Daemen College : Admissions : Meet our Students : Lance -Human Resource Management
Lance -Human Resource Management
Human Resource Management
In his senior year, Lance learned about a national Human Resources conference featuring his major scheduled to be held in Dallas, Texas. Everyone, from his friends to his professors, up to and including the dean, encouraged Lance to attend this event. They all felt he would gain valuable insight from attending. He applied for and won an award scholarship to cover his fees at the conference. It proved to be a great experience in many ways. Lance even received two solid job offers at the end of the conference.
What was the benefit of attending such an industry conference?
I was able to meet people actively working in my chosen field—human resource managers from every level and every company size, as well as a number of CEO’s. I attended numerous seminars on the latest theories and developments in the field. This conference really gave me insight on what the field is like. This conference renewed my commitment to my major.
Any big surprises at the conference?
I told my story, how the college took a personal interest in my attending the conference, and people were astonished. They seem to find it highly unusual to think that I could just walk into a college dean’s office and sit down and chat. Most seemed surprised that a dean would even know my name. They had trouble believing that that’s the rule at Daemen, not the exception.
Why did you choose Daemen?
I really liked the small environment; nobody gets lost here. You’re able to speak with your professors and be remembered by name. I felt that people really “got it” here. We’re all in this together.
Why did you choose your major: human resource management?
Well, originally I planned to study Psychology and Law—probably planning to be a lawyer. But believe it or not, I feel human resources blends both interests. I have an uncle who is an executive in the human resources field, and he told me that human resource management is really human capital management, with the humans being your biggest resource and most valuable capital. That made sense to me. And at Daemen I was able to pursue a Psychology minor, thus maintaining my intense interest in the subject. I had professors that constantly engaged me in debate, with them often playing devil’s advocate. They really helped me to think and to speak and to listen.
How did you balance academics with extracurricular activities?
I thought it was an easy balance. Once I got really involved in extracurricular activities-- for me it was student government—I was able to get a lot more done. I’d have a meeting scheduled, be early, get classwork done, take care of business, stay focused on assignments and goals. My fraternity, Omege Epsilon Zeta, was instrumental in encouraging my participation in Student Government- they feel it is essential to be a working part of the student community; it’s all about the greater good. That also led me to serving four years on the Omega Epsilon Zeta fraternity executive board.
What was the best thing you took from your Student Government experience?
I’d say that my involvement with Student Government forced me out of my comfort zone. You’re forced to work with all sorts of people- some you like, some not so much. But you learn to work together, to have goals and plans; that order comes before the fun. I’ve also been able to learn many aspects of event planning. Because of that, I’m right in the middle of planning a fundraiser for Haiti.
Do you have a favorite experience at Daemen?
One of my favorite memories is serving as Vice President of Programming for Spring Fest.It was so much fun! And I still think it was the best Spring Fest ever!
What are your plans for the Future?
After graduation, I plan to get a job in human resources, get my feet wet. Then, I’d like to manage a hospital, with my ultimate goal running a region of hospitals.