship advice. I want to pause on that for a minute because I think that's really critical.

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So many students um they're eager, they want internships, but they they wait a little too late and you know they're competing against other students from other schools and and Philadelphia is one of the largest college um areas in the United States. So there's a lot of competition out there for internships at different organizations. So um giving getting that advice to like start your junior year, I'd even say start even earlier if you can. I always tell students, try to get multiple

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internships while you're in college because then you can kind of figure out what you do and don't like. Um, I like to tell the story when I was in college, I had four internships over my college career and I had one, which is kind of funny, I I had I had one at a magazine. I actually had two in a magazine. I really thought I was going to go into magazines. like that was going to be I probably watched too many romcom movies in the 2000s and thought that I was going to like move to New York and work

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in a magazine. It's going to be awesome. But then I had an internship at a magazine and I absolutely was miserable and I had another one another magazine and I hated it as well. So it was really good to like kind of give you a reality check of what you do and don't like. Um but um Zoma, was there anyone at Manor who was really like your cheerleader, inspirational, someone who or multiple people who were just really um your IT people, your go-tos while you were a student? >> Yeah. So, I would have to say the first

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person has to be my boss at the time when I was a library assistant, Richard Jutkiewicz. He was the head librarian at the time. He was also al also the director of career services which is fairly newer because he was the first to like be that person for people. So like this was when handshake came out and all those other things and like the career closet like he did all those things but he was the one who told me to look for this internship my junior year and he was the one who helped me with my resume. He helped me like prepare for

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the interview like by asking me like throwing questions at me and like you know kind of prepping me like teaching me about like professionalism, sending a thank you letter after an interview like all those different things like he taught me how to do. And then I remember like he was the one of the first people I told after I landed the job. He was so excited for me and even now like when I post things on LinkedIn like he's the first one of the first people to congratulate me. We still email back and

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forth. Like he was like he even he taught me how to do my taxes, Kelly. like it was hilarious and he was he was also like a business professor. He had an MBA so he helped me with like all the different things and he was also like my biggest supporter at the time. He helped me learn so much about like working and like careers and all those different things. But like professor-wise, I would have to say like I think everybody can attest to these. Dr. Dori, she's still my biggest cheerleader. We have lunch

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scheduled together in two weeks. Like it's great how I like keep these relationships with these like with these professors that helped me get to where I am today. Dr. Crosby, um Jenny Buechel, like they're all I talk to them like all the time. They're always here. >> My younger sister is here. So I like see the professors as I'm dropping her off and like you know wave to each other. But like I still keep in contact with all these people. And I think that's like the biggest thing about like being

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part of the Manor community. We're just all so close. We're like a family, >> right? I absolutely love that. We're definitely a family for better or for worse. Um, and it's really cool. It's cool that like you went from your actual family and then you know, Anupa, Ramesa, you and Mania now are all have had your own Manor experiences where you got like another family, an extended part of your family. Um, I love that. And obviously Rich was a huge influence for you and is still today. And that's

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really special that even when you graduate, even when you move on from Manor, um the people that you meet here, the people that are in your lives are going to remain in your lives in in those ways cheering you on. And that's really what it's all about at the end of the day. Um so Z, what advice would you give to current students? Why is Manor a great choice for them? I think my biggest piece of advice is to use the resources that you have available to you here. Like you're

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paying your tuition and you're here for a lot of the day. Use the resources that are presented to you. If you're a science student, use the anatomy models in the library. If you're a physical textbook person, use the physical textbook course reserves in the library. Like I'm a big advocator for the library, but there's other things. Your professors are resources. They can help you with finding jobs like the career the career services there's people around Manor who are willing to help

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you at all times. So your professors staff members there's computers we have laptops and now I heard that students are getting laptops and stuff too. So I think all those different kinds of resource tutoring you can come to me for tutoring that's a resource like you don't have to pay for it like you do at other colleges like all of those different things are all resources that are available to you to use. So use them to your advantage. Participate in clubs. Take initiative in kind of like leading

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projects and things, you know, do public speaking things like just anything that you feel like you can do better in. Find an opportunity to do that thing while you're here. It's the best place to test and start new things. You can start a club. You can do all those different kinds of things here at Manor. >> That's great. I love I love the plug for resources obviously because we do we have so many resources here at Manor College and we have wraparound services. We take a really holistic approach to

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students. So obviously we want them to get a degree and you know get good grades and do all those academic things. But there's tutoring, there's a food pantry, there's a career closet, there's a safe fund in case you need help paying a bill that month. There's academic support, there's a library, there's free, you know, free laptops. We're giving free meals to some students. There are so many ways to not just get help and support, but like make yourselves better. If you're a B student

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and you want to be an A student, we have support for that. If you're a D student and you want to become a C student, we have ways to help you. So, definitely um I totally echo what you're saying, Zoma, is like we have the resources, but students have to use the resources, you know? So, that's really important. But then also you're talking about like something you want to be better at. Like college is a great place to like practice things and like it's okay to fail in college. It's like a little

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bubble. It's safe if you mess up. It's okay. We'll give you grace. Um so definitely try to step out of your comfort zone. I think a lot of alumni give that advice is like use Manor to like step out of your comfort zone, meet new people. Um, and don't be don't be shy because this is a good safe space to like do that where you're gonna be okay. >> Thank you so much, Zoma, for spending some time with us. We wish you nothing but the best and I know we'll be seeing

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you around campus um either as tutoring or when you're hanging out with Mania, who I get to see all the time as she's one of our marketing interns. Um, but thanks Zoma so much and wishing you all the best. >> Thanks, Kelly. >> Thank you for tuning in today. If you like what you heard, listen and subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. Stay up to date with all new episodes by following Manor College on Instagram at Manor College. And that's a wrap on another episode of The Nest. Stories

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about life after Manor College. Remember Blue Jays, you belong here always.

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As long as you're working hard towards your goals, towards your passions, and even if you're not sure yet what you want to do, you'll figure it out. And these connections that you make, you're they're going to carry throughout your career and your lifetime. And you never know like when things from your past are going to come back around. Hello, Blue Jays, and welcome to the nest, stories about life after Manor College. I am your host, Kelly Peiffer, vice president of marketing communications, and this is the best

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part of my day. My hope is that this podcast will encourage, inform, and inspire you, making you feel like at Manor College, you belong here always. Before we get to today's guest, it is time for a segment of the show I like to call, did you know? Where we will share some fun fact about Manor College that you may or may not know. Did you know that Manor College uses out of home advertising? Think billboards, bus wraps, bus shelters, things that are around town as a cornerstone of its marketing strategy. The college

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maintains a consistent presence in the local areas where students and their families live, work, eat, and play. So, this strategic approach has paid off in a big way. And I have a story to share about that. a new liberal arts student named Elijah who just started his college career this past fall. He says that he first discovered Manor College by seeing a billboard on I 95. He says that he saw the college's slogan, you belong here, on septa buses near his home and then when he saw the billboard

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in 95, the message really stuck with him. As someone who oversees the marketing team, this is music to my ears. So Elijah's experience highlights the power of consistent messaging and how a simple phrase can really build genuine connections. Elijah said in a story that was recently published on manner.edu in our news section. He said that the you belong here just really stuck with me. I like how the school represented itself. Manor says they are community oriented and they've backed that up. Elijah is entering the liberal

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arts program with an open mind. viewing it as a blank slate to discover his future career path. He's driven by the example of his parents who made sacrifices to provide him with opportunities. His father immigrated from the Ivory Coast and both parents have taught him the importance of fortitude and perseverance. Elijah hopes to make the most of his college experience, viewing it as a chance to find his calling and to make his parents proud. We wish Elijah nothing but the best as his Manor College journey continues and we love

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that he start started his journey by seeing that billboard on 95. Today's episode is sponsored by the veterinary technology program at Manor College. Do you love animals? Are you looking for a career that's both challenging and yet incredibly rewarding? Then discover the vet tech program at Manor College. Our program is AVMA accredited, ensuring that you will receive a high quality education. You'll get hands-on experience from day one working with small, large, and laboratory animals in

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our state-of-the-art facilities. Our small class sizes mean that you get personalized attention from experienced professionals. Graduates are prepared to pass the national exam and launch a fulfilling career as a veterinary technician. Whether you want to work in a private practice, emergency care, or research, your journey to help animals can start here. Learn more and start your future in animal care today at manor.edu/vettech. That's manor.edu/vettech. Joining us today is a proud alumni of Manor College, hailing from Philadelphia

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and a graduate of Central High School. Our guest's journey is a testament to perseverance as she transferred to Manor from Penn State and then went on to earn not one but two degrees, an associates in veterinary technology and a bachelor's in science in interdisciplinary studies where she was among the first to graduate from that new program. She graduated in 2005 and despite facing challenges of being a full-time student and a new mother, she pressed on. Her resilience was supported by impactful

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conversations she had with Manor College faculty. Today she is the director of nursing at the Animal Hospital at Thorndale, a position that she has held for two decades. Her story is not only one of academic and professional success, but also a family legacy. She is the only one of her four siblings to attend college, and her son, who was born while she was a student at Manor, is now a college student himself. Please join me in welcoming Maryanne Evans. Hi Maryanne. >> Hi Kelly. It's great to be here.

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>> Thank you so much for joining us today. It is a pleasure to talk to you. Can you start us off by sharing how did you hear about Manor College and why did you decide to ultimately attend Manor? >> Uh that's a great question. Uh because the journey was um a bit of surprise. Uh so I always wanted to be involved in veterinary medicine. Um and for me I always wanted to do the patient care side. So I knew I didn't want to go to vet school. I knew I didn't want to be a doctor. Um I

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wanted to be a technician, you know, or was equivalent to like the nurse of um veterinary medicine. Um back then, so this is I graduated high school in 2000. So, in the 90s, uh, there wasn't much information on vet tech and what you need to do. It was all pushing to go to vet school. Um, and so I thought that I would be able to attend college and get a bachelor degree in some sort of um, animal science and, you know, take the exam to become certified. I didn't understand the process. So, that's why I was at Penn

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State for two years. I was an animal bioscience um major and I attended the Abington campus and I was getting ready to transfer to main campus. Um in doing that I started researching myself a little harder. So now you know the internet and Google is much more prevalent now. So, I was able to do research >> um >> and found that to become a certified veterinary technician, I needed to attend an AVMA accredited school. Uh living in Philadelphia, I'm from Northeast Philadelphia. Um there was two

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colleges near me. One was Harcum College and one was Manor College. and in um you know reviewing their curriculum uh Manor was a little closer to me in Jenkintown uh I decided to go to Manor um and that's how I ended up I transferred to Manor and luckily a lot of my credits transferred um and I was able to start the veterinary uh tech technology program there. >> Oh, that's so great. I love that. um you know, you you realized you had a couple options and you realized like weighing those options for proximity program

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looking for the AVMA accreditation sounds like that was like the the key factor like it's got to have that. Um but it sounds like how would you say the availability of Vet Tech education has come along? Um I mean you graduated 20 years ago. How has it come along in those 20 years? Are there more programs available? Um and is the industry changing for that? >> Uh yes, it is there is actually um quite a bit more available. Um I actually worked uh for quite some time at um Hope Veterinary Specialist which is

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now Blue Pearl Malvern and I was the education coordinator there. So I was taking in the externs um and doing that program there and we were taking in a lot of Manor students and during my time there about like two or three other uh veterinary technician programs opened up. Um and now uh with the um expansion of virtual learning there uh Pen Foster is a big program >> and then there's uh a bunch of other online options that have been opening up. M that's great. How have you found Manor's program to be distinct from

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other programs that you've seen? You've worked with so many people, I'm sure, who've been in different programs. Kind of what's the factors that makes Manor program different? the big factor that I've seen from being a student there and I actually taught there for a semester um and working with students from other programs and now having a bunch of colleagues that went to the other programs. >> The big factor for me and which I think is great is that the hands on that you

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get at Manor. Manor has animals on site that you work with. Um they have large animals, they have horses. Um they are close to um I think it's Delaware Valley Farm where they have a at my time at least there was a farm animal. >> Fox Chase Farms. >> Fox Chase Farms um that has um farm animals that you work with. They have a lab animal program where you work with mice, rats, and rabbits, and I think guinea pigs, and then they adopt them out at the end of the semester. Um, so a lot of that hands-on stuff. So again,

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the difference uh between Manor and Harcum, which I was choosing between, is Harcum does not have a lot of hands-on labs. Um, but they do they do their externship with uh University of Penn where their students get their hands-on training there. But the difference with the Manor students is they have it all on campus and then when they go to their externships and then again being on the other side as the extern um coordinator and working with the students from Manor they do come in with a little bit more confidence and a

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little bit more preparation for the career. So I think that that is a huge distinction. >> Yeah, that's great. Thanks for spelling that out cuz I feel like sometimes it's hard to convey the difference between and just like how Manor's program is distinct. But it's so cool to hear that you have a good perspective cuz like you went here, you've taught here, you've hired people from here, like kind of a very 360 viewpoint you have. Um, so Maryanne, what was your Manor

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experience like when you were a student? kind of maybe describe for us like what student life was like for you um because you had some challenges come up when you were a student and I think that that's something that a lot of our students can resonate with um today as well. So just maybe take us back what was it like being a student and kind of how did you overcome those challenges? Uh yeah. So um for me, so another good thing about Manor's, they are smaller, but they do have um on campus living. They

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do have dorm life. Uh but for me, I was um close by. I was about like I'm think like 20 minutes or so away. Um and I was already living on my own. So I moved out of my home right after graduation. I did uh do a semester at Cabrini College where I lived on campus. And it w it was tough for me. And again, it wasn't exactly the classes that I wanted um at the time. So, I actually moved into an apartment and uh was going to Penn State Abington. And then when I transferred, I was continuing to

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commute. Um so, I had to work. So, I had to work full-time. Uh but the classes were pretty um easy to schedule around. Um and they were pretty flexible. And then again, I got pregnant in my first year there. And then it was a question of whether I was going to take time off or if I was going to return. But I was very determined to graduate and um my son was born before the next semester started for the next school year started. And me thinking, I'm just going to go in two weeks after having a baby. I'm going to go back to

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school full-time. I'm working. It's going to be great. Uh it was tough. I did have a lot of family support at home even though I wasn't living at my parents' home. They I did have supportive parents um that helped me uh with child care and things like that. Um but it was difficult and so I you know um enrolled full-time but then had to drop some classes and go down to part-time. Um and again that's I brought up about Dr. Bastard. She was pretty encouraging because I was feeling down

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about it. I a little bit of a now looking back I didn't think I was at the time but a little bit of an overachiever. I'm like no I'm going to get this done. I'm going to be a mom and I'm going to work and I'm going to do all these things. And she was like you well maybe we could think about this and it's okay if you don't graduate and it's a two-year program in the exact time of your classmates. Like you just had a child, >> right? They didn't. You did,

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>> right? And the school's not going anywhere. It's going to be there. So that was encouraging and I always tell people yeah things are going to be really hard >> you know for any program you're in any school like school can be hard especially everyone has outside challenges um you know even if you're living at home uh you know a lot of people have to work a lot of people don't have a stable home life a lot of people finances are a big concern um you know there is financial aid there's

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options like that I always say like just think of the time frame it's not going to be hard forever like you can work through it. >> Yeah. Wow. Well, you just you hit on so many things just there, Maryanne. So, you worked full-time. When you were What kind of job did you have when you were a student? >> So, when I was a student, I worked as a dog groomer and I was starting to get into veterinary medicine. So, I worked um it was actually like a in our neighborhood it was a pet store that had

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like >> doggy daycare, grooming, boarding, and then had a small uh vet clinic where a vet came in like two nights a week. So, I was working for the grooming department. I I started working at the at the pet store when I was a teenager and then I went to the grooming department and I was working um for the vet when he was there like as a receptionist assistant. >> Right. So, something that's like was related to your field but still having to put in the hours. um over 85% of our current Manor students, they are working

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while studying at Manor and a good majority of them are working full-time. So that I mean I'm always really impressed of how students manage and balance school life work, you know, just trying to keep all those plates spinning. It's really impressive. And then you had a you had a baby. I mean that's huge. Um, and I mean, you definitely sounded like you were an overly ambitious person, which I I totally appreciate. And I think that's really awesome. And, um, I'm really glad

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that Dr. Basser was able to kind of try to encourage you to like slow it down. You know, don't stress yourself out too much because obviously being a first time mom is a huge transition and um that time is so precious with your baby. So, I'm glad that you were able to kind of slow that down. But I will say also 30% of our Manor students today are caretakers. So either they have children of their own or they're caretaking their own parents um or even grandparents. I've met a lot

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of students who um are caretakers for grandparents and parents um who maybe even in that sandwich generation where they're taking care of parents but then they also have children of their own. So, I mean, it's really I feel like that's a growing percentage of students who are trying to get some college going while doing all those other things in life that um also happen. So, I think it's really just really inspiring that you were able to kind of pull it all together and do that. I mean, what what

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resilience you have. That's really really amazing and major kudos to you. Um so can you talk to us a little bit about um working in animal care and just like how did you know like I am going to have a career in animals? Were you always passionate about animals and kind of when did that start for you? >> Always. I always loved animals. Uh we've always had pets growing up, dogs and cats. Um, and like I said, we were in close proximity to a rather large pet store in my neighborhood, which I

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started working at as a teenager. Um, I went in thinking that I wanted to do like exotic animals, like zoo animals or at the pet store. I worked a lot with the reptiles. I was really uh and the birds. I was really interested in them. Um, and then when I went to Manor, I learned like, oh yeah, I really like caring for these animals, but not in a medical sense. Because we got to remember a lot of people go into veterinary medicine because they love animals, >> but you also need to love medicine.

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There's blood. There's you're poking things with needles. You're putting in catheters. You're get, you know, administering medication and fluids and, you know, assisting with surgery. you're going to see, you know, blood and body fluids and some things you may not be comfortable with. So, you have to also love medicine and science. It can't just be a love of animals if you're truly going to be in veterinary medicine. Uh, so I learned that at Manor, like, all right, I really do like these animals,

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but they're very difficult, you know, to take care of and a, you know, a medical side. And I started gearing more towards dogs and cats. So that's small animal and then there's large animal where people care for, you know, horses and pigs and cows and all those things. Um, so I knew I didn't want to do large animal. I'm, you know, I'm from Philly. I'm a city girl. I didn't have much contact with horses, uh, and, you know, those types of animals, but I did really enjoy my large animal class

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because then I got the exposure and you get to see what you like to do. But for me, always loved animals. I always had pets. Um, and I always knew that like that's where my passion was. >> That's great. That's so cool. It's so cool to me when people share like how clear it was for them that like their career or their passions are going to align. I think a lot of students have a hard time with that, like what am I going to do? And um I often hear from Vet Tech because I I talk a lot to a lot

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of alumni vet techs and the animals for them is usually pretty clear. Like they just loved animals. They knew they wanted to work with animals. But I I've actually never heard someone describe it like how you did where you love animals but like you also need to love medicine and it needs to have this combination of the two things to align. I think you said that really well. Um so share with us Maryanne what are you doing today in your career? Um and how do you feel that your Manor education kind of

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prepared you for what you're doing in your career? >> Oh wow. So again my my career is now like 20 25 years long uh but out of Manor um and I you know I went on to become a certified veterinary technician took my exam um and at by that time I was working full-time at a different uh general practice hospital in Philadelphia. So when I got my license, I uh to me, so back then the hospital work was the University of Pennsylvania. Like when I was a kid growing up, that was the only big hospital. We have since

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expanded. We have so many emergency and specialty clinics uh in the area in the area in the country in the world. Uh but back then I wanted to work at University of Pennsylvania and I did. I got a job there and being a technician at the University of Pennsylvania, part of your job is educating uh fourth year vet students clinically. Um at that time I met uh a resident uh named uh Dr. Hava, Dr. Melissa Hava, and not knowing at the time that she would become a staple in my career. So we worked there. I worked

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there for about four years and then I moved on and worked at a couple of the other um veterinary special hospitals in the area over the year over the years. Um one of so after leaving Penn I um wound up working at a hospital where she also worked >> and her and I worked together for several years. Now she is a board-certified critical care specialist. Um and she then pushed me uh you know saw potential in me to become a um veterinary technician specialist. So I actually hold a second license a

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specialty license and e I'm a specialist in emergency and critical care as well. >> Her and I um parted ways I wound up leaving that hospital and I worked at uh hope veterinary specialists that I spoke about um for a while. Uh in that time her and I kept in touch. we would see each other at conferences and in 2021 she bought her own practice. Um she is the owner of the animal hospital Thorndale and I had since went back to Manor got my bachelor's degree because now at this time I had my specialty

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license. I had you know I've had my associates but you know remember I went to Penn State as well. So I had about five years of college experience and only an associates degree to show for it. So I was so I wanted to you know grow more. Um and I went back and got my bachelor's degree. Um I was thinking of like maybe getting into education. I I taught at Manor for a semester. Um I wasn't you know sure what I wanted to do but I knew I wanted to grow. And then I went into uh leadership. I went into

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management and leadership. um as you know with some of the courses and training I got with with my bachelor's degree there and um uh Dr. Hava uh brought me on as the director of nursing at her practice. Um our practice uh is unique. Uh it's a general practice that also provides specialty care. So we have specialty surgery. She's a specialty um a board-certified criticalist. We have a board certified radiologist. So, I like to refer to it as a hybrid practice. So, it's not quite as large as the emergency

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and specialty hospitals. Uh, and it has the general practice, but we have the emergency and critical care and specialty surgery care, and we're looking on expanding more uh for our clients at a bit of a more affordable price. It is privately owned where a lot of practices are going corporate now. Um, so that's where I'm at now. I really enjoy my position. Uh we're working on um like growth paths for our technicians and really work on supporting our technicians and growing the hospital. So

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it really has come again full circle for me. >> Yeah, definitely full circle. I love that. Someone that you met, you know, as they were a resident at UPEN is now, you know, you've made such a strong impression and connection for all those years. And she was like, I'm bringing you on, Maryanne. Let's go. That's awesome. Congratulations, Maryanne. What a great um career you've had and it's kind of just kind of the beginning and the legacy that you're building. That is that is really

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wonderful to hear. And I love that you were able to come back to Manor and get that bachelor's and like you said, you had five years of college, but now you have an associate and a bachelor's to kind of kind of prove it. So that's really important. Um, something as we kind of finish up here, I I want to share that, you know, part of the the mission of Mayor College and something that we we firmly believe in is that, you know, we want to provide our students um with an education so that

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when they graduate, they're going to serve others. They're going to serve society. They're going to serve um others with compassion and effectiveness. And those are the words that we use in our mission. And I just hearing your story just want to encourage you that continue to do what you're doing. You are certainly serving society well and compassionately and it's perfectly aligned with our mission. So, thank you so much for just being such a great example of um what we want

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our graduates and our alumni to be out in the world. Um, as we finish up, Marian, any advice that you have for current Manor students or current Vet Tech students who are kind of doing their studies and stressed out? Um, what advice would you have as someone who's kind of been through it and is now, you know, 20 years into a career? What would you tell them? >> Yeah, I would, you know, kind of like I said earlier, like it's not always going to be as hard as it is right now, and in the end is it's going to be worth it.

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like no one can take your hard work away from you. Like again, that's why it was important for me to get that bachelor's degree because I knew I put a lot of hard work in and I wanted my credentials to show it. Um you are m maybe may be in it, maybe you're confused, stressed out, maybe not feeling like things are worth it, but it's going to be in the end. I promise you. As long as you're working hard towards your goals, towards your passions, and even if you're not sure

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yet what you want to do, you'll figure it out. And these connections that you make, you're they're going to carry throughout your career and your lifetime. And you never know like when things from your past are going to come back around. But the that hard work that you put in school, um that degree, that license, no one can take that away from you. That is a testament to your hard work. And then 20 years later, like for me, it's like such a blip in the past, but you know, I know it's hard

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when you're in it, but it's going to get better and it's going to get worth it. >> Yeah, that's great. Thank you. So, keep persevering. It's going to be worth it. Um, taken from someone who's certainly been there. Maryanne, thank you so much for joining us today. It has been an absolute pleasure talking to you and we wish you nothing but the best. >> Thank you, Kelly. This was great. Thank you for tuning in with us today. If you like what you heard, listen and

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subscribe on Spotify or YouTube and stay up to date with all new episodes by following Manor College on Instagram at Manor College. And that's a wrap on another episode of the nest, stories about life after Manor College. Remember, Blue Jays, you belong here always. [Music]

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find something you're interested in and try to figure out a way to volunteer and give back. >> So throughout my whole career, I've spent lots of time in animal shelters, >> volunteering in animal shelters and just v for and also for various organizations that I like. I don't know. There's pick your pick what you like and there's some way to give back. Hello Blue Jays and welcome to the nest stories about life after Mayor College. I am your host Kelly Peiffer, vice

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president of marketing communications and this is the best part of my day. My hope is that this podcast will encourage, inform, and inspire you, making you feel like at Manor College, you belong here always. Before we get to today's guest, we are going to do something different. Today we're going to introduce to you one of our students, the nest's first ever Blue Jay Spotlight. A current junior at Manor College studying business administration. She is one of the hardest working people that I know.

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Selfless through and through. Please welcome Natasha Moore. >> Hi, my name is Natasha Moore. I am from Elkins Park. Uh the high school I graduated from was Covington Academy in Covington, Georgia. And I am studying business administration. I found out about Manor when I was looking for schools. I needed something that was close to my job at the time and I just searched up schools near me and I found Manor. For a career, I want to become a human resources business partner. The reason I want to do that is because HRBP

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strategically aligned the company's goals along with the initiatives of the employees as well. I feel that Manor has prepared me for a career. Being a presidential ambassador and student senate, I have gotten comfortable talking with people, not only on one-on-one, but in a group setting as well. Um, which is important as a human resource professional. You need to be able to talk to people, which I had a hard time doing before. So, those are some ways that Manor helped prepare me for my future career. My advice for

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incoming students is to take the time while being in college to get outside of your comfort zone, to seize new opportunities you probably wouldn't have seized before, because the outcome could always be something better than you expected. Something that someone would be surprised to learn about me is that I am an introvert. People keep telling me not to say that anymore, but I really am. I hate ketchup. That's one, too. Manor College, you belong here. Today's episode of the Nest is sponsored by the

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Manor College Program of Veterinary Technology. Do you see a best friend in every creature? Are you passionate about caring for animals? Do you love healthcare? Then you are ready to turn your passions into a profession with the veterinary technology program at Manor College. Our program is fully accredited and designed to give you real world skills that you need. You won't just study from a book. You'll get hands-on experience in labs, facilities, and out in the fields, learning everything from

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patient care and surgical assisting to lab procedures. Manor College connects you with dedicated faculty and the industry knowledge that employers are looking for. In just a few years, you could be a certified veterinary technician, CVT. making a real difference in the lives of animals and their families. Visit manor.edu/vettech today and learn more and apply. That's manor.edu/vette. Coming up, we have a very special guest. She is a proud alumni who grew up in Feasterville, Pennsylvania, and attended

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Archbishop Wood High School. After starting her college journey, she chose to focus on veterinary technology at Manor College, ultimately earning her associates degree in 1999. After Manor College, she transferred to Penn State. Her story is a testament to perseverance. She is a first generation college graduate and actually went to Manor twice. She started in 1986, finishing her coursework in 1988, and then transferred, but didn't complete her practicum to officially graduate. She returned to Manor 10 years later in

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1998 to complete her practicum, officially graduating in 1999. That pivotal moment allowed her to get fully licensed and jump into her career. Today she puts her expertise to work as the clinical infectious diseases laboratory manager at the Ryan Veterinary Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania. Please give a warm welcome to Michelle Traverse. Hi Michelle. >> Hi Kelly. >> Thank you for being with us today. It is an honor to have you on the show. >> It's my pleasure to be here.

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>> So can you start us off by sharing why did you choose Manor College? How did you first hear about Manor? Kind of take us back to that that thought process you went through. >> Well, I being a first generation college student in my family, I didn't really have a lot of help in figuring these things out. And Manor College is actually quite close to Feasterville. So, it's just around the corner from where I grew up. And I guess I just wasn't ready to go off to college, move away, and go off

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to college. So I decided that I would like to commute to college and kind of get a feel for it. So I liked Manor because it was ne close and comfortable but also small and it didn't feel overwhelming. Also I didn't really know what I wanted to study. So I kind of looked at a list of things that I could study and instead of having a focus of like this is what I want, I looked at the list and was like this is what I know I don't want. And veterinary technology, I didn't even actually really even know what it was

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exactly, but it seemed interesting. I like the science part of it. So I just decided I was going to go for it. And it turned out to be my lifelong career. Wow. I love that it started through like a process of elimination starting with like I don't want any of these. So what's left? Um >> that's exactly what happened. I was like accounting no you know business no this no. And then it just kind of left me with the sciences. >> Wow that's great. So you must have had a passion for animals I would assume. Have

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you always loved animals and kind of where does that come from? Well, I have had a passion have a passion for just the natural world and biology. I just like I think of it as it's a little bit of a puzzle and I like puzzles and I just like figuring them out >> and so veterinary medicine in general fits that bill very well. Like it's all just one big puzzle to me that needs to be sorted out. >> Yeah, that's a good way to describe it. We had a guest on the show, Maryanne Evans, um, just last last episode and

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she talked about like when you go into vet tech, you have to like have a passion for animals, but you also have to love healthcare and science and like you just can't be one or the other. It has to be this combination of those things. Um, so I love that you're describing, you know, you had a passion for the natural world and biology and obviously this big puzzle that you're trying to always put that next piece in and trying to solve. So what was your Manor College experience like? >> Well, it was great. And when I went

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there in '86, the Vet tech program I I'm guessing was quite young and quite new. There were just a few of us. There were seven people in the program at that time. >> Mhm. >> Yeah. So we were just like a little pack of people that all like traveled everywhere together. We went everywhere together. We were always together. Just these seven people always together. And um so it was just a little family unit really. We studied together. We hung out together. Went on field trips together. So it was

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just a very intimate com even more than a community more like a family really. >> Sure. >> Siblings even because we were all >> just college kids. >> Yep. We uh we call that kind of in the higher ed world we call that cohorts. Like students do better in college. They retain better. They have better grades. They have better experiences. They get in less trouble when students are part of a cohort. So whether it be a team, a club, um a program, whatever that cohort might be,

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it sounds like you had your own little cohort. Um so you studied at Manor in ' 86 and then you were so close to get graduating, but you didn't quite get there right away. What happened there? >> Yeah, so I think the other six people actually did graduate and I did not. I just got it in my mind that I wanted a bachelor's degree. I don't know why I thought that. I just thought I wanted a bachelor's degree. So, I transferred to Penn State and I just took those two

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years of course credit that I had with me and kind of thought maybe I was abandoning Vet tech and I did go on to Penn State and I graduated. It took me I had a little catch-up to do so it took me three years to graduate from Penn State but I did do that and in the meanwhile I did try some different things but ultimately I ended up back working at a veterinary hospital and so back then in the late 80s early 90s um you could do a lot more you didn't necessarily need a license >> but there became a point where it became

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obvious that there was a ceiling to this and that there was no way I was ever going progress any further in vet med if I didn't have a license. So that's when I realized you better go back and get that license. And by then the rules had changed and an only way you could was to graduate from an accredited program. And prior to that you could be grandfathered in if you had a certain amount of practical expert hands-on experience. But the state of Pennsylvania did away with that rule and said nope you have to graduate from the

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accredited program. and I had never done that. So that's when I contacted Manor the second time. That was when at that point 10 years later, >> that was when Dr. Basser was now running the program. That's when I met her. >> Sure. Wow. Wow. That's I mean I I'm glad that you found your way back to Manor. Um but that's that's just kind of a crazy journey that you were really close to getting that certification and then decided to go get a bachelor's and

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congrats on doing that. That's wonderful. but then still had to come back to it. So I guess in your in your heart did you always know like all right well Vet tech this is going to be my career or was there kind of twist and turns along the way? >> There were some twists and turns along the way and back to one of your original question of you must have always loved animals. Interestingly not really. I mean sure we had a family dog growing up and that sort of thing but no it really was never about that for me. It was

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really about the science. I just like the medicine aspect of it. And um I while I was at Manor the first time, that was when I got my first job at a veterinary clinic. And it was because a classmate of mine recommended had a tip on a clinic near my house that was going to hire. And so I got that job and I just was kind of a natural at it. It was just good good at it and it felt right. it felt like something I could be successful at. So after I tried some different things and went, you know, tried different, you

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know, during my pent time at Penn State, tried some different things, I don't know, I just circled back around because I guess I just never got the same sense of satisfaction as I did um working in veterinary medicine. >> Yeah, that's great. So, um, how, you know, what what is a a common myth or misconception about, uh, Vet tech that you've heard or that, you know, makes you roll your eyes kind of thing that you want to like set the record straight? What's something that people

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get wrong that they think they know about Vet tech? that the job is easy and also that like we spend all day long like playing with puppies and kittens. Whenever you when you meet somebody and you tell them what you do, they say, "Oh, like you, oh, that must be so much fun." It's actually very hard work. It's very, very hard work. It's a very physically demanding job. So, I don't know that people really understand that. And I laughingly say like when people say, "Oh, you must love animals." I say,

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"Well, I like mine. >> Yours wants yours is trying to bite me, but mine mine are okay." Um, I also the other thing that I thought years ago and it really does stick is that veterinary medicine is like pediatrics >> if you think about it. So it's like you have a patient that doesn't understand what's happening and attached to that patient you have a very emotional person. So if you just approach veterinary medicine like pediatrics >> Yeah. >> then it makes more sense like people can

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understand that better. >> When you relate it to how a child would behave at the doctors. [Music] >> Yep. That's a good way to describe it for sure. Um when you were saying, "Oh, I like mine." And I immediately thought like about like you know children and you know you assume teachers like teachers you must love kids and then they're like well I like my own kids you know >> exactly >> kind of kind of idea but they love education or they love you know in

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inspiring and and maybe they also obviously love children too but um that's a really good way to describe it and I have heard that Vet tech is a very physically demanding job. It is um it's a ton of hard work. It also can be quite sad from what I hear um to work in the animal industry like that. But also, you know, it's rewarding. It's work that needs to get done. It's to me it's service. Um and it's very I would say like mission focused on trying to

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help um not just cats and dogs. It's a lot of other types of animals as well from what I understand from our students. So, >> thank you for what you're doing >> because it's certainly it's really impressive. >> Well, thank you. I do try to um I work with a lot of students still at the university and I try to tell them you know remind them like we're not in retail but we are in a service industry. It's it's the same like it's a lot of it

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is the same like you have to don't lose your service mind >> set when you um get lost in the science. >> Yeah. Bedside banner so important and all that kind of stuff for sure. Um, so Michelle, tell us about what do you do at the Ryan Veterinary Hospital and kind of what um how has your career grown over the years to what you're doing today? >> So for many years, probably a good 20 plus years, I worked in small animal practice. Um towards the end of that run, I was um a technician in I guess

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you would equate it to like a med surge unit in a human hospital. So it was a treat, we call it the treatment room, but also surgery. So I spent all day doing surgery with the doctors and you know recovering those patients and the pre and the post op which is is a lot of like this the doctor comes in for the procedure but the pre and the postop is what the nurses take care of. >> Sure. >> Um technicians otherwise known as nurses. >> So um then I just decided I got this idea in my head that I wanted to work at

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the University of Pennsylvania. So, I set my mind on that and I took a job that wasn't a vet, it wasn't a clinical job at all. It was I became the infection prevention coordinator for the hospital, which was is just, you know, it's big. It's common in human medicine. It's becoming more common in veterinary medicine. It's just basically how to protect animals from hospital acquired infections, >> how to prevent uh humans from becoming ill because of whatever p whatever

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diseases patients might have. >> So there's a whole level of biocurity around all that. So I took the job in biocurity at Penn Vet >> just because it was a new challenge. I kind of felt like I had done the other work for a long enough time that I had, you know, been there done that. Um and then while in that position, it was very closely linked with the microbiology lab here at the hospital. And so while in that position, I got exposed to the laboratory side of things >> and the diagnostics involved in

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how diseases are, how we figure it out. So I um eventually after about I don't know eight years or so a position in a lab became available and I had already known the person who ran that lab and so she approached me and said like hey this position is coming available if you want it you can have it. So, I just made a lateral move over into the laboratory um about 10 years ago, and I have I don't I'm never leaving. This is it for me. I'm staying until my career is finished. >> I'm pretty close to being eligible to

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retire at this point. Um but I love it. I love the diagnostic lab and um I feel like it's work that is very important and it's we produce a result that somebody actually cares about >> and so that to me is important work. >> Yeah, that's measurable. It's impactful. >> It's me it's measurable. It's impactful. And um so I I'm very serious that we are producing the most scientifically accurate relevant results we possibly can. So at this point I'm the LA the laboratory

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manager. So there are two veterinarians above me who run the place and then I manage the day-to-day operations for them. And then there are four technicians underneath of me. >> Okay. Nice. So, you got a good kind of like back to your cohort model. You got your team, you got your cohort, got your people, you know. >> Got my people. Yes, exactly. We're really nice team. It's a It's a good team. We've got >> That's great. That's such a good feeling, too. Well, that's so neat to

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show that like how having a Vet tech degree can take you so many places. I talk to a lot of Vet tech alumni and whether they get other certifications, whether they go into, you know, surgery or private practice or farm care or exotics, like there's so many different fields out there. It's just really neat that um they all can kind of start in the same program and then like branch off, you know? I think it's really um cool to show that our students like there's so many opportunities in the Vet tech field.

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Michelle, I want to switch gears for a minute just because um you have come out to several of our alumni events at the Phillies games. Yes, I have. >> So, I want to talk Phillies for a minute with you because we're at a critical moment in the year here for us us Phillies fans. Um in my family, this is one of the longest weeks of the year because there's no Phillies games. So we are all I know >> we are all like what are we supposed to do every night until Saturday. Um but we

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we run uh an annual manor night at the Phillies typically in the summer either July or August and Michelle not only has come to the last two years of this but she brings a whole crew of people um and it's great to see just alumni come out friends come out family come out. So, how are you feeling this Red October? What are you thinking is going to happen? What are your predictions? >> I think that the team is doing excellent and I I get So, I've decided being from Philadelphia, you know, everybody wants

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you to be an Eagles fan and I've decided, you know, baseball is really my thing. Like, sure, I'll watch an Eagles game. It's good, but I just like baseball. Yeah. >> And so I think we have the potential to go all the way. I really truly do and I'm looking forward to seeing them play in the World Series again. >> Yeah. I'm right there with you, Michelle. Um I I grew up in a family and my husband, you know, they are all like all Philadelphia, everything, all the

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teams. And I've kind of decided like you, like I'm going to put my energy into one team and chosen the Phillies as well. Um I love baseball so I'm with you. I really think this is this is a good year. Let's not have a repeat of last year in the postseason. Let's but I but I'm nervous. I'm not going to lie. I'm very nervous. We have a whole week off. Um and they're not going to be playing as much. So, you're just like, "Oh gosh, are we going

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to get cold? Are we going to hit the ball? We have to hit the ball. We need some offense." So, we'll see. >> I know. And and like now every everything counts so much more because every round is going to be an elimination round. Exactly. We don't have any wiggle room to like have any mess ups and we don't have Zach Wheeler, so that makes me But, you know, our pitching has been pretty good. Um, my I have a six-year-old son who's really into it and that's it's been so fun to

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like just have him be into it and we took him to a couple games this year and he wants to stay for the ninth inning to see the Duron, you know, spectacular with the spider and the lights and the tarantula. He's my son is obsessed with it. He loves watching it and loves just saying, "Mom, we have to stay for the ninth inning." And I'm like, "I know, but I want to beat the parking." He's like, "I don't care. We have to stay." So, >> yeah. The first time I saw it, I was

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with my sister and we were laughing. I was We were calling it the spiderwalk. >> Yeah. >> You know, cuz I didn't expect the whole tarantula thing and I was like, "What is going on?" >> It was It is. Apparently, they're rolling out new things with that for the postseason. So, I'm sure it's going to get crazy. Well, good luck to you this October. I know us all Phillies fans are like just going to be biting our nails at home. Very nervous, but >> it's such a fun team to follow and it's

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been great to see you out at the games. Thank you for supporting Manor in that way as well. I appreciate that. >> I was um glad to get the invite because, you know, I wasn't sure if you were going to be running the same types of events, you know, year after year and then I got the invite and I was like, "Yay." And then just so happens that this year it was my birthday. So I was like, "Oh, oh, I definitely this is what I want to do for my birthday." And that's how I ended up with an entourage.

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>> Cool. >> Because it just so happened to fall on my birthday. Yeah. >> Well, perfect. Yeah, we're definitely going to do that. We've tried a couple of other teams, but um the Phillies tend to be the biggest turnout for us. So, we're hoping to >> keep that again for next year. Um Michelle, as kind of my final question to you, >> just what advice what advice would you give current Manor students who are um whether they're studying Vet tech or not, just you know, they're currently

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studying and going out throughout their college career, what advice would you give for them as someone who's been through it a couple times um and kind of on the other side of that? >> Um I thought about this. I thought because I I knew you were going to ask me this question because I've listened to other episodes and so I did think about this and the one I have two things. One is when I was at Manor both times I utilized the learning center quite a bit. So that's one bit of advice

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is go to the learning center. If you're having trouble, if you need help, if you need advice, try the learning center because the people there are great and they really do want to help you figure things out. And so, yeah, before you decide that that you can't or won't try the learning center. Mhm. >> And the other thing I thought of as far as my career in veterinary medicine and just in life is find find something you're interested in and try to figure out a way to volunteer

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and give back. M >> so throughout my whole career I've spent lots of time in animal shelters >> volunteering in animal shelters and just v for and also for various organizations that I like I don't know there's pick pick your pick what you like and there's some way to give back >> in that field. So, um, that's my other and it's also a great way to meet people, maybe meet like-minded people, people who have great similar ideas or it's an interesting way to network with

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people. So, that's what I want to encourage people to do is find organizations that you respect and want to support and figure out a way to volunteer and give back. >> Yeah. And it's it'll help >> it'll help enrich your life and it'll help you meet >> like-minded individuals. And it makes it just does it just feels good. >> Yeah, it does. It does. It feels good to give back. It feels good to serve. And if you can align that with something that kind of like hits you in the heart,

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hits you at home in your core values, I mean, even even better. And um right, you'll meet people that are like-minded like you, have the same interests as you, and kind of all those things. And I I totally echo the learning center. Um I always tell students like you should be going to the learning center. Even if you're doing well in your classes, still meet them, get them to help you. There's no harm in it. It's free. Um it's a great service. We offer so many good services here for academic support,

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tutoring, writing center, time management, um you know, personal counseling. We have a food pantry. We have a career closet. We have a safe fund for students who maybe need help on a bill or two at home. We have so many wraparound services and it feels like every year we're adding more services to that wraparound. Um I mean students and but students have to take advantage of it. That's the thing. You can't make them use it. Um but we are here and we are ready to like just jump right in.

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Thank you, Michelle, so much for being such a great embodiment of our mission. I think everything that you've shared with me today really just reminds me so much of our mission. Our mission is to serve students um so that they grow up to be people who serve society effectively and compassionately and you are doing that to a tea. So, thank you so much for just really living out our mission that we're trying to do here at Manor College. Well, thank you also because you know, Manor helped me make it happen.

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>> Yeah, that's great. Well, have a good one, Michelle. We wish you nothing but the best. And of course, go Phils. Thank you for tuning in today. If you like what you heard, listen and subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. And stay up to date with all new episodes by following Manor College on Instagram, Manor College. And that's a wrap on another episode of The Nest. Stories about life after Mayor College. Remember Blue Jays, you belong here always. [Music]

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the sister that was there at the time. Um, she asked me to participate in the graduation mass as like a volunteer to help out. Um, so I went to that graduation ceremony and I sat next to him and um, the year after that we just kind of kept bumping into each other. We became like really close friends and then, you know, after the fact um, we both transferred to LA and eventually uh, we started dating each other and the rest is history. Hello Blue Jays and welcome to the nest stories about life after Manor College.

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I am your host Kelly Peiffer vice president of marketing communications and this is the best part of my day. My hope is that this podcast will encourage, inform, and inspire you, making you feel like at Manor College you belong here always. Before we get to today's guest, it is time for a segment of the show I like to call did you know? where we will share some fun facts about Manor College that you may or may not know. Did you know that Manor College was ranked by the US Department of Education

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in the top 200 nationally for creating economic mobility for students? We've all heard the term economic mobility, but have you ever stopped to really think about what that actually means for a family? So, let me paint a picture for you. Imagine a single parent making around $30,000 a year, working really hard to give their child a shot for a better life. They're doing everything they can, and their child is watching and learning from them. Now, fast forward a bit. That child graduates from

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college, gets a degree, and lands a job as an accountant, starting at $75,000 a year for that salary. Can you imagine that moment? The first thing that this new college graduate is going to do is turn to their mom and dad and say like our lives are going to change. We're going to live differently now. That's just not like a nice thought. That's what economic mobility does in action. It's a moment of real tangible change that can impact a family and change that family's tree. The New York Time is has

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also ranked Manor College in the top 6% of colleges for creating that kind of mobility and that's exactly what they're measuring. They're looking for real families getting real transformations and the ripple effect that a college degree has for decades to come. So when we talk to donors about Manor College, we don't just say like we're a good school. We always use the word transformational because we're just not handing out diplomas. We're helping close this wealth gap and create

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significant economic change in people's lives that's going to change their family forever. It's one more way we're helping our students to achieve powerful life-changing moment for them and their families. Today's episode is sponsored by the Manor College Bachelor's degree in accounting. New for fall 2025. Are you ready to build towards a career that is in high demand? With a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Manor College, you can become a financial detective, a business strategist, and a

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vital force for growth. Our small class sizes mean that you get personalized attention from our expert faculty. Manor College, you belong here. Learn more at Manor.edu/accounting. We have a truly special guest today, an inspiring alumni who's making waves in the accounting world. She is a proud graduate from Ben Salem High School who then pursued her passion right here at Manor College. While studying accounting, she earned an associates degree in business administration in 2012. During her time at Manor, she was

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incredibly active serving as president of the Alpha Beta Gamma Business Honor Societies where she led fundraising efforts for breast cancer awareness. She also dedicated her time to helping others as an accounting peer tutor. After graduating from Manor, she transferred to Lasal University, continuing her educational journey. Today, she's a successful account assistant controller at Han and Stone Massage, a testament of her hard work and the foundation she has built, formerly working at Ernest and Young,

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one of the big four public accounting firms. Jess is also a first generation college student. So, please join me in welcoming our guest today, Jessica Strickland. Hi, Jess. Hi, Kelly. Thanks for having me. Yes, thank you so much for joining us today. I'm really excited to talk to you. Um, so Jess, kind of take us back. How did you hear about Manor and why did you choose ultimately to attend? Yeah. Um, so you know, um, as a senior in high school, I was kind of going through the college application process,

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um, as my other peers were, and I had a couple schools on my list, but I I really wasn't, um, committed to any of them. And, um, my friend, uh, my best friend at the time was actually interested in Manor's dental hygiene program, and she was going to an open house event, and she's like, "Hey, Jess, wouldn't it be fun if we like went to college together?" And I'm like, "Yeah, but you know, we're kind of going towards different paths." And she's

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like, "Well, I'm going to this open house for Manor. You should come along." And I'm like, "What? What's Manor College? I've never heard of it before." So, um, I was like, "Okay, you know, it can't hurt." Um, so I went and, um, I feel like when I went there and I got to, you know, meet my future professors and whatnot, I definitely got that sense of community and, um, just like that small class size really attracted me. Um, so, um, while I was kind of, you know, on my

00:05:48
journey of deciding which college would be a best fit for me, um, I kind of in the back of my head that knew that like I was going to have to fund like 98% of my tuition. So, um, that was also a big factor. So, I scheduled a interview with admissions or I think it was like a campus visit with admissions and um, I brought my transcripts along. I had my dad with me and you know they're like hey you know your your transcript looks really good and you're involved in extracurriculars I think you would be a

00:06:16
great candidate for our presidential scholarship which would be a full scholarship and then of course my dad's all like oh this is this is the college you should get through the process and um it went well I got awarded a full scholarship um so I think just between you know that assistance and um being attracted to those smaller class sizes is really like what drove my decision um to decide on Manor. And it's close to home, too. So, that's a huge plus. Yeah. I love that you kind of like hit

00:06:46
multiple um points that like a lot of students resonate with like a friend, you know, word of mouth. A friend brought you there. You came for an open house. You met some people and you were feeling the vibe and we're like, "Okay, this is a cool place. I can see myself here." And then the financial piece comes in, right? It's not just about like good feelings and like cool people. It needs to work with your budget and what you can and cannot afford. So obviously having a really strong high

00:07:14
school um performance really helped get that great scholarship and then you know other factors like convenient to home and having the right program and just seeing the opportunities that you could have. So that's great. I'm so happy that that all kind of worked out for you in that sense because it can be super daunting for high school students or transfer students to figure out where am I going to go? Is it the right fit? There's so many there's so many factors to consider. So, I'm glad multiple

00:07:42
factors aligned for you. Um definitely felt like it was the right place for you to be 100%. I was very fortunate in that regard. It's just I'm a very indecisive person too. So for the fact that like Manor aligned for me that much um definitely grateful for them. That's awesome. So what was your Manor college experience like? Take us back. What was it like being a student? What were you involved with kind of what was it what was it like for you during your college days?

00:08:12
Yeah. Um so I definitely feel like um I grew a lot at Manor. So, I remember just like my first day coming to campus and just like not really knowing how like college works. I mean, I had a little bit of knowledge, not really knowing how the real world works. And I just like get to the campus and I'm like, "Oh my gosh, I'm here. What do I do?" I was just like a blank slate for me. M um but um I just think Manor was like the perfect place cuz there's such a sense of community and um I think you

00:08:44
know this everyone from the staff to uh the professors to your peers like everyone's just like there to want to help you and help you succeed and you know um be that guide for you and just like the sense of connection at Manor was just amazing. Um, I think the thing that really helped me was the small class sizes just because, you know, I am a bit of an introvert. Um, I was even more introverted back then and, you know, I my goal a lot was to just like blend in with the crowd and just kind of

00:09:15
go with the flow. But I think being in those smaller class sizes gave me a space to really just like um, speak out more and like participate in meaningful dialogues. And I think, you know, that portion of my college learning was just so important. I maybe didn't like realize at that time, but just like looking back, I think, you know, being able to articulate a point of view and, you know, hear opposing point of views and just, you know, being more engaged in general. Um cuz I definitely feel like, you know, I

00:09:48
I think big colleges are great for um certain people, but I know for someone like me, I feel like I I am the type of person that could maybe just tune out um if I was like in a 100 plus. Um but I feel like, you know, like being engaged is really what kept my focus. Um so I'm very grateful for that. And then obviously like the sense of community. Um my professors were great. Um, not only did they help me in my classes, but um, just like getting ready for my career. I didn't know how to write a

00:10:16
resume. Um, so my accounting professor was very helpful. Um, she definitely just kind of showed me what to say, like what employers are looking for, etc. Um, and we got my first resume down on paper and it looked pretty good. Um and then she also helped me secure an externship which um at least back then there was an externship requirement um for the associates degree in accounting. So um I was able to get that and it was a great opportunity. Um I got to dabble in some tax work which you know it was

00:10:48
great but I also learned that tax wasn't for me. Um so that and then I think just you know I made some like relationships that um you know were very important. So, um, as you know, I actually met my fiance at Manor. So, that was kind of a big deal. Kind of a big deal. Met the love of my life at Manor College. You know, we're getting married. Shout out to Carlos. Yes. Yes. We're so happy for you. I was going to say, did you meet anyone special at Manor? That was funny cuz uh Oh, sorry. Go

00:11:20
ahead. Go ahead. We just We just love We I love and we love like we call them Manor matches. Whenever there's a manor match, we just Oh my gosh, I love that. You're a manor match. Yeah, that say that. Yeah. Um, uh, so we actually met my first year. I feel like, you know, I think was a big transition year for me. I was just kind of absorbing, taking it all in. But, um, I actually went to a couple of the masses that they offered, um, on campus. And, um, so the sister that was there at the time, um, she asked me to

00:11:53
participate in the graduation mass as like a volunteer to help out. Um, so I went to that graduation ceremony and I sat next to him and um, we're both practicing Catholic, so we just kind of bonded over that we were both kind of like knew what was going on and what we were doing. Um, and then the year after that we just kind of kept bumping into each other. We became like really close friends and then, you know, after the fact, um, we both transferred to Leo and then eventually uh, we started dating each

00:12:21
other and the rest is history. Oh, that is so cute. Oh my gosh, that's beautiful. I love that. That's actually great, too, because um while we weren't dating at Manor, um my he was a speaker at our um college at our graduation and um my grandma was there and she didn't get to formally meet him, but um she did get to see him. So, um she unfortunately passed away um before we started dating, but I can officially say that like she saw him, right? like she heard him or knew him and Oh, that's so sweet. I love that.

00:12:57
Yeah. Well, how how special to be um you know, not only your college experience was like I got a degree, I built some confidence, I got out of my shell, but then also bonus met my husband. That's beautiful. I love that so much and so happy for you and Carlos. And I know November 8th is the big day coming up just about two months away. It's going to be beautiful. Um yeah, that's awesome. So, Jess, talk to us about your um accounting passion. How did you know that this was a a career that you wanted to pursue? Um I think

00:13:31
accounting sometimes gets not the greatest reputation. So, may maybe you can help us understand and unlock why accounting isn't so scary and so daunting and you know what's the good parts about it. Yeah, sure. Um, so, um, I would say it maybe started in high school. I was more into my math classes. I really like dealing with numbers and problem solving. And I will say it's like, you know, they say we think with different sides of the brain. So, someone who's into like the mathematics um, you know,

00:14:02
they definitely I think it's the right side of your brain. Um, you definitely have to have um, I guess that passion or that desire or that um, interest in numbers. So, I personally just like I found that was my favorite class. I really like problem solving. Um just like getting to the right answer. So that was just something I was personally interested in. And then I took accounting as an elective in high school. Um and I was like, you know what, this kind of like blends like my interest in problem solving with I what

00:14:30
I feel is like a practical career choice because um you know, I think you know, the job market always is doing a lot of things, but especially at that time, I feel like you know, you're always going to need accountants. Um it's a great field to get into. there's a lot of demand. Um there's a lot of different directions you can go into. Um not just tax, there's like tax, there's audit. Um some people get into like financial planning and analytics. Um there's just a lot of things you can

00:14:57
do with an accounting degree. Um so I think just like enjoying that elective, I was just like, you know what, I think this is practical. I like I like it. So um I'm just going to study it and see how it goes. And I was also very fortunate in that regard because um I know some people kind of like use the first couple years of college to figure out um what they want to do, which is great. Um and I've had that open mind too, like you know, I don't want to feel like just because I picked accounting

00:15:25
from day one that like I if I didn't find something else that I think would be a better fit, I I would have pursued that avenue. But it just so happened that like, you know, I felt reinforced in my decision as I was going through um the program. That's great. I love that you felt um kind of like reassured as you were going through the program like, "Yeah, oh, accounting. This is definitely my thing." It's practical. It's applicable. And it's also pretty broad. You

00:15:53
can do a lot with an accounting degree. You can go a lot of avenues. You can go tax, you can go audit, you can go CPA, you can go financial planner, you can get all sorts of other credentials that really just build your career. Um, and also, you know, for you, you graduated in 2012 from Manor. So, you were in high school during the '08 recession, which like was just a time of turmoil and very unsecure in the economy and job security. So, I could see how having that mindset of like practicality for my

00:16:24
college degree needs to be like a first. I can I can totally see that. Um that makes really good sense. So, te tell us about what um what are you currently doing for Hand and Stone Massage? Um and kind of what's it like working for kind of a a pretty large company here that's um in the massage industry and in the spa industry? Yeah. So, um I well I was doing like consulting because um I did some auditing work and then um I went to a firm called CFGI just because like I was like I'm ready to take that next step

00:17:01
but I kind of want to get exposure to different projects. Um so I was able to get that experience which was great. So I'm like you know I want to take a shot in like the industry like um I think previously like for the first nine years of my career I was in the client service so I was always like jumping from different projects working with different people and it was great, but I was like, you know what, I'm gonna be in like a more stable role. Um, so I actually was like working with a

00:17:27
recruiter and they um reached out to me about this opportunity. So I'm like, "Yeah, why not?" Like I feel like it'd be fun to work at a spa. Um, and they actually um their head office or their corporate office is located in Trivose. Um, and I grew up in Ben Salem, so I was like, "Oh, you know, yeah, right there. That's kind of very interesting." Um, so I went through the interview process. They gave me the job offer and I'm like, "Yeah, this is this is good." And it was

00:17:52
definitely like a new experience just because um, you know, back to what we were saying about account, there's so much different things you can do. And I think my experience was definitely more um, focused towards the financial reporting side of things. Um, so like financial statements, auditing those financial statements, whereas this role um, I'm really diving into like the day-to-day operations. Um, so you know, we're responsible for making sure the company's bills get paid. Uh, we are a

00:18:20
franchise, so um, you know, every week we bill the franchises, royalties, marketing, etc. Um, just, you know, the run-of-the-mill expenses that we um, pass off to them. And, um, you know, just making sure providing audit support, making sure the books and records are accurate. Um, cash management's a big component of what we do. Um, so just making sure that like you know we're keeping the place up and running day-to-day and I think it's really good for me to get that experience because I

00:18:49
definitely feel like um I've definitely been more on the financial reporting side of things. So I'm definitely learning a lot. Um it's definitely rewarding um just like some of the process improvements and stuff that we're implementing and you know getting the audit done in a more um robust fashion I guess. Yeah. So that's great. And then you get great perks. get a free facial every month and you get free products. So Oh, that's nice. Oh my goodness. Well, that is really nice, too,

00:19:19
obviously. Um, but that's so cool that you feel like in your career that you've had like you're kind of like rounding out the different areas and you're trying and I think it's so frankly inspiring that like you're willing to like try new things. You want to learn new things. You're not kind of like, well, I've gotten really good at this and I'm going to stay with this. you're like, "No, I'm going to push myself and I'm going to learn more." That's a great

00:19:43
skill. And I think that's something that I think about our mission and in our mission. We say we want to um educate students to become like lifelong learners to serve society with compassion. And I feel like you're certainly doing that. So, thank you so much for truly being like a walking embodiment of what the Manor College mission is because that's spot on to what we're trying to do here for our students. Um, so what's like a myth or like um something we can debunk

00:20:14
about um accounting that people are getting wrong, but it's maybe um a myth that's out there that we can kind of say, you know what, this is set the record straight. This is not accurate. I would definitely say um we don't all know how to do taxes. My first five years, all your friends hitting you up for taxes. Do your taxes. I'm like, you do not want me to do your taxes. I promise you, you do not want me to do your taxes. Okay, that's a good one. So, I definitely would say that. Um I

00:20:44
think my family understands now, but it took them a while, right? They think I think they thought I was just saying no and just like making it up so I didn't have to do it. I'm like, "No, you don't understand. I I literally don't do taxes. I I don't know. I will I can put it through Turbotax, right? And Turbotax will tell me what to do, but that that's right. So can I. Yeah, that's what I do. Okay. Yeah. So, not all Gins can just do your taxes for you. That's definitely a good one.

00:21:11
Um, so Jess, what advice would you give to Manor College students who are kind of in their own career uh college journeys right now? what advice would you give them based on all this wisdom that you've gained over these years? Yeah, I would just say um don't be afraid to like get involved. Um you know, I feel like Manor just has so much um that you can get involved in, so much you can participate in. And it's just kind of up to you to be like, "Okay, yeah, I'm going to I'm going to do it."

00:21:39
Um just like ask people questions, get to know your peers, get to know your professors. I feel like um one of the fortunate sides of Manor is it is a very inclusive environment and I feel like it's a very welcoming environment. So even if you're more on the introverted and shy side like you're going to get like a good reception. Um you just kind of have to take that first step of faith in yourself and faith in the community and just like you know just put yourself out there and like rewards will come. So

00:22:07
um I think you know just uh get involved see what you like and I think going back to like you know trying new things like um you know there might be an elective or there might be an activity that you don't know you like and then you try it and you're like oh actually I am interested in this. So I think just take advantage of all the wonderful things that Manor has to offer you. Oh that's great. Yeah involved try new things. This is a time kind of like why not you know? Yeah, I always scenario.

00:22:35
Yeah. No, I always say it Manor like you just you can't really hide unless like you're trying to hide. Like if you if you want to hide, fine. You know what I mean? That's Yeah. But like if soon as you step out of that bubble a smidge, we're going to notice you. You're we're going to help you. Like and that is the best way to really um just like feed into yourself. You know what I mean? Like get and it'll open up doors. It'll open up networks. You never

00:23:03
know who you're going to meet. You can meet friends, your boyfriends, girlfriends, you know, professors who are going to change your life and give you job opportunities. So, um, that's great advice and I think it's really tried and true. So, thank you so much. Thank you, Jess, for being with us today. It's been awesome talking to you, wishing you and Carlos nothing but the best. Um, and thank you so much. We are cheering you on every step of the way. Thank you, Kelly. I appreciate it.

00:23:32
Thank you for tuning in today. If you like what you heard, listen and subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. Stay up to date with all new episodes by following Manor College on Instagram at Manor College. And that's a wrap on another episode of The Nest. Stories about life after Manor College. Remember, Blue Jays, you belong here always.