Elevate: Julie LaRue

March 08, 2023 00:15:13
Elevate: Julie LaRue
Elevate
Elevate: Julie LaRue

Mar 08 2023 | 00:15:13

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Show Notes

Host Timothy Webb sits down with Julie LaRue, Director of Human Resources, to discuss her position at the college as well as her journey to becoming a Nighthawk.

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Episode Transcript

Timothy Webb: Thank you all for joining us today here on Elevate, broadcasting from the Razorback Camper Sales Studio. This National Park College podcast highlights a different Nighthawk with each episode. We'll talk about their journey, challenges, key moments of success, their moments of elevation, leveling up, and overcoming. I'm Timothy Webb, your host, and I'd like to welcome to the program, Julie LaRue. Thanks so much for joining me today. Julie LaRue: Thanks, Tim. Thanks for having me today. Timothy Webb: Oh yeah. So, Julie, tell us a little bit about yourself. Julie LaRue: Okay. Well, I serve here at National Park College as the director of human resources. I'm also a mom of three grown boys, and I have three grandchildren. Timothy Webb: Oh, that's nice. That's nice. How long have you been at NPC? Julie LaRue: I have been at NPC in this position for almost four years, and I worked here prior to finishing my college degree as a student and work-study way back in the day. So I did that for about five years here, so I'm glad to be back. Timothy Webb: All right. All right. We're glad to have you back. Julie LaRue: Thank you. Timothy Webb: So HR, human resources, is that what your degree's in? And if so, why that field? Julie LaRue: It is what my degree's in, and I chose that field because, at the time, I was a working mom and pursuing my education, and I thought at that time that I wanted to be a social worker because I really enjoy helping people. And then the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville offered an amazing program that I could complete in Hot Springs on National Park Campus, which at the time was Garland County Community College. And so it was very convenient for me, but then also it was still in a field that allowed me to help other people and to use my skills to encourage and uplift others. So it fell in my lap, but it's worked really well because I've just embraced it and had a great time doing it. Timothy Webb: Oh, that's good. That's good stuff. So being the director of human resources, what all does that position entail? Julie LaRue: Oh, goodness. It's a different day every day, which is awesome because you never know what to expect when you get to work, and I love that. But what it entails is onboarding and offboarding employees, so recruiting and inviting people to be a part of our atmosphere at work, our network, and engaging employees in not only their jobs but also in the culture of National Park College, and then assisting them with benefits, policy and procedure, of course, and just intervening when there's a need to be a liaison between the employees and the leadership at the college. Timothy Webb: That sounds like a lot. Julie LaRue: It is a lot, but it's fun. Timothy Webb: So what are some of the challenges you face in that position? Julie LaRue: I guess in some ways, even though I do like the fact that you never know what to expect when you come to work, that it can be challenging because I can have my whole day planned in my head, and then I arrive and we've got some fire at our feet that we're putting out. So that's challenging. Someone said to me recently that I may want to pursue being a firefighter because maybe there would be less fires to put out, but that's not really true because we have a great workplace here. And so I guess the challenges are just constantly keeping people engaged and recruiting new employees and just having your finger on the pulse of the needs of the college and the employees and trying to be ahead of that so that we can be the best place to work. Timothy Webb: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. This place is a great place to work, and it's the best organization I've ever worked at, to be honest. Julie LaRue: I agree. So hopefully our listeners will check out our website. Timothy Webb: Absolutely. Yes. We have a few listings available right now if you're looking for a great job at a great organization. Julie LaRue: Absolutely. Timothy Webb: Are there any common myths to being the director of human resources you'd like to clear up for our audience? Julie LaRue: Yes, I think so. I'm often told that people are afraid to come to HR. I think that maybe they view it as going to the principal's office in high school, which is usually a negative thing. But for me, that's a myth because I like for HR to be exactly what the title says, a resource to people. And so the myth would be that we're not scary people and we're not here to administer punishment, but quite the opposite. We are joyful, happy people who want to encourage partnership and participation in being the best person that you can be. Yeah. Timothy Webb: Yeah. Yeah, I like that. You're not the principal, are you? Julie LaRue: I'm not the principal. I have no authority to be a principal. Timothy Webb: So what were some of the biggest obstacles you had to overcome to get to where you are today? Julie LaRue: Well, as I previously mentioned, when I pursued my degree, I was a working mom. So I had three young boys at the time who were also in school. So really, that was probably the biggest challenge. College is all about an endurance plan and how much you can do and how well you can put out a quality of work while also doing life. And so just getting to the degree was probably the biggest challenge. Timothy Webb: Can you tell us how it felt when you got that degree finished? Julie LaRue: Oh, my goodness, I'll never forget. Finishing up my last paper for the final degree, and my kids were so young, and I think my older boys were in grade school, and then I had a preschool, and I just finished that paper up on a Saturday and thought, "I am so stressed, I need to take a nap." And I went into my room and closed the door to do that, and I just started crying because it was such a relief of this is over and I made it, and it is what it is at this point, and then I could go play then, I could go actually enjoy my kids for a little while. So it felt really good. And then I remember my grandmother making a special trip to graduation. My grandfather was sick at the time, and she just really put in a lot of effort to be there. And it was like cloud nine. It was probably one of my best feelings in my life. Timothy Webb: Yeah. Well, that's inspiring. Yeah, you really inspired me. I'm so close to finishing mine. So what is it about your position that rewards you? Julie LaRue: Being able to watch employees grow in their positions and be a person that they come to for guidance in terms of their trajectory, maybe here at the college or just in their careers in general. So just watching other people succeed and finding their strengths and helping them capitalize on those is very rewarding to me. I really enjoy working with the people here. Timothy Webb: So, Julie, are there any lessons that your position has taught you? Julie LaRue: I guess probably the biggest lesson would be never to assume that you know what someone's going through in their life outside of work, because people will check their issues at the door and come and do a great job. But then, you can either encourage that or deflate that. And so come in open and knowing that people do have life outside of work and not thinking you know all about that. Just let them be who they are. Timothy Webb: So, Julie, where did you grow up and what was it like there? Julie LaRue: I'm actually a local person. I grew up here in Hot Springs, and then some of my time in school was also spent in Little Rock. We moved back and forth a little bit, but it was really nice. Hot Springs is a small community, but large enough to always have things to do and new people to meet. Timothy Webb: Yeah, it is. It's a nice side city, really. And I don't even know if we qualify as a city, to be honest. I think there's like 30,000. I'm not sure where the mark is for the city, but it's still very rural here, but you still have a lot of the amenities you would have in a bigger city. Julie LaRue: Yes. And then we have the lakes in the summer and so many things to do all the time. Timothy Webb: Yeah. And all the state parks. Julie LaRue: Yes. Timothy Webb: So it's really nice here. Julie LaRue: Mm-hmm. Timothy Webb: Can you tell us about an influential person in your life and how they impacted you? Julie LaRue: Probably my grandmother. She grew up during the depression, and she was always telling me stories about overcoming struggles in her life as a child and then even as an adult, and she always had the best words of wisdom and encouragement. So probably her, the impact she had on my life was she encouraged me to be myself and to pursue my goals and not look back. Timothy Webb: So, Julie, if you could give your younger self any piece of advice, what would you say? Julie LaRue: In a different way, I've thought about this a lot, and so I would say there is so much freedom in not worrying about what other people think about you. It took me a long time as an adult to realize that, but as soon as you just let go of, "If I do this, what will other people think? If I say this, what will other people think?" then there's so much freedom in that. So I would tell my younger self to just pursue every idea and concept until the next one comes along and not hesitate based on being judged by others. Timothy Webb: And that's hard to do when we're younger, isn't it? Julie LaRue: It's so hard to do when you're younger, and it's getting even harder, because we do look for other people to encourage us and guide us, but if that encouragement and guidance is not positive or impactful, then it's harmful. And so just embracing who you are and learning from your own mistakes, but not worrying so much about what other people think. Timothy Webb: Right, right. That's important because those thoughts, when we worry about what other people think, they can stop us from doing the things and pursuing the things we actually want to pursue. Julie LaRue: Oh, absolutely. We couldn't miss great opportunities, and we could hinder others from great opportunities. Timothy Webb: Right. And life's too short to do that anyway. Julie LaRue: Way too short. Yeah. Timothy Webb: Way too short. Julie LaRue: I agree. Timothy Webb: So, Julie, what is it that brought you to NPC? Julie LaRue: Well, as I mentioned, I worked here as a student, and when I was a student here, I was always so thankful for the support that students received, and I just wanted to be a part of that. So I had an opportunity way back when to work here. And then, of course, got my education and went out into the big world and came back. And so what inspired me to come back is really just the community. I knew then, and I know now, that this is a great place to work. Nothing has changed since then in terms of how we support each other, and it's like a big family, and I just love this campus and I love the people here, and I wanted to be a part of it again. And so when the opportunity in human resources came up, I knew it was for me, and I had to go get it. Timothy Webb: That's good. I can't tell you how many people I've had in that chair say the same exact thing. And it doesn't matter if they're faculty, staff, or students. Julie LaRue: Oh, that's awesome. Timothy Webb: They all say it's like a family, and I just want to be here. I just enjoy the culture here and the comfortability of our campus. Julie LaRue: That's awesome. And thanks for sharing that, because as the HR point of contact, that's my charge, that's my responsibility. So it's good to hear that full circle. Timothy Webb: Yeah. Julie LaRue: I do my best to be a part of that, so to know that it's working. Wow, thanks. Timothy Webb: Yeah. Yeah. Well, you can check out our other episodes on The Sentinel Records podcast page, and you'll hear all these testimonies about how many people have been saying the same things. Julie LaRue: Sounds good. Timothy Webb: So, Julie, other than National Park College and human resources, what are some of your hobbies? Julie LaRue: I am a runner. I love to run. I run competitively when I have the opportunity, and then, of course, I like to read and travel and spend time with my family. Timothy Webb: Yeah. What is it about running that drew you to it? Julie LaRue: Oh, my goodness, I started running about 11 years ago, and ironically, it was actually the Van Davis 5K that National Park used to have each year, it was the inaugural year for that. And I saw it, and I was like, "Oh, those are my people. I need to go be a part of that." And so I thought, "A 5K, I could never do that." Well, I had boys playing football at the time, so I was talking to them about it, and they were like, "Oh, mommy, you can do it. It's only three miles. Let's do it." So we trained together, and my goal was to finish that race, dead or alive, just finish that race. But as I started training, it was just such a stress relief and a lot of the 5K events and even 10K and half-marathons, a lot of the races support great causes, and that's definitely what ours did here, and I wanted to be a part of that. And then I just fell in love with it. It can be as competitive as you make it, you can compete with peers or yourself or none of the above. You can just run until the stress is in the pavement. Timothy Webb: There you go. Yeah. Exercise is the best stress reliever. Julie LaRue: No, it is a great stress reliever. And I tell people, people say, "Oh, you run. I could never run." I'm like, "Well, you can do something, though." It's just about moving and being active. If you're not a runner, that's fine. Find what you can do and what you love to do. That's the secret. Timothy Webb: Right. Julie LaRue: If you don't like it, you won't do it. So find what you love to do and do that for exercise. Timothy Webb: Absolutely. It shouldn't feel like a chore. Julie LaRue: It should not feel like a chore. We have plenty of chores. Timothy Webb: Yeah. So, Julie, if you could talk to anyone from the past, present, or future, who would it be and why? Julie LaRue: One day I would like to meet Sandra Bullock. She's my favorite actress. Timothy Webb: Yeah. Julie LaRue: I don't know why. I've always just enjoyed her work, and I would like to meet her and just find out what her life's all about. Timothy Webb: So, Julie, what are your future plans? Julie LaRue: I want to continue to grow in my position here at National Park. Definitely planning for retirement. Of course, that's a long ways away, so all the listeners, don't get worried, but I am making plans for that. Timothy Webb: Well, it's never too early to plan for retirement. Julie LaRue: It's never too early. That's another thing we do in HR, and I always encourage people to save as soon as possible. Timothy Webb: That's right. Julie LaRue: Yeah. Timothy Webb: It's not what you make; it's what you save. Julie LaRue: That's true. That's good. I'm going to use that. Timothy Webb: So is there any advice or quotes or mottoes that you live by that helps direct you? Julie LaRue: I like to, as much as possible, live by the golden rule and treat others the way I want to be treated. But I am human, so sometimes I probably treat people like I don't want to be treated, but it's not intentional. Timothy Webb: I think that's all of us. Julie LaRue: Yeah. Timothy Webb: Julie LaRue, it's been great sitting down and talking to you today on Elevate. I really appreciate you taking the time. Julie LaRue: Thank you. It's been an honor. Timothy Webb: Thank you so much for being here. Julie LaRue: Absolutely. Timothy Webb: And thanks to all of you for listening to Elevate today from the Razorback Camper Sales Studio. New episodes are released each Thursday. Special thanks to National Park College and The Sentinel-Record for making this podcast possible. Until next time, this is Timothy Webb reminding you that every day is a chance to elevate.

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