myHR Archives
myHR: October 16, 2024
Where Are They Now: Penn’s Former HR Interns
Since 2016, the Division of Human Resources has provided extensive experience to college students from across the country through its 10-week summer internship program. Each intern is given the opportunity to shadow HR professionals
and network with staff in different departments such as Benefits, Staff and Labor Relations, and Recruitment. They also participate in department-specific projects and attend meetings and special events.
Talent Acquisition Associate Director Beverly Carter-Fulmore ran the program for several years with Brandon Harris, former Administrative Coordinator for Recruitment and Staffing and now HR Generalist with the School of Arts & Sciences.
“I was really excited about running the program because I remember being a young professional, trying to gain experience and not knowing what direction to turn,” Carter says.
“I think it's a humbling experience that keeps me grounded and [has made] me realize that no matter what level of your career you're in, there is always an opportunity to learn and grow.”
Nicole Torsella Harris, Director, Talent Acquisition and Executive Recruitment and El McClelland, Director, HR Programs, ran the first iteration of the internship program.
Today, the internship program is managed by Manny Mavroleon, Talent Acquisition Specialist, Nyamah Thomas, Senior Staff and Labor Relations Specialist, and Sheila Hall, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist.
“I find pleasure in witnessing the growth and knowledge of the interns who come from various backgrounds,” Hall says. “This program is usually their first taste of the professional workspace, and it is rewarding to see how they dig into the trenches of the role.”
The Division recently caught up with five former interns to see how they have grown in their careers. We spoke with Daniel Wilson, Liz Bouvette, Manny Mavroleon, Oliva Noble, and Kevone Roberts.
Daniel Wilson
HR Business Partner, Bank of America
Talent Acquisition Intern, 2016
What do you do now?
I'm one of the HR business partners supporting the Investment Banking line of business at Bank of America. As a generalist, we help our clients with all things HR throughout the year.
What were your most memorable tasks or experiences during the internship?
My biggest project was developing a conflict resolution workshop for Penn employees. I also sourced talent to identify qualified candidates for potential roles and reached out to gauge their interest in open positions.
How did the internship impact your career?
During my Penn internship I learned to build meaningful relationships and developed a foundational understanding of the HR function as a whole. This really impacted my career later down the line. After my internship at Bank of America, I reached out to the network that I had developed during that summer and asked about the HR rotational program. Reconnecting with my network and building lasting relationships is one of the reasons that I'm still here today.
What advice would you give to future professionals, whether working in HR or another field?
It’s important to build and maintain the relationships within your network. As I've gotten further into my career, I feel like I gained a lot more confidence connecting with former colleagues and learning from other’s careers. It’s a perfect opportunity to do that as an intern since you're there to learn. It's a mutually beneficial relationship between you and the team that you're working with because you're providing value to the team, while further developing yourself to become an HR professional.
Liz Bouvette
Compensation Analyst, University of Colorado
Compensation Intern, 2016
What do you do now?
I work remotely as a compensation analyst for the University of Colorado. I started about three years ago as an entry level professional, and now I'm at a principal professional level because I'm considered a subject matter expert in a few areas. I really owe my career to the internship because it introduced me to compensation.
What were your most memorable tasks or experiences during the internship?
We got to attend the Wharton Leadership Conference, which presented very insightful material related to a broad range of organizations. I was also mentored by Angela Cabrera [former staff member in Staff and Labor Relations and now Director of HR for Penn Law] roughly once a week, receiving individual guidance, learning more about HR, and getting career development.
How did the internship impact your career?
Before graduating, Sharon Jacobs, [Penn’s former Executive Director of Compensation] reached out to me about an opportunity. I got to come back to Penn and was greeted with so many familiar faces who were happy to see me. I feel so grateful for the internship and my supervisors Beverly Carter-Fulmore, Brandon Harris, and Nicole Torsella Harris. They have a special place in my heart when I think of my time at Penn.
What advice would you give future professionals, whether working in HR or another field?
Look at different organizations that value what you value. I knew I wanted to work for some sort of nonprofit, that was people-centered and environmentally conscious. That is how I found higher education, specifically Penn and their HR Internship Program. If you follow your values and personal mission, you can’t go wrong.
Manny Mavroleon
Talent Acquisition Specialist, University of Pennsylvania
Recruitment Intern, 2017
What do you do now?
Now I am back where I started as an intern – in Talent Acquisition in Core HR. I also run the internship program, which is very rewarding and warms my heart knowing that I was once in their shoes.
What were your most memorable tasks or experiences during the internship?
Some of my most memorable experiences include my final presentation to the VP of HR and other senior leaders, attending the Wharton Leadership Conference, and finding out that I helped fill an Associate Director of HR position.
How did the internship impact your career?
I did my best to make a strong impression throughout the summer and then stayed in touch with the people that I connected with, like Nicole Torsella Harris. After I graduated and worked at a recruiting firm for over a year, I reached out to Nicole for any new job opportunities. She let me know of a job opportunity at another company and then about a position that popped up in the Penn Employee Solution Center.
What advice would you give future professionals, whether working in HR or another field?
Whether you're in school or in one of your first jobs out of college, just get as involved as you can on any additional projects that allow you to go beyond your day-to-day. If you are in HR and have an opportunity where you get to partner with someone or a group of people at a different school or center, definitely take those opportunities on. Not only is it a new experience, but there are new connections you're making which go a long way and help you grow both professionally and personally.
Olivia Noble
Talent Operations Process Specialist, Merck Pharmaceuticals
Talent Development Intern, 2016
What do you do now?
I'm a Talent Operations Process Specialist at Merck Pharmaceuticals. We make sure that all our processes and systems are put into play. It's my team's job to help with any new programs or initiatives coming into the company. We help make sure that they are streamlined properly to our other HR ops teams with the correct project plans and stakeholders.
What were your most memorable tasks or experiences during the internship?
I created workshops to assist managers on providing performance alignment and professional development. I also helped create materials for non-recruiters with limited visibility to help them understand the University's academic structure.
How did the internship impact your career?
I gained organizational skills and became more detail oriented. In HR, you deal with a lot of sensitive data and materials that must be well organized since not all employees are necessarily privy to them. It’s especially important when it comes to any communications that you put out there so that you understand your stakeholders and connect with the right people to get the work done.
What advice would you give future professionals, whether working in HR or another field?
Build your connections with people who are in the roles that you potentially want to be in. I've talked with many HR business partners and their experiences vary. Prior to my role at Merck, I worked at LinkedIn in HR and the tech space is so different from a pharmaceutical space. Yes, you have the basic tools and knowledge, but you must apply certain things differently based on the company.
Kevone Roberts
Human Resource Coordinator, Penn Medicine
University of Pennsylvania Health System
Talent Development Intern, 2019
What do you do now?
I recently started in a new role as an HR Coordinator at Penn Medicine. In my new role, I partner with a team of HR Business Partners who support the Clinical Practices of the University of Pennsylvania (CPUP) entity of the health system.
Some of my responsibilities include managing the HR Inquiries inbox, employee relations cases, and compliance support to name a few tasks.
What were your most memorable tasks or experiences during the internship?
During my internship, the University transitioned to Workday as its new HRIS system, so I was part of the integration. Additionally, I facilitated an interview with the VP of HR at the time, Jack Heuer. I also attended a job fair, where I represented the organization as a junior recruiter.
How did the internship impact your career?
Being an intern at Penn offered me an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in different facets of HR which I did not have prior to completing the internship. Also, building and establishing relationships as an intern translated into my first full time role post-graduation at the Wharton School and subsequently assisted me in navigating other roles that I've held in HR.
What advice would you give future professionals, whether working in HR or another field?
Leverage your professional network while you are still in school or pursuing career opportunities. I’ve always lived by the motto “your network is your net worth” and a robust network is important to have in any career. Lastly, do something that you genuinely enjoy and is meaningful to you. I love working in HR. It has been a rewarding career thus far.
Read about the 2024 summer interns in the myHR newsletter.
Serving as a Polling Place Worker
Penn applauds the nationwide effort to encourage citizens to serve as polling place workers on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Our region is especially active. In Philadelphia County, the recruitment and training of nearly 4,500 volunteers
is in progress. Service as a polling place worker generally requires active voter registration, advance preparation, training, and a commitment to 15 hours of work on Election Day.
Penn offers administrative time off to regular staff members who serve as certified polling place workers on November 5, so that they may fulfill this important civic obligation without loss of pay. Serving as a nonpartisan, officially appointed polling place worker is a matter of public record.
For this special initiative, staff members must use the Request Time Off process in Workday before Tuesday, October 30. The type of time off requested should be “Poll Worker.” Staff members who intend to participate in the program should obtain supervisory approval in advance and be prepared to verify their service to their supervisors.
Staff members who intend to serve in other nonpartisan volunteer positions, in paid or volunteer partisan positions, or as campaign workers, early-voting processors, mail-in ballot counters, polling place watchers, or Ward/Committee assignees should arrange for the use of Paid Time Off in the usual way.
As always, the University encourages supervisors to extend flexibility to staff in order to allow time to vote on Election Day. In Pennsylvania, polling places open at 7 a.m. and lines close at 8 p.m.
Ericka Brown, Be in the Know Wellness VIP
While the 2024-2025 Be in the Know wellness campaign is in full swing, including fall on-campus biometric screenings, Penn is also celebrating our most recent Very Impressive Participants (VIPs). During the 2023-2024 campaign, 313 faculty, staff, and postdocs earned 50,000 or more points, reaching the highest reward level.
Among these VIPs is Ericka Brown, Program Coordinator for the Wharton MBA Office of Student Life.
“I strive to be a VIP every year,” says Brown. “Once I accrue the necessary points to get the maximum monetary benefit, I just don't stop because I'm always curious about what the swag is going to be.”
This year, Brown and other 2023-2024 VIPs received a branded beach tote and towel. “I love it! It’s perfect because I’m going on a cruise soon.”
VIP prizes weren’t the main thing that drew Brown to join Be in the Know.
“What intrigued me was that the University provided this benefit that afforded you additional incentives to do things that you should normally do anyway but might put off. It helped me stay on top of my lab work, my annual visits—all the things that you need to just be a healthy individual. So, I adopted it early on.”
Be in the Know rewards help participants stay motivated to stick with healthy habits throughout the year. Brown especially enjoys the gift card options, which are fun reminders of her accomplishments.
“You go shopping, you need a quick something or another, and then you remember you have this gift card you earned for boosting your wellness.”
Brown says working toward the VIP level has increased her awareness and helped her make more health-conscious choices.
“I'm mindful of my eye exams and keeping up with my flu shot,” she says. “I actually got a pneumonia vaccine last year because it was a Be in the Know preventative health activity. And I remembered, oh, my doctor's been telling me to get this.”
This year, participants can complete 3 preventative health activities from the My Care Checklist to earn points. Download the 2024-2025 “Ways to Earn” activities list to see the full array of options.
Brown says, “Every time I encounter a new employee, I always tell them about Be in the Know because I think it's absolutely amazing.”
Get Started with a Biometric Screening
Be in the Know is open to all benefits-eligible faculty, staff, and postdoctoral researchers and fellows eligible for the Penn Postdoc Benefits Plan. New participants can get started by creating an account at join.virginpulse.com/penn.
For the 2024-2025 campaign year, participants can qualify for VIP status by first completing a biometric screening, using any of the four options. This fall, Penn makes it easy to complete one by offering free on-campus biometric screenings at convenient University locations now through November 26. Complete a screening to earn $75 in Pulse Cash rewards, plus unlock earning up to $300 in Pulse Cash. You must be enrolled on Virgin Pulse to earn rewards.
You can sign up for your biometric screening appointment online at the Health Advocate website using your PennKey and password. Click the HEALTH tab at the top, then Health Screenings. Look for Schedule an Onsite Health Screening, then click Schedule Now. Select your preferred location and follow the steps to schedule your appointment. You will receive an email from Health Advocate confirming your appointment.
VIP Tips
Brown’s advice for earning enough points to become a VIP is use a fitness tracker.
“While you're walking around campus, you're walking around your house, you're walking around doing errands, you are accruing your points.”
Earning points with her fitness tracker has encouraged Brown to be more active. She says, “I find myself taking the stairs. I find myself parking farther away when I go to the grocery store. I'm never going to park right in the front. So, I extend my walking time in most places where I can.”
She also takes advantage of the Virgin Pulse platform’s goal setting tools and coaching services to improve her well-being.
“I love this platform. I've utilized a personal trainer at my gym just to make sure I'm on par in reaching some of the fitness goals that I've set with the health coach. And they have the meditations from Rethink Care. Sometimes I would put a meditation on in my office. It helps us keep engaged with the students.”
One of the most remarkable Be in the Know rewards for Brown has been the friends and connections she has made using the wellness platform.
“We invite each other to challenges,” she says. “They join my teams, I join their teams, and we may have never met in person. But because of the platform, we are a community.”
For more information, visit www.hr.upenn.edu/beintheknow.
Communicate with Confidence
Do you struggle to stand up for your own needs? Do you have difficulty expressing your own feelings honestly and respectfully? At the Assertiveness Skills virtual workshop on November 19 from 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m., you will learn to communicate your needs so that others can help you meet them.
Talent and Organizational Development Consultant Manroocha Singh, MS. Ed., will facilitate the workshop. Singh says anyone can improve their ability to communicate with confidence.
“Assertiveness can be intuitive or counter-intuitive, and that's ok. This workshop will help you identify blocks for assertiveness, demystify some myths associated with assertiveness, and shed light on some strategies to practice assertive skills,” she says.
Singh says these skills empower us to draw and enforce professional boundaries firmly and kindly. She says respect makes communication more effective, and it is a critical component of constructive conflict resolution.
Singh clarifies the difference between being assertive and being aggressive in the workplace.
“When someone is being aggressive, they prioritize their needs at the cost of someone else's needs. When the other person in the situation is not being considered or respected, that is when aggressiveness has entered the room. The impact of aggressive communication is intimidation, pain, and resentment,” Singh says.
She adds, “assertiveness, however, allows us to respect and honor our wants and communicate them in a considerate and respectful way to the other parties. Assertive communication intends to be transparent, open, and collaborative.”
In the workshop, Singh will highlight three ways to use assertive behaviors in everyday situations:
- Practice effective ways of saying “No”- Saying “No” can be difficult, but sometimes it’s necessary. If you must, be polite, firm, clear, and direct. Don’t say “maybe” when you mean “no,” and don’t give a reason if you don’t want to. Use assertive body language such as direct eye contact, a confident posture, and - when appropriate - a genuine smile. Also, eliminate hinting because being indirect is the enemy of assertiveness.
- Offer an alternative to saying “No” – You may need to ease into the process of saying “no.” You can do this by offering an alternative response, such as:
- “I’d like to help you with that project, unfortunately, that deadline won’t work with my schedule. Is the deadline flexible?”
- “I’d love to participate; however, I’m not comfortable with the role you are proposing for me. Is there a different way I can help?”
- “Could we discuss other ways I might contribute?”
- Say “Yes,” but set your boundaries – Agree with conditions. Say something like: “I can get it done by (date)….” or “I can only offer you one hour.” Also, make sure you get complete information before committing yourself. That means finding out what exactly needs to be done, the deadline, and how long it will take.
Assertiveness Skills will also show participants how to recognize the assertiveness matrix (from passive to assertive to aggressive), identify personal blocks to assertiveness, and demonstrate assertive language and behaviors. These skills will improve relationships at work and in other areas.
Whether you’re communicating in person, over the phone, or in writing, assertiveness helps you express your views and goals while recognizing other people’s perspectives.
Register for the Assertiveness Skills workshop to develop confidence for everyday situations and create win-win solutions for you and your coworkers.
For more professional development opportunities, visit the Learn & Grow section of the HR website.
A Drug-Free Workplace
National Drug-Free Work Week is October 14 through October 18. For the health and safety of the Penn community, the University of Pennsylvania is
committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace. Drug and alcohol abuse endangers individual users, as well as their family, friends, and coworkers. The use of any substance that impairs your workplace judgement or abilities puts you, your colleagues,
and Penn students at risk.
Please take the time to review the University’s drug and alcohol policies.
Penn’s Drug and Alcohol Policies
Penn prohibits the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensation, sale, possession, or use of any drug by its employees in its workplace. Complete policy details are available online:
Understanding Addiction
Addiction is a serious disease, but many effective treatments are available. Visit Penn’s Health Advocate website for facts about addiction, recovery, and support services for faculty and staff.
Help Is Here
If you or a family member has a substance abuse problem, we encourage you to seek help. Penn provides free, confidential counseling services for you and your immediate family members through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The EAP will assist you
with challenges that may interfere with your personal or professional life, including substance abuse.
For more information about the EAP’s counseling and referral services, visit the Employee Assistance Program webpage, contact the Employee Assistance Program 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 866-799-2329, or schedule
an EAP appointment through Penn Cobalt.
Healthy Meals: Creamy Banana Oatmeal
fiber-rich creamy banana oatmeal is the perfect quick breakfast. The banana plays the lead. Not only does it add flavor and natural sweetness, but it also gives the oatmeal a rich and creamy texture. Add toppings, like other fruits, for variety!
Click here to send us your healthy recipes and tips.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 2 cups water
- 1 ripe banana
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Options for toppings: 1/2 cup diced apples, 1/2 cup fresh berries, any other fruit you like, plain yogurt, spices like ginger or nutmeg, walnuts, sunflower, pumpkin, chia, or flaxseeds, seed or nut butters
Directions:
- In a small pot, use a fork, a wooden spoon, or an immersion blender to mash the banana until pureed.
- Add the water to the pot and whisk until the banana is well incorporated.
- Stir in the oats, salt, and cinnamon. Put the pot over medium high.
- As soon as the liquid comes to a boil or starts bubbling, turn the heat down to low, stirring occasionally. Keep the oats at a slight simmer with bubbles coming to the surface every few seconds. Cook for around 10 minutes or until desired consistency. Cooking longer will make thicker oatmeal. (Keep in mind, oatmeal continues to thicken up once it is removed from heat.)
- To finish, spoon oatmeal into bowls. Top with or stir in additional toppings from the toppings bar.
Meet With a Registered Dietitian Today!
- One-on-One, virtual sessions you can schedule at any time that works for you
- 100% covered under many insurance plans
- Available to spouses and dependents
- Fill out the Ramp Health Nutrition Counseling Sign Up Form or call 800-484-7720.
Did You Know: Models of Excellence Staff Nominations Due Soon
This year’s Models of Excellence Call for Nominations ends Friday, October 25. Any member of the Penn community—faculty, staff, postdocs, and students—can nominate an outstanding individual staff member or team to receive campus-wide
recognition at the April 7, 2025 Models of Excellence Award ceremony. Download the digital call for nominations brochure for details. The online nomination form is available at www.hr.upenn.edu/models.