After hundreds of nominations, a month of voting, and over 15,000 votes cast by the public, we’re proud to share the winners of the 2021 Campus Recruiting Choice Awards. These outstanding campus recruiting professionals come from companies across industries, reflect campus programs of all sizes, and represent a range of experience levels. Each one overcame the challenges of a tumultuous year to lead with empathy, innovate, and make their mark on the industry.
We’re thrilled to highlight all of these standout professionals. Learn more about each of the winners and runners-up below.
Exceptional Leader Award
Finance, Business, and IT Services | Large/Enterprise Companies
Winner:
Giselle Battley
Director, D&I Strategic Partnerships & University Relations, JLL
Giselle Battley is a Director of D&I Strategic Partnerships and University Relations at JLL. In her role at JLL, Giselle is responsible for establishing and cultivating relationships with external diversity organizations to identify, recruit, and retain high-caliber diverse talent. Additionally, Giselle spearheads JLL’s university and D&I recruiting strategy for the Americas. Prior to JLL, Giselle was a National Diversity Equity and Inclusion Recruiting Lead at Deloitte. Giselle is passionate about creating a high-touch and authentic candidate experience. She is also a strong advocate for ensuring an equitable recruiting process.
Runner-Up:
Rachel Neuschaefer
Recruiting Manager, Entry Level/ Campus Recruiting Lead, Accenture Federal Services
Rachel is the Entry Level Recruiting Manager for Accenture Federal Services, responsible for leading all entry level and campus recruiting for the Washington, DC area, San Antonio, TX and St. Louis, MO. She has almost 20 years of recruiting experience, with seven spent in Campus Recruiting. Previously, she was a Recruiting Manager for a small tech-focused consulting firm. She is passionate about diversity, candidate experience, and building a truly inclusive process so that all individuals have equal opportunities.
Finance, Business, and IT Services | SMB Companies
Winner:
Hannah Seliskar
Campus Recruiting Manager, Credera
Hannah started her career as a Management Consultant, but quickly fell in love with campus recruiting. She has experience recruiting experienced professionals, entry-level hires, and student interns within the Consulting and Architecture and Interior Design industries. Currently, she manages the campus recruiting and internship programs for Credera US – a global boutique consulting firm headquartered in Dallas, TX. Hannah is passionate about democratizing the recruiting process for students, finding efficiencies in internal processes, and providing candidates with a lasting – and positive – first recruitment experience.
Runner-Up:
Charlie Odom
Senior Manager, Campus & Specialty Recruiting Programs, Better
Charlie is the Senior Manager of Campus & Specialty Recruiting Programs at Better, a fin-tech company whose mission is to make homeownership accessible to all. In his role, Charlie is responsible for all internships & entry level hiring programs across the US, as well as programs that recruit adults with nontraditional educational backgrounds. Prior to his role at Better, Charlie worked in talent acquisition for 10+ years at Teach For America and Venture For America. He is passionate about building talent programs that center diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Engineering, Logistics, Hardware, and Construction
Winner:
Sean O’Mara
National College Recruitng Lead, DPR Construction
Sean O’Mara is the National College Recruiting Lead for DPR Construction. In this role, Sean leads the college recruiting team to meet the hiring needs of a national construction firm. He has developed strategies based on company initiatives and challenges such as diversity, regional development, COVID and much more. Prior to his current role, he worked as a construction superintendent for DPR. For nine years, he led teams to successful completion of technically demanding projects that impact the people and communities in which he lives. He is passionate about hiring and developing future leaders that are dedicated to changing the world.
Runner-Up:
Valerie Rollo
Manager, Campus to Careers, US Talent Acquisition, National Grid
Valerie is the Manager of the Campus to Careers team at National Grid. Valerie is responsible for the team that executes the recruitment, selection, onboarding, and program management for 3 early talent programs: Intern Program, Graduate Development Program, and Leadership Development Program. Prior to working at National Grid, Valerie worked at Northeastern University, supporting students during their time in school. Valerie is passionate about attracting and developing high potential student talent that will help to shape the future of the energy industry.
CPG & Retail
Winner:
Alicia Roebuck
Director, North America Talent Acquisition leader, NielsenIQ
Alicia Roebuck is the North America Recruitment Leader for NielsenIQ. Roebuck is a graduate of Florida A&M University’s Five year MBA program. After graduation, Alicia joined Nielsen’s Global Media Emerging Leaders program. For 8 years, Ms. Roebuck worked within the Nielsen Global Media organization. In 2017, she decided to pivot into a role at NielsenIQ , that aligned with her passion for career and workforce development and became a recruiter. Alicia was recently promoted to lead North America recruitment and remains dedicated to leading a team of recruiting experts and bringing top, diverse talent to NielsenIQ.
Runner-Up:
Cheri Hurtubise
Associate Director, Talent Acquisition – Campus, Chewy
Cheri leads enterprise-wide Campus Recruiting at Chewy. In her role, Cheri continues to build, expand, and optimize Chewy’s early talent recruitment and programs from Bachelor’s through PhD level. Before joining the pack at Chewy, Cheri led global Graduate campus recruiting at Liberty Mutual Insurance, streamlining recruiting for multiple leadership programs, and prior to that worked in university recruiting for Philips. Cheri is passionate about matching the right students to the right jobs to grow both Chewy and her students. She is also a proud dog mom, amateur baker, and Lean Six Sigma process improvement junkie!
Social Impact & Media
Winner:
Alison Smith
University Recruiting, Senior Manager, Employee Experience, SiriusXM
Alison is the University Recruiting Senior Manager, Employee Experience at SiriusXM. In her role, Alison is responsible for overseeing the internship program that runs year-around and hires approximately 200 students per year in all departments of the business. She also oversees the Demo Tape Apprentice program which is a pipeline for candidates with non-traditional backgrounds in tech to jumpstart their career. Prior to this role, Alison worked in higher education as a career counselor. Alison is passionate about creating educational and fulfilling opportunities that allows students to launch their careers.
Runner-Up:
Josh Fialky
Director, Talent Acquisition, Havas Media Group, North America, Havas Media Group
Josh Fialky is the Director of Talent Acquisition at Havas Media Group. In his role, he oversees the recruitment operations for all of North America and actively recruits across several areas for the agency. Josh focuses on finding top talent within Analytics, Biddable and Performance Media. Prior to joining Havas Media Group, Josh spent much of his career working in small and large agencies specializing in paid search, before finding his way into talent acquisition. Josh is driven by building great teams and pushing for more diversity within the industry. When not working, Josh loves spending time with his family and attending live music.
Tech | Large/Enterprise Companies
Winner:
Maya Faries
Sr. Manager – Campus Experience and Campus Diversity, Verizon
Maya Faries is a Sr. Manager in Talent Acquisition at Verizon. In their role at Verizon, Maya is responsible for leading the internship program experience. She is also responsible for leading Verizon’s campus diversity team. Prior to this role at Verizon, Maya was part of the university relations team, owning HBCU campus strategy, national partnerships and build campus relationships. Maya is passionate creating campus hire experiences and growing Verizon’s campus DE&I efforts.
Runner-Up:
Christine Archer
Global Head, SAP Internship Experience Program, SAP
Christine Archer is the Global Head of SAP’s Internship Experience Program (SAP iXp), a global program (20 countries, over 1,000 participating interns annually) designed to create impactful learning opportunities and drive holistic professional development for this next generation of top talent. Christine has over 16 years of experience across a variety of HR functions, such as learning & development and career coaching. Leading SAP iXp is the perfect culmination of Christine’s experiences, skills and interests; her entire career has been dedicated to helping others realize their potential, and then equipping them to surpass it.
Tech | SMB Companies
Winner:
Peggy Hsu
Head of University Recruiting, Roblox
Peggy is the Head of University Recruiting at Roblox. In their role at Roblox, Peggy is responsible for leading the University Recruiting team and creating the strategy for new grad and intern hiring. Prior to their role at Roblox, Peggy had created and scaled University Recruiting programs at companies such as Twilio, Wealthfront and Grand Rounds. Peggy is passionate about building inclusive and diverse early in career programs that provide students with a great start to their career.
Runner-Up:
Kelly Barrena
Director of Global Talent Brand & Outreach, KnowBe4, Inc.
Kelly Barrena is a distinguished leader with 10+ years of experience in talent brand and acquisition. Currently, Kelly is the Director of Global Talent Brand & Outreach at KnowBe4. In her role, she is responsible for overseeing a team that manages KnowBe4’s global employer branding and recruitment marketing, as well as the internships, scholarships, recruitment programs, recruiting events and talent pipelines for each of KnowBe4’s 11 offices worldwide. Prior to joining KnowBe4, Kelly built and sold two small businesses while living in Madrid, Spain. She is most known for her innovative mindset and is passionate about creating new experiences and programs to enable early-career talent to enter the professional workforce in high potential positions.
Talent Innovator Award
Tech | Large/Enterprise Companies
Winner:
Lauren Cintron
Campus Strategy Manager, Verizon
Lauren is a Campus Strategy Manager at Verizon. In her role at Verizon, Lauren is responsible for aligning the global campus recruitment strategy with the strategic workforce plan to bridge talent gaps by focusing on the strategic skills for the future. She also assists with creating innovative initiatives to increase brand awareness to build a continuous pipeline of future leaders. Prior to her role at Verizon, Lauren was a Campus Recruiter at BlackRock and AllianceBernstein. Lauren is passionate about continuing to innovate Verizon’s campus program to remain an employer of choice and build a best-in-class campus program.
Runner-Up:
Eva Aragon
Recruiter, T-Mobile
Eva Aragon is a recruiter with the Early in Career/Campus recruiting team at T-Mobile. Eva is responsible for all early in career hiring for the Product and Technology organization. Eva takes great pride in being able to change the landscape of technology one hire at a time, making a point to source female and people of color to fill roles.
Tech | SMB Companies
Winner:
Chris Fitzpatrick
University Relations Manager, Crestron Electronics
Chris Fitzpatrick is the University Relations Manager at Crestron Electronics, as well as a professional public speaker, a below-average charity golfer, and an aspiring game show host. In addition his role overseeing Campus Relations and Crestron’s industry-leading Internship and Co-Op Program, Chris leads efforts in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion space as well as Veteran Recruiting. Chris has enjoyed each of his nearly 15 years in Campus Recruiting. He often says he has the best job in the world because it gives him “a front row seat to the careers of hundreds of young professionals at the earliest stages.”
Runner-Up:
Kathleen Merto
Emerging Talent Program Manager, Cloudera
Kathleen Merto is an Emerging Talent Program Manager at Cloudera. In their role at Cloudera, Kathleen is responsible for all the processes and hiring of Emerging Talent (professional interns and IC1/IC2) across several organizations in North America, managing the intern program and a DE&I Business Partner for Cloudera’s ERGs. In addition to that, she is a leader within the URx space, assisting in building out several events for the community. Prior to this role at Cloudera, Kathleen worked as a Technical Campus Recruiter at Groupon. Kathleen is passionate about building a community that is diverse and inclusive.
Finance, Business, and IT Services
Winner:
Will Ussher
Campus Recruiting Program Manager, Navy Federal Credit Union
Will has 10 years of experience in university recruiting. He joined Navy Federal Credit Union in May 2011 as a Recruiter on the Talent Acquisition team. Prior to Navy Federal, Will worked at Nonprofit HR, a human resources consulting firm. He completed his degree at Old Dominion University. Currently, Will manages the campus recruiting/military hiring programs in developing strategies to identify candidates for internship opportunities while promoting Navy Federal as an employer of choice. As a first-generation Ghanaian American, Will is passionate about representation at all levels and understands the value of internships.
Runner-Up:
Nicole Pierre-Louis & Ashley Wodarek
Technology Diversity Recruiting Strategist & Technology Campus, BNY Mellon
Nicole Pierre-Louis & Ashley Wodark are co-leads for Technology Campus Recruiting at BNY Mellon. The duo are passionate about the early careers space and are excited to give joiners their first start on their career journeys at BNY Mellon. Nicole earned her BBA from Pace University & MSHRM from Manhattanville College. Ashley has both a MBA and BSBA from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.
Learn more about Nicole and Ashley.
Social Impact & Media
Winner:
Miriam Menon
Internship Program Lead, Getinge
Miriam Menon is a Senior Talent Acquisition Partner at Getinge. Miriam is responsible for hiring the best in class talent for the organization both experienced and emerging. This includes identifying, coaching and mentoring emerging talent. In addition, Miriam has led the transition of the Internship/Co-op Program to a virtual model by incorporating strong workshops and informational sessions for our students. Prior to their role at Getinge, Miriam was the Lead Recruiter, R&D at Crestron Electronics. Miriam is passionate about building a hiring process that is inclusive and supportive.
Runner-Up:
Jacquelyn Verma
Program Manager, Campus Relations, Highmark Health
Jacquelyn is responsible for developing and executing the early-talent strategy which includes identifying, attracting, hiring, and leading a pipeline of early talent who will be prepared and ready to fill future critical roles in order to efficiently and effectively meet Highmark Health’s growing and dynamic business needs. Prior to this role, Jacquelyn holds 9 years of HR/Talent Acquisition experience across multiple industries. She is passionate about influencing the future workforce and being a part of an individual’s career path!
Engineering, Logistics, Hardware, and Construction
Winner:
Tatum Sprinkle
Early Careers Program Manager, Shaw Industries
Tatum Sprinkle is the Early Careers Program Manager at Shaw Industries. She is responsible for leading a team that manages the recruitment efforts needed to build and maintain a healthy entry level talent pipeline for the enterprise. Over the last five years, Tatum has played an integral role in attracting top talent to Shaw in early careers, sales, integrated supply chain and operations/ manufacturing. Tatum was instrumental in developing Shaw’s Supply Chain Development Program, a signature Shaw program that attracts and develops top talent for the the Integrated Supply Chain organization.
Runner-Up:
Jennifer Santiago
Talent Acquisition Manager, Enterprise Holdings
Jennifer has extensive experience and passion for facilitating workshops and seminars on topics such as diverse leadership and inclusion, personal branding, business etiquette, public speaking, and behavioral interview skills. Relationship building is a focus and strength of Jennifer’s that expands to all levels internally and externally with candidates, hiring managers, executive leadership and business partners in higher education. Jennifer provides college students and aspiring professionals with professional development and educate them on opportunities that a career in sales management can provide them, just like it did for her.
CPG & Retail
Winner:
Alexia Huggins
University Relations & Summer Internship Program Manager, Walgreens
Alexia Huggins is the University Relations & Summer Internship Program Manager at Walgreens. In her role at Walgreens, she is tasked with the responsibility of developing enterprise early talent recruitment strategies to attract top, diverse talent across multiple divisions in addition to creating a best-in-class summer internship program experience for the 500+ interns the company hosts on an annual basis. Alexia is passionate about organizing and implementing a top-notch internship experience that showcases the intern’s skills while helping to accelerate business results.
Runner-Up:
Kristy McFaul
Associate Manager, Early Careers, SC Johnson
Kristy is an Associate Manager of Early Careers at SC Johnson with over six years of campus recruiting experience. At SC Johnson, Kristy is responsible for fostering a diverse early career talent pipeline by sourcing, onboarding, and coaching interns across finance, marketing, and sales to achieve their dream jobs in the CPG industry. Kristy is especially inspired by creating a personalized and inclusive hiring approach that is focused on aligning candidates, their talents, and values with work that elevates them to reach their purpose.
Rising Star Award
Large/Enterprise Companies
Winner:
Jordan Martin
NA Diversity Campus Lead, Accenture
Jordan is the Diversity Campus Lead at Accenture. In his role at Accenture, Jordan is responsible for developing and managing Accenture’s HBCU/HSI strategy. He has also led various efforts to recruit, develop, and hire diverse candidates for Full-time and internship opportunities. Prior to their role at Accenture, Jordan was a D&I intern with Major League Baseball Headquarters, where he received a variety of exposure to diversity initiatives and professionals. Jordan is passionate about positioning underrepresented groups for success and creating an inclusive culture for all.
Runner-Up:
Vicky Ho
University Recruiter, Western Digital
Vicky is a University Recruiter at Western Digital. In her role at Western Digital, Vicky is responsible for full cycle university recruitment for Global Operations, Memory Technology and Chief Technology Office (CTO) teams. She is the go-to person for all early-in-career PhD opportunities within the organization. Vicky is passionate about building strong business partnerships and making sure candidates have a good interview experience at Western Digital.
SMB Companies
Winner:
Alicia Chaney
Manager of Campus Recruiting and Retention, CUNA Mutual Group
Alicia Chaney is the Manager of Campus Recruiting & Retention at CUNA Mutual Group. She designs and executes CUNA Mutual’s internship program. In alignment with her work she also develops and implements solutions that drive retention. Alicia is valued not just for her recruiting talent, but also how she “pays it forward” as being an active member in numerous committees and cross functional teams at CUNA Mutual Group. Alicia’s passion for talent experience and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion led to her becoming a nominee for CUNA Mutual Group’s prestigious award Values In Practice and recently the recipient of the RISE Elite 50 Internships.
Runner-Up:
Crystal Brockington
D&I University Relations Recruiter, JLL
Crystal is a D&I University Relations Recruiter at JLL, a leading professional services firm specializing in real estate and investment management. In their role, Crystal is a thought-leader by developing strategic recruiting initiatives to increase and cultivate a diverse pipeline of talent, providing a framework for early career recruitment, and equipping colleagues with resources to identify and eliminate bias in the hiring process. Prior to their role at JLL, Crystal held a Campus Recruiting Specialist role at a Big 4 professional services firm. Crystal is passionate about paving the path for the next generation of leaders.
