As a new HR Specialist member this year, Mrs. Hunt works behind the scenes in Gilman to support faculty at Bishop’s. She spends long days conferencing and researching federal and state orders in regard to a school atmosphere in order to make sure Bishop’s provides the best environment for students and faculty. After recently taking some time off to get married, Mrs. Ashley Hunt from Bishop’s Human Resources is back and better than ever! 

Where did you grow up?

“I was born and lived in Maryland until I was 10 years old. We moved to San Diego the summer I went into sixth grade.”

I found that you went to the University of California Irvine and majored in Psychology and Social Behavior. How did that help prepare you for HR, and a job at  Bishop’s? 

“Seeing how experiences can shape so much of a person’s attitude, beliefs, and actions has always interested me, so that is why I was drawn to studying Psychology. In order to graduate, my program required us to get experience in the field we wanted to work in, which is how I found myself interning within a few social services organizations, but ultimately found myself out of college and working within a law firm and then a financial services company. I still wanted to work within the realm of psychology and during my time at the financial services company is when I entered into my HR career path. Working in HR uses a lot of the skills and concepts I learned from college. After working within the private sector, I really wanted a change of pace and experience in a new industry, which is what led me to Bishop’s.”

I saw that you were a Child Advocate for Child Abuse Service Team (CAST), can you tell me about your experience?

“I interned at CAST my senior year of college as a Child Advocate (CA). CAST is a place where children come in to be interviewed when there is suspected child abuse. I got to work with children aged four to 17, and all socioeconomic family dynamics. A child would be dropped off at the center and assigned to a CA, and the CA would be with them their entire journey at CAST. A lot of my role was to put them at ease and that looked different for each child. Some loved to play games while others maybe just wanted to do some art. I would build confidence that they were in a safe place and hopefully give them the voice to open up about their experiences to the case worker or physician they would be seeing. I would be with them if they wanted while being interviewed by the case worker or examined by the physician. I would give a debrief to the case worker after the child would leave to provide any details that may have come up while I was working with them. It was a really rewarding experience because the people who worked there really loved what they were doing and that made all the difference in how the program was run, and ultimately how the children were treated.”

What interested you in Human Resources? What is your favorite thing about your job? 

“As many people in HR will tell you, I kind of fell into this career path. HR has truly changed over the last few decades and even the last two years due to the pandemic. My idea of what an HR person did is vastly different from what I have seen, and done, since entering the field. I started in operational roles that gave me access to leadership and they could see my drive to support team members and the company as a whole. Supporting individuals is what I really enjoy doing, which can be a large part of what HR does – supporting and helping employees and leadership work together effectively. Being able to help employees achieve their professional goals and seeing it impact the organization in a positive way, is really my favorite part of the job.”

Why did you choose to work at Bishop’s? 

“When I was looking for my next career opportunity I knew I wanted to work for an organization that aligned with my own beliefs and was actively taking measures to incorporate them into the workplace. When I researched Bishop’s I was really intrigued by the DEIJ program for both the students and staff. The other aspect was wanting to be in an office so I could see the employees I would be supporting. I had been remote for the last five years and was really looking forward to having direct day-to-day meetings because it makes all the difference when cultivating relationships.”

What does it mean to be a Human Resources Generalist at Bishop’s? What does a typical day look like for you? 

“Typical day for me is working with employees or new hires at Bishop’s in a variety of ways. I help to administer offer letters and onboard any new faculty and staff members. I also help to support current faculty and staff with any of their needs or questions that may come up. Since I am still new to the school, I am also learning a lot about the systems that we use and how the school functions through each season. I do research on state and federal compliance as it pertains to the school environment and employee relations regulations. I work within our HR information system to ensure that it is functioning as it should help support payroll and employee data.”

What do you like to do outside of HR at Bishop’s? Do you have any hobbies?

“I love all things nature! I am usually at the beach paddle boarding with my husband and dog or hiking somewhere in the mountains. I also love to camp, so we try to get out most long weekends somewhere new to check it out. We just moved back to San Diego from living in Colorado, so I definitely miss the Rocky mountains! I also love reading and love getting new book recommendations.”

Although she may be tricky to find, she is the backbone of our faculty support! With her love of supporting others, whether it’s her family, students, children, or faculty, we can now be more organized and stronger as a community! Go visit Gilman 22 throughout the week to say hi!