Life Didn’t Pause for My MSMOL Program, So I Kept Going
Contributed by: Samantha Pannone ’09, ’22 M.S., Albertus Magnus College Human Resources Generalist
After having my daughter, I took a year away from work and realized I wanted to change directions following postpartum. In 2020, I started working at Albertus Magnus College just four weeks before the campus went fully remote because of COVID-19. At the same time, I was adjusting to life with a newborn, homeschooling my son, and helping him through his dyslexia diagnosis.
Coming back to Albertus during that time reminded me of who I was before life became so busy. As an undergraduate student, Albertus had already played a huge role in helping me grow, and being back on campus reignited my motivation and ambition.
I earned my undergraduate degree in Sociology from Albertus in 2009. At the time, I knew I was not ready to go straight into graduate school. I needed real-world experience first. I’ve always been someone who learns best by doing, and I wanted time to figure out my career path before taking the next step academically.
Years later, attending an open house for the Master of Science in Management and Organizational Leadership (MSMOL) program felt like the right move. I immediately connected with the program and its focus on leadership, collaboration, and learning from different perspectives and experiences. It felt like a program that would help me grow professionally while still aligning with who I am as a person.
Choosing the Human Resources concentration made sense because of my background in HR. What I appreciated most was how the program connected leadership and Human Resources in a real, practical way. It reinforced how important communication, support, and workplace culture are to an organization’s success. I walked away with a stronger understanding of leadership and how HR can positively impact both employees and organizations.
Balancing work, family, and graduate school was not easy. During the program, I was also going through the beginning stages of a divorce, which made life feel especially overwhelming at times. There were moments when it would have been easier to put my goals aside, but continuing my education gave me something to work toward during a difficult chapter of my life.
More than anything, the experience reminded me that growth often comes during the hardest moments. Earning my degree became personal. It was proof to myself and to my children that even when life feels messy or uncertain, you can still move forward.
As both an alumna and employee, I now get to see Albertus from many different perspectives. I relate to students, adult learners, faculty, and staff, especially as a first-generation college graduate myself. Albertus has always been more than just a school to me. It has been a constant reminder that with faith, hard work, and perseverance, you are capable of more than you think.
Earning my MSMOL degree in 2022 was not just about advancing my career. It was about proving to myself that I could do hard things and continue growing, no matter what life looked like around me.
