My first and forever boss

I met Patty when I applied for a job at the University of Alaska Anchorage Bookstore. At first I was just another student worker. But when she saw me jumping in past my shift and flying through the adding machine, she took notice. Soon enough she moved me into Accounting, Payroll, and Training, which became the foundation of my HR career.

Years later, when I needed to move back to Alaska, she didn’t hesitate to bring me back onto her team. She pushed me to get my first HR certification, encouraged my million questions, and trusted me to figure things out before coming to her for answers.

Even after I moved across the world, she still brought me in on projects. Great mentors don’t just build employees. They build people.

Three designations later, and she still has more than me, I carry the lessons she taught me. None of this career would have started without her trust and her belief that I could handle more than I thought I could.