Alumni Profile: Patricia "Patty" Hickok, M.B.A. '03

Patty Hickok is an inspiration to those she meets, speaking with endless enthusiasm about her time at UAA. Originally from Mazatlan, Mexico, Patty never imagined that her life would play out the way it did.

Patty worked at a large resort in Mazatlan for five years, where she met people from all over the world. Two of those people had a significant impact in her life: Steve, a young man from the San Francisco Bay Area, who later became her husband; and Jennifer, a UAF graduate from Eagle River who through her stories of the beauty of the 49th state, inspired Patty and her husband to be daring and experience it for themselves one summer.

Everything started to fall in place from day one. The day after their arrival to Anchorage, Patty's husband got a job and she submitted her paperwork to immigration. "My friend's mother worked at the University Bookstore and told me they were looking for extra help," Patty said. "So the same day I got my green card, I got the job at UAA!" Although the original intentions were to stay in Alaska for the summer, they kept finding excuses to stay. Patty's love for the country was such that in 1999 she became a proud citizen of the United States.

Starting classes at UAA wasn't originally in Patty's plans, but a simple question from a stranger quickly changed her mind. The first time Patty met Dr. Kerry Feldman, associate dean for student and curricular activities in the College of Arts and Sciences, she mentioned her desire to go back to school. In response, Dr. Feldman asked, "And why don't you?" Patty enrolled in classes the following semester.

In five short years, Patty collected an array of degrees from UAA, including an Associate of Arts in 1999, a Bachelor of Business Administration in 2001, and lastly, a Master of Business Administration in 2003.

Though Patty was excited to start her classes, she was also nervous. "I thought that people wouldn't be able to understand my accent, that I would be the oldest person in the classroom and that I would be looked at differently," she said. But she quickly discovered that she wasn't the only one that was different. "There was so much diversity in all my classes; I was able to learn as much from my peers as from my professors."

It wasn't until Patty started her master's program that she realized the importance of joining a student club. Thanks to the advice of Dr. Frank Jeffries, assistant professor in the College of Business and Public Policy, she got involved with the UAA student chapter of the Anchorage Society for Human Resource Management (ASHRM) and quickly climbed the ranks to club president. "Joining the UAA student chapter of ASHRM led me to opportunities I would have never otherwise gotten," she said. "The club was the vehicle I needed to make friends and long-lasting relationships."

In 2003, Patty received the Robert W. Denomy Award for Student Leadership by the Northwest Human Resource Management Association and the Student Leader of the Year Award from the College of Business and Public Policy. After graduation, she secured a seat on ASHRM's Board of Directors, and became the organization's president in 2008. She's now the president-elect of the Alaska SHRM State Council for the upcoming 2012-13 term.

A natural leader, Patty also participated in the Alaska Humanities Forum's Leadership Anchorage program in 2003. Through the program, she helped establish a community partnership with Abused Women's Aid in Crisis and Friends of Pets to develop a municipal-wide safe haven for pets of victims of domestic abuse. This is the only program of its kind in the state of Alaska.

Patty currently works as the Human Resources Director for Chenega Corporation in Anchorage. She holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources and the Global Professional in Human Resources certifications.

"More than 15 years ago, I arrived into this country just knowing one person and getting my first job as a bookstore clerk. Now I am the HR Director of a billion-dollar company and have contributed back to my community, though I still can't believe I've made it to where I am now! Thank you for helping me and always encouraging me, UAA."