Building Community
When Kayla Flanigan came to Midland for her visit, the one thing that stood out to her was a sense of community. She could tell by the way in which her campus tour guide greeted everyone by name and how the professors invested in their students that the importance of family on campus was evident. For Kayla, that sense of community is important for her in all facets of life, whether as a student, an athlete, or in her future career.
Pursuing a degree in business management and psychology, Kayla hopes to find herself in human resources or project management. It is a career path close to home, as her mom works in human resources. How her mom has approached her work has been a motivating factor in Kayla’s career aspirations.
“I have kind of taken a similar path to my career as my mom. She works in human resources, and I have been able to learn a lot from her growing up. I find it interesting, and it has become a natural fit for me.”
In human resources, Kayla wants to be able to foster a strong, positive atmosphere in the workplace. She wants people to feel valued and comfortable at work. She believes building a sense of community amongst her coworkers will be the most important part of her future career.
“You spend most of your life working. So enjoying it is going to help people the most. If people are enjoying their work, it will help make the company more successful as a whole. My goal is to help everyone enjoy their job and create that atmosphere and culture that grows that.”
Since she has been here, she has seen the culture of her hockey team continue to grow. As her teammates come together and enjoy the game, the team has continued to grow their success. Kayla believes that by fostering that positive culture, they have been able to become better as a team.
“Our culture as a team has grown over the years, and I am happy to be a part of it. We have become a family, and I think that shows on the ice with how successful we’ve been this year. Being a part of that atmosphere has taught me a lot and is going to tie into my future as well.”
Through her path in school, as an athlete, and towards her career, Kayla points to her faith as a foundation through it all. Trusting in God and approaching her life by faith is instrumental in how she interacts and hopes to continue fostering community wherever she’s at.
“My faith is my foundation. Every decision that I make is based on it. So when you have to make decisions in human resources, making them centered around those values I have from my faith is going to help me because it will be my foundation.”
Kayla hopes that her role as a leader in the classroom, on her team, and in her future career positively impacts those around her. For her, it is about being able to encourage people through her actions.
“I am super open, and I want to make everyone happy. As a leader, I try to lead by example. I’m not the most vocal, but I do everything my hardest and work to give 100% in all that I do, and I show people how I want them to approach things. That’s how I see my future job. I’m working my hardest every single day and being a good example to those around me.”
Kayla Flanigan is a sophomore business management and psychology major from Omaha, NE. To share your story or nominate a friend, email social@midlandu.edu or post using #FacesofMidland.
