By Joan Lowe / The Jambar
Six members of the Youngstown State University student chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management placed second at the Ohio Human Resources Games on Oct. 11. The team also won the “Congeniality Award,” which recognized outstanding spirit and professionalism.
This year’s annual Ohio HR Games was hosted by Baldwin Wallace University, in partnership with the regional Cleveland SHRM chapter.
In a statement,YSU SHRM faculty advisor Kimberly Pleva and Western Reserve Chapter SHRM College Relations chair, said the win came from the students’ dedication to their field.
“The results are a testament to the hard work, preparation and teamwork these students brought to the competition,” Pleva stated. “They represented Youngstown State University and the Williamson College of Business Administration with exceptional skill and professionalism.”
YSU’s SHRM student team members consisted of MiaCarmela Barber, Liliana Donatelli, Haya Farhan, Manny Gingras, Madelynn Hanna and Casey Jenkins.
The competition challenges undergraduate students across Ohio to apply their understanding of HR, business concepts and leadership in a trivia format.
The team studied the SHRM’s Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge on employee relations, talent acquisition, training and other areas for weeks in advance.
Pleva said the Ohio HR Games are a great resource for students in the field of HR, with an emphasis on real-world skills and networking.
“We met students from across the state of Ohio, also in HR. We met HR professionals there, serving as volunteers,” Pleva said. “[The award provides] recognition for the HR major. It certainly helps with recruiting students to the student organization.”
YSU’s SHRM team has won several awards in the past, including the Student Chapter Superior Merit Award, and has consistently placed for the past decade of competing at the Ohio HR Games.