Allie Silver always wanted to help people in her day-to-day work, but the path toward her role in Human Resources took unexpected turns. Raised in Miami, Florida, Allie navigated periods of instability in her home life, and applying to college through QuestBridge gave her the opportunity to attend the University of Virginia with a full four-year scholarship.

As a first-generation college student from a low-income background, Allie shares, "Moving from Miami to the middle of Virginia was quite a change for me. ...[It] taught me how to have pride in uniqueness and where you come from."

She considers her time at UVA as a period of change and growth. “When I got to UVA, I realized I do have different career paths that are open to me, and I can build a different future,” Allie says. After her first semester, she met students pursuing the UVA McIntire School of Commerce, and she started to see new doors opening for her. She applied and got in, switching her major from English to Business. 

The Commerce school enabled her to obtain competitive internships at companies like Capital One. After getting her first summer paycheck at Capital One, Allie felt - perhaps for the first time in her life - a great sense of financial security. While it was still very important to her to work in a career where she could help people, she also felt it was equally important to prioritize financial security.

She continued to build experience over the following years working in a variety of business roles at Capital One and Accenture, while also participating in pro bono consulting or volunteer roles at her companies. In the middle of COVID, she applied to graduate schools programs for business and psychology, and ultimately followed her heart to pursue a Master’s program in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. “That was a decision I made solely for myself and my interests and my passion, whereas the decisions I made for the first eight years of my career were helping to build a resume for myself,” she reflects.

Allie was able to continue working in Human Resources at a large, global company, while completing her master’s program part-time. “That was the first time I really started leaning into the people side of business, and my brain started acting more harmoniously with my soul,” Allie says. 

Now a Director in the Human Resources department at Cox Enterprises, Allie helps employees navigate their first few years as a career coach. She’s particularly drawn to working with fellow first-generation students, and she openly shares her own perspectives and background as a way to support other early-career professionals. She has even come across fellow QuestBridge Scholars in her current role. “The HR space is definitely where I want to stay because it is people-oriented. I’ve been able to bridge my passion for people with my business background,” she reflects. “It’s important to me to have a one-to-one connection with people, and I think that’s something I’ll always prioritize.”