Villanova Graduate HRD Program Leads to Leadership Role for Resource Management Professional

Ligia Vail ’24 MS

VILLANOVA, Pa. - With years working in learning and development, talent acquisition and resource management, Ligia Vail ’24 MS was at a crossroads. She was an experienced human resource professional, but felt she needed something more to reach the next level in her career. After first starting down a different path, Vail found that earning a Master of Science in Human Resource Development (HRD) at Villanova University helped her grow her knowledge and fast-tracked her to a leadership role in her organization.

Vail considered pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at another university until a coworker recommended the Villanova HRD online program. She was intrigued. Vail actually attended a Villanova HRD virtual information session on the way home from her MBA orientation and quickly switched plans. It was a decision that changed her career trajectory.

“Not a day would go by during the Villanova HRD program that I didn’t apply the knowledge and skills learned in class from teammates, professors, projects and materials,” Vail said. “Everything I learned was relevant to my goals, career and business needs. It indeed was everything I was looking for in a graduate program.”

Two of Vail’s favorite courses were Employment Law and Foundations of Strategic HR Management, both taught by Villanova professor Keith Black, JD. Black appreciated her initiative and contributions to the class.

“Ligia was a bright light in both courses, always well prepared and willing to share her thoughts and perceptions on whatever subject matter we were discussing. She has a quiet confidence and dignity, and her classmates appreciated that about her and listened when she spoke,” Black said. “Ligia is a perfect example of what a VU HRD student should be. She is hardworking, dedicated, intelligent and motivated. She clearly impacted her classmates and was well liked throughout the program as a whole. She has the emotional intelligence, life experiences and qualities that make it clear to me that she will succeed at a very high level in whatever roles she chooses to pursue in her career.”

Her hard work paid off. Ten months in the HRD program, Vail was promoted to Strategic Workforce Planning Senior Manager at Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP, an advisory CPA firm. In addition, Vail recently participated in a Resource Management Global Symposium as a session panelist and speaker.

“I didn’t realize that the simple step of working towards a graduate degree showed determination, commitment and leadership, which automatically elevated my brand, opening doors much quicker than I expected,” Vail said.

Vail’s graduate degree journey has been both a fulfilling and challenging experience. Vail lives outside of Atlanta with her husband, Ted, and two daughters, Elena and Isabel. She learned to balance classes, work obligations, family life and volunteer work. The flexibility of Villanova’s online program made her schedule more manageable, and she credits the support of her husband, and extended family, as well as the support of leadership at Baker Tilly and the firm’s tuition reimbursement program. What’s more, Vail is a native of Brazil who is the first person in her family to live abroad and earn an international undergraduate and graduate degree. She was inspired by her grandmother, who earned her GED at 86 years old; her mother, Elena, who is a lifelong learner and earned her bachelor's degree at 45 years old, becoming the only one among eight children to earn a higher-level education; and her father, Jairton, who became an entrepreneur at 16 years old and has owned his business for 47 years.

During her graduate studies, Vail still found time to give back to her community. She has led fundraising campaigns that raised over $20,000 to build homes in Brazil and fund a large holiday “Adopt a Family” event in the US. For the last five years, along with her two daughters and husband, she has been engaged in a back-to-school “Backpack Drives” program hosted by North Fulton Community Charities, an Atlanta-based non-profit organization. With the generosity of family and friends, they have organized the collection of school materials to fill almost 300 elementary school backpacks.

“Ligia is a professional, engaged student who has a passion for learning as well as for improving the lives of not only employees but also of those in her local as well as global communities,” said Sheila McLaughlin, Assistant Director of Student Services for Villanova HRD. “She exemplifies Veritas, Unitas, Caritas.”

For Vail, her graduate experience was worth the competing demands of her time.

“This journey was not without its challenges, but these challenges truly shaped me and prepared me for the next phase of my career,” said Vail. “The Villanova HRD program advanced my career and enabled me to manage the day-to-day challenges of driving change, implementing business processes and improvements, building strong and effective teams, coaching and developing people, and becoming an expert in my field.”

Learn more about Villanova’s graduate programs in Human Resource Development.