Michelle Leonard’s career at TESU started while she was in college. After taking a course on Human Resources at Rider University, she applied to be a summer intern in the HR department. She got along well with her colleagues and had a passion for HR; so she became an hourly, temporarily filling in for an employee on leave. When the employee returned, Michelle was left without a spot in HR and decided to try her hand at Admissions. While her experience was positive, she itched for the kind of work she got to do in HR. So, she left and worked at Wawa Inc. doing recruitment and training across New Jersey until she got a call from Heather Brooks: Human Resources had an opening in payroll. Of course, Michelle was in. She started working full-time at the University ten years ago and is incredibly grateful for her summer internship back in college that got her foot in the door.
In today’s world, it’s not uncommon to jump from job to job, trying to find the place where you can grow and become the highest version of yourself; so it’s not surprising that Michelle has wondered if she found her career too early. She started young at the University and has quickly risen in her department; but she recognizes that “Thomas Edison is such a great place; so why would you want to leave?”, echoing sentiments of previous featured members on this very blog. Michelle has found that, while some of her friends and peers have moved around, constantly seeking a better job or workplace, she’s had the opportunities to grow and be fulfilled at TESU.
One of the main ways that Michelle is able to constantly advance in her field is because she lives by the philosophy that
“There is always so much more to get out of something than what’s being offered to you”.
She takes full advantage of every opportunity presented to her by attending webinars, conferences, Lunch and Learns, WPN events, etc. whenever possible; “I’m always filling my tool bag with tools”, she says.
As an extrovert, Michelle makes a conscious effort to find unfamiliar faces wherever she goes. She believes that everyone has something to offer and something she can learn from; so she ensures that anyone she interacts with is comfortable and feels heard. Michelle uses her ingrained sociability to her advantage; but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have her own fears.
Michelle hates public speaking, particularly when it’s on a topic she’s not the most comfortable with. But, if you know Michelle, you know that she will not shy away from uncomfortable situations.
“I feel like sometimes we have tunnel vision where we forget to experience things that are outside of our comfort zone”.
So, since her family has always been very active in her hometown, she decided to join the Rotary International Club where she could not only network outside of TESU, but also practice things like public speaking. She makes sure to speak at meetings, while getting to know professional people outside of work.
Now some people might take Michelle’s constant involvement, continuous questions, and confidence as her being too “eager”, “intimidating”, “overbearing”, or “threatening”. She’s had to ask herself “how can I fulfill myself without stepping on anyone’s toes?”; and the reality is that if Michelle was concerned about coming off a certain way, she wouldn't have been genuine to herself and her personality - and probably would've struggled much more to get to where she is today. Just look at her journey: Michelle managed to take her summer internship and turn it into an hourly position, and eventually a full-time career. She’s now the Senior Human Resources Operations Administrator, plus she spends her weekends working with friends at a winery in New Egypt. She’s gone skydiving with her family, she has her motorcycle license, and is trying to travel all over the U.S. with her boyfriend. Michelle is not an “eager” or “threatening” person; she is a passionate, curious, and intelligent woman who is constantly working to be the best version of herself possible.
Michelle is the Senior Human Resources Operations Administrator at TESU and serves as the co-chair of the Program Committee for the Women’s Professional Network with Melissa Maszczak. She loves the summer, spending time with friends and family, and sharing dinner once a week with one of her best friends. Michelle can be reached at mlleonard@tesu.edu.
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