Jessica Fraga
“I grew up with a very nontraditional upbringing. My mother was a single parent, and we often faced financial hardships, which at one point forced us to live out of our car for a period of time. Our situation caused me to quickly mature, and as our rough path continued, I dropped out of high school and received my GED. Throughout my life, my mother never gave up on me and urged me to pursue my dreams. I had been a manager for a small, family-owned beauty salon, and I had gone as far as I could go within the company. I always saw myself in a larger role with a bigger organization. My mother had just been accepted into the One-Day-A-Week Saturday College, and encouraged me to look into the program. Within minutes of meeting with an admissions counselor, I knew I belonged at Bay Path College. Together, my mother and I shared this incredible educational journey. We even graduated together.
Bay Path and the One-Day program completely transformed my life. I went from a dead-end job to a newfound independence and self-assurance. The education I received, along with the College’s tremendous support system, led me to a new life and career. During my second year of the One-Day program, I landed a position with The Hartford. The company soon recognized my potential and created a role for me in Human Resources, which would put me on a successful career path focused entirely on helping people, be it employees or employers. As the years passed, I found that my heart was with the nonprofit field, and I soon found myself as a nurse recruiter for the adult in-patient units at Baystate Health. As a recruiter, I can focus on diversity and equality, which are close to my heart, and it’s my job to ensure our managers have the team they need to succeed.
Bay Path taught me no matter what role I play in a company or organization, I am a business partner, and I understand that the person I hire affects the bottom-line and in my current role the care our patients receive. I’ve never seen another college like Bay Path, which is 110 percent behind the success of their students. With every step of the way, the College community encouraged me by saying, ‘You can absolutely receive a college education, and achieve your dreams.’”
- A member of the Baystate Health Diversity Council, Jessica received her Master of Business Administration degree in 2008, and she currently teaches in Bay Path’s MBA program as an adjunct professor. She will pursue a doctorate degree in organizational psychology in the near future, and she plans to expand her teaching career by serving as an adjunct professor in the One-Day program.
