Ashlyn Tomer ’21, ’22G 

Ashlyn Tomer ‘s leadership capabilities were in evidence long before she received her MA in Leadership Studies in spring 2022. As an undergraduate and indigenous scholar from the Penobscot Tribe, Ashlyn founded and led the Native American Student Alliance at USM and was an active advocate for Native students on campus. A double major in marketing and business general management/sustainability track, she also served as vice president of USM’s chapter of the American Marketing Association and led a highly successful professional networking dinner that connected students with employers throughout the region.

In 2018, while attending a job and internship fair organized by USM’s Career & Employment Hub, Ashlyn interviewed with one of USM’s leading employer partners, Unum. She was offered a job as a Unum Scholar, a year-round internship that started in 2019 and exposed her to many different aspects of the insurance company’s operations.

As a graduate student, Ashlyn focused her research on the authentic leadership practices of Wabanaki leaders and how it creates close-knit relationships within their community. After earning her master’s, she successfully won a spot in the graduate development program of National Grid – competing with 6,000 applicants for one of 100 positions in the energy company. Today, Ashlyn is a CX Associate Analytic Consultant at Concentrix, a global company specializing in customer engagement and business performance.

“All of this required a lot of hard work and determinations. But I realize the support I received from USM’s Career & Employment Hub and the experiences at Unum helped launch my career.”