It’s impressive when a college student finds a job a few weeks before graduation, but for Pascal Kadamani, a Mount Saint Mary College Psychology major with a Business minor, that moment came in the first days of her Spring 2020 semester.
Kadamani, who was born and raised in Brooklyn and now lives in Paramus, N.J., will be graduating from the Mount in May. She’s been a full-time human resource assistant at Tectonic Engineering Consultants, Geologists & Land Surveyors, D.P.C. in Mountainville, N.Y. since January of this year. She started with the company as an intern almost exactly a year earlier, in January 2019.
While Kadamani was working in a daycare during her junior year, one of the parents asked her if she had ever considered a career in human resources. The parent noted that Tectonic Engineering Consultants, Geologists & Land Surveyors, D.P.C. was looking for an HR intern.
“Although I have never considered the field, I did find it interesting,” noted Kadamani. “I had just picked up a Business minor that semester and thought it could be beneficial to get some experience.”
Human resources clicked with Kadamani and the decision to stay in the field was an easy one, she said. Now, while many of her peers are searching or jobs or readying themselves for graduate courses, Kadamani has earned a bit of respite.
“It truly feels unreal,” Kadamani explained. “It’s more than I ever could’ve imagined as a college student. I enjoy my work so much that it’s hard for me to comprehend that it is, indeed, a full-time job. I appreciate the opportunity to share my story to hopefully inspire others to find something they are as passionate about.”
Kadamani made the most of her time at the Mount: she was an Admissions Ambassador for the college, she was on the Dean’s List multiple times, and she held leadership positions in several student clubs, such as the Mount’s Big Brothers Big Sisters, the college’s Alzheimer’s Association, and Student Government. She also founded and was president of the Mount’s Learn Love Club.
“As I got more involved on campus through activities, volunteering, and my position as an Admissions Ambassador, I felt that I needed even more in my life,” she said. “I have never been more motivated to change the path I was on for myself.”
She credits her time at the Mount for molding her into the professional she is today.
“My time at the Mount has assisted me [in] building a future I would like to see for myself,” she said. “Someone recently asked me, ‘In what position do you feel you are at your peak?’ And the easy answer was ‘as a professional.’ I feel my best when I am accomplishing tasks, making an impact, striving for success, and changing a life.”
Kadamani says that Psychology professor Lawrence T. Force was one of the many professors who helped her on her path to excellence at the Mount.
Force “is the reason I am at the Mount in the first place,” she explained. “At both Accepted Student Days that I attended before committing to the Mount, I was fortunate enough to have Dr. Force at both psychology sit-ins. The energy and passion that he displayed for the field is what assured me that this is the place I want to pursue my degree in Psychology.”
As she prepares to transition from college student to full-time professional, Kadamani is ready to take on new challenges. However, she’ll never forget her time at the Mount, which will always be her home away from home.
“What I will miss most about the Mount is the sense of community,” she said. “My role on campus varies across many different organizations, along with being a student. Each organization makes you feel more special than the last, only leaving you wanting to do more. Although I did not begin my time at the Mount as involved, it has become the thing I love most about calling myself a Knight.”