A deep curiosity and a relentless commitment to learning drove alumna Ashley Silva ’25 MS to become a vice president at a prominent investment firm while still in her mid-30s.

“You won’t be successful without understanding what’s important to the business,’’ said Silva, who earned her master’s degree in Human Resource Management at UConn last May. “It is critical to understand the bigger picture, beyond your own role and that of your department.’’

During that spring, Silva joined Oak Hill Advisors, a leading alternative investment firm in New York City, with $108 billion under management. As a vice president, she designs the strategies to attract, develop, and retain top talent.

Silva said she always sets a high bar for herself.

“I’m a very ambitious person. I’m always looking for what’s next and asking myself how I can learn and challenge myself,’’ she said. “I’m very detail oriented, and always strive for excellence.’’

Advice to Grads: There Isn’t Just One Job Worth Pursuing

Silva recognizes that the job market today isn’t ideal for new graduates.

“I understand their concerns. I graduated from Bryant University in 2010, right after the global financial crisis,’’ she said. “What helped me get through that time is to be open to conversations. You never know where your network leads you or what other roles might be coming up in the company. We all get tunnel vision sometimes, but new graduates need to challenge the idea that there is only one ‘perfect job.’ ”

Job-seekers should look for a position that offers a chance to learn and grow professionally.

“At the end of the day, careers are very long. Build a solid foundation that will lead to more down the road,’’ she said. “If I thought back 15 years, I never could imagine the job I have today.’’

In her hiring capacity, Silva looks for candidates with both strong skills and the right approach to work.

“I look for someone who leads with empathy, has a learning mindset, works well on a team, and can take feedback,’’ she said. “Someone who is coachable will rise to the top—I value that.’’

Planned Career as an Actuary Took a Turn

Silva, a first-generation college student, earned her bachelor’s degree from Bryant with a major in actuarial mathematics and actuarial science. During her senior year, she job-shadowed a professional, and was ‘slightly horrified’ to realize he spent the bulk of the day at his desk, analyzing spreadsheets.

Silva enjoys interacting with people and knew that wasn’t the right fit for her. She begged her parents to allow her to go to graduate school. They said no.

“I knew becoming an actuary was not what I wanted, but I didn’t know an alternative,’’ she said. “I applied to so many jobs. When I had my first interview with a recruiting firm, they asked if I’d ever thought about recruiting. I didn’t even know what human resources was!’’

She got a job with Roth Staffing and over six years moved up to corporate recruiter.

Her next stop was at Global Atlantic Financial Group, a leader in the retirement solutions space, where she started as a recruiter and worked her way to associate vice president.

“My experience with Global Atlantic prepared me well for the job I have today. We went from 500 to 1,600 employees during my time there. And we did it during the COVID pandemic, an interesting time to be in HR,’’ she said. “That experience prepared me so well for Oak Hill Advisors, which is also looking to grow. I learned in order to grow you cannot be afraid of failure, and you need to bring a fresh perspective and new ideas.’’

“I was fascinated with the business at Global Atlantic,’’ she said. “I wanted to know how the company worked, our strategy, and how we mobilized the work force so our employees could be successful,’’ she said. “To be an effective HR leader, you really have to understand the business, the drivers of success, how AI works, how to help people be productive, and much more.’’

Silva wanted to broaden her knowledge of corporate strategy, so in 2023 she enrolled in UConn’s HRM program seeking the knowledge that would take her to the next level.

“My education at UConn prepared me for broader opportunities. It would have been much harder to get here without the skills I learned through my master’s degree,’’ she said. Today she oversees undergraduate recruiting, early career program management, front office hiring and talent management.

Graduate Program Provided ‘Incredible Connections’

Although excited to have graduated with her master’s degree, Silva said it was odd not to return to UConn for a new semester.

“I was sad that I wasn’t going back to school last fall because I loved the experience so much. UConn exceeded all my expectations,’’ she said.

“Initially, I was so nervous about pursuing my master’s degree because I hadn’t been in school in 15 years. But the program is designed for working adults,’’ she said. “I made incredible connections, benefitted from new perspectives and backgrounds, and met other senior professionals.”

“The curriculum was very good; my professors were great; and I enjoyed collaborating with the other students. I lived for those Saturdays!,’’ she said of the program, which she attended both in-person and virtually. “I felt I went back to school at the right time for me. I definitely appreciated the knowledge I had from my professional background, and I understood the material and how it applied in the workplace.’’

“At the time, I had a baby and was working full time. It can be done if you’re a working professional with kids. The university has tons of resources and is super supportive,’’ Silva said. “You don’t have to be in the perfect space to get a degree. It was such an enjoyable and rewarding experience. I would encourage people to ask questions about the time commitment and the support—it is do-able.’’