School of Business

Where he grew up:

I was born in Fairfax, Virginia but mostly grew up in Manassas, Virginia.

The best part of attending VCU:

My friends and the opportunities it gave me. I was a transfer student from Northern Virginia Community College, and I felt like I was late to everything — just trying to play catch-up since I started at VCU in my Junior year. I was very wrong. From the beginning, I was introduced to resources I’d never had access to before. Later, I even had the chance to complete an independent study with the Virginia Department of Behavioral health and Developmental Services (DBHDS).

The friends I made here will last a lifetime. They made my short time at VCU the best it could have been, and I know that we’ll always think about the memories we made.

Project he’s proudest of:

My work with the DBHDS, where I helped implement differential privacy into synthetic data generation. It feels incredibly rewarding to have been one of the first students from VCU selected to partner with DBHDS on such a transformative initiative.

The project aimed to modernize how the department handles sensitive health data—balancing innovation with patient confidentiality. By incorporating differential privacy techniques, we laid the groundwork for secure, ethical data sharing that will ultimately help improve patient care, inform better policy decisions and increase public trust in government data systems.

Knowing that our efforts could positively impact real lives and shape the future of behavioral health technology in Virginia made this experience especially meaningful, and it was an opportunity to contribute to lasting change in the public health space.

The best piece of advice he’s ever received:

At graduation, Professor Cipolla told my friends and me that life is all about taking risks: live somewhere you don’t know, try new things and just live life. There isn’t a roadmap — and that’s the beauty of it. You figure it out and make the most of it.

Advice he would give to someone starting out in information systems:

Get out there and learn what interests you. Join the clubs and keep an open mind. Don’t limit yourself to the classroom — broaden your knowledge every day.

What he’s looking forward to:

I’m excited to start my career in cybersecurity this winter!

Where she grew up:

Chesterfield, VA

What drew her to marketing:

When I started college, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I initially chose forensic science because I enjoyed true crime — but I quickly realized it wasn’t a good fit, mainly because I can’t stand the sight of blood (haha!)! After that, I turned to business since it’s a part of every industry. I knew I wanted something more creative, so I explored marketing and ended up falling in love with it.

How she landed at VCU:

I remember touring VCU in middle school when I tagged along on my cousin’s college visits. I fell in love with it. I’ve always loved the city and wanted to stay close to home.

Project she’s proudest of:

During my final semester of college, I started working part-time as a Social Media Manager for SprayRVA, a mobile auto detailing business. One project I’m especially proud of was producing, filming and editing a full marketing video to highlight the services and process. It was my first time leading a video project from start to finish, and I loved combining creativity and storytelling to showcase the brand. Seeing the final product shared across platforms — and knowing it helped build awareness — was incredibly rewarding.

Advice she would give to someone starting out in marketing:

Start early and get as much experience as you can. Whether it’s through internships, part-time jobs, student organizations or even just reaching out to professionals on LinkedIn, every bit helps. Marketing is such a broad and hands-on field, so the more exposure you get, the better you’ll understand what areas you enjoy and where you want to grow.

Where she grew up:

I was a military kid, so I had the opportunity to grow up in several different places —Nevada, Germany, California, Massachusetts and finally Virginia.

How she landed at VCU:

We moved to Richmond after my dad retired from the U.S. Air Force following 20 years of service.

What drew her to human resource management:

I originally graduated from James Madison University with a bachelor’s in health sciences as I knew I wanted to work in the healthcare industry. At the time, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do so I took a gap year before deciding to come to VCU for another degree.

During my time at JMU and my gap year, I gained experience in team management roles and found that I truly enjoyed working with people and helping teams grow. Around the same time, my father encouraged me to pursue leadership roles more seriously. He believed I had what it took to manage and support others. He motivated and inspired me to pursue a second bachelor’s degree in human resource management.

On the impact she hopes to make:

I hope to someday work as a recruiter in a federal veteran’s hospital — like the Richmond VA Medical Center (formerly known as the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center). My goal is to help connect skilled and compassionate healthcare professionals with organizations that care for our veterans. I want to make sure that those who’ve served our country receive the best care possible. This career path is especially personal to me as my dad passed away from service-related illness during my first semester at VCU. His sacrifices and the sacrifices of so many others drive my passion to give back and support the veteran community in a meaningful, lasting way.

Advice for HR students:

Don’t underestimate the power of your own lived experiences — they matter so much more than you think. In HR, we deal with real people and real stories every day. Drawing from your own journey, personal experiences, thoughts and feelings can make you a more empathetic, thoughtful and effective human resources professional. Your experiences should guide you, so don’t let them hold you back.