Jillian Buckley '19
For Jillian Buckley ’19, life is all about connections. A veteran of The Bryant Singers choral group, The Bryant Players theatre troupe, Bryant Improv, The Korean dance group, and the University’s Dragon Dance team, she loves to perform and reach out to others. As a Human Resource Management and Communication double major, she’s working toward a career helping others reach their full potential.
A high-achieving and dedicated student, Buckley’s studies inform her artistic endeavors, and vice versa. “Whenever I find myself having issues in one, I can use the other as a way to see it from a different perspective and figure out a way to solve them. I find myself growing because of the interaction between the two,” says Buckley. “Bryant’s arts groups aren’t just a fun activity; they help us to practice our creativity and our communication skills.”
That focus on interconnection was a main reason she chose to attend Bryant. “When I was looking at schools, I applied to liberal arts colleges and I applied to business schools. What I liked about Bryant is that it required you to learn both.” After a great deal of thought, she chose to double major in Human Resource Management and Communication, subjects she feels are perfect complements.
“The different communication theories I’ve learned help me solve the problems that I’ll see in my Management courses,” Buckley says. “When I’m in my Communication classes, I have a better idea of how the management practices I’m learning are applied. I find myself constantly borrowing from all of my classes and intertwining the things I’ve learned from them.”
Mentors like Florence St. Jean, director of the Bryant Singers, also help Buckley learn and grow. “She’s probably one of the most remarkable women I’ve ever met,” says Buckley. “Every time I interact with her, I feel like I’m learning something new about how to treat others, and if there’s something you’re having an issue with she’ll definitely find the time to talk to you about it.
“I truly hope that everyone can have a Florence St. Jean in their life,” she says.
Real World Experience
Performing Arts
President, Bryant Improv Troupe
• Leads the University’s newly formed improv group, which has already held a number of prominent performances
Vice President, Bryant Singers
• Helped to manage the choral group
• Served as Head of Operations for several major productions, including managing the external vendor process and relationships
• Responsible for contracts and relationship management regarding transportation, media and venues
Director/Secretary/Performer, Bryant Players
• Performed in a variety of productions, including comedies, musicals and dramas
• Directed the 2016 production of "The Gate"
• Assisted with the management of the club
Performer, Dragon Dance Team
• Learned and performed traditional Chinese dragon dance performance art
Internships
Human Resource Intern, Cambridge Savings Bank
• Developed and implemented a Skills Repository Inventory that provided the bank with an insight into the experience and skills of the employee population
• Assisted in analysis of the bank’s Employee Engagement Survey and in various other functions of Human Resources
Account Executive Intern, Management Search Inc.
• Assisted in the search, profile creation, and interviewing process for job candidates
• Created job descriptions and company descriptions for search
• Ran social media
A Connected Community
Bryant's purposeful student life delivers co-curricular immersion with an inspiring, collegial community. Students forge deep connections that last a lifetime.
By studying Spanish and business, "I am getting the most out of my education and engaging both sides of my brain.”
Asking questions and taking initiative propels a student-athlete with high aims.
Connecting the dots with talented mentors from the Bryant network led to exciting opportunities