Meet MS in Human Resource Management graduate, Denise Ibarria ’19. Recently named to the National Human Resources Association of Orange County’s 2025 Rising Stars Academy, Ibarria’s career illustrates how formal education, coupled with hands-on experience and meaningful mentorship, can build a foundation for a transformative career in human resources.
When Ibarria joined the Trojan Family as an MSHRM student at USC Bovard College, she thrived in the program’s challenging environment. “I was able to start differentiating myself as a leader while educating myself at the same time,” she reflects. Today, as HR Manager at Brasstech Inc., Ibarria oversees the company’s human resource operations, developing solutions for complex problems, ensuring best practices are followed, and serving as a mentor to her junior team members.
Since graduation, Ibarria has continued to be an active member of the Trojan Family, serving as an MSHRM Ambassador through 2022 and currently as a regional board member for the USC Marshall Alumni Association of Orange County. In this interview, Ibarria reflects on how the MSHRM program catalyzed her development as an HR expert and the transformative role mentorship has played throughout her career.
How did you get your start in HR?
I got connected to my first job working with an HR department during undergrad. I had a chance to work on launching new initiatives. I also had an awesome HR manager who became a mentor to me at a very young age; their mentorship helped me understand what HR does in the workplace.
I completed my Bachelor’s in International Affairs because I had an interest in working for human rights. When I started learning about workers’ rights, I had a moment where I realized, ‘Oh, I can do life-changing things within my workplace. How do I continue on that path?
That’s when I made a note to myself that I wanted to eventually get my master’s in HR as I continued in the field.
How would you describe your experience as an MSHRM student at Bovard College?
My experience in the program was very hands-on. During the program, the company I worked for at the time, Axiom Manufacturing, was essentially a startup company, so I had a lot of autonomy in choosing the initiatives I’d be presenting to the C-suite. In many of my courses, I would use the company in my case studies and receive feedback from professors. Their expertise helped me implement new ideas in almost real-time.
What was your favorite course?
A course I found interesting and engaging both personally and professionally was Leadership in Human Resources. The professor was an expert in emotional intelligence, and she really took the time to break down leadership philosophies based on EQ.
That course allowed me to reflect on my own leadership style, and assess the style of those I work with. In my current role at Brasstech, I now have the opportunity to have junior-level team members reporting directly to me. Being able to witness their careers blossom is very rewarding.
How was the one-year program?
It’s a little silly for me to say, but it was HR almost 24 hours a day. The one-year program did require a lot of organization because you’re doubling up on everything.
One of my huge takeaways from the program; I was able to start differentiating myself as a leader while educating myself at the same time.
I had my full-time job as an HR manager, and after work, I was either reading, finishing assignments, or doing discussion posts. It was also my second year at my previous company, so the program allowed me to build these foundational blocks of my HR repertoire.
Having a set schedule for reading articles and working on papers was important for me. While working in the office, keeping the readings or topics I was learning about in mind also helped. My experience was hands-on and fast-paced, but when you’re learning about a subject that you’re very passionate about and have an opportunity to implement new practices right away, it makes the process of absorbing information easier.
Can you share an example of a case study you created?
During the program’s learning and development course, I created a case study on transferring tribal knowledge into formal knowledge.
Tribal knowledge is knowledge that has become a part of a standard operating procedure but is unwritten or informalized. At the operational level, processes may come naturally because they’re done repetitively.
Axiom was a manufacturer of advanced materials within the aerospace industry, and many of the team members carried a lot of tribal knowledge. For this project, the operations manager and I sought to engage team members in the training process and have them share what perhaps may not come to a supervisor. Working with the operations manager was great because he connected me with team members and helped me engage them further on specific engineering processes I didn’t know.
Through conducting interviews, I created a new training matrix that formalized our SOPs. Best of all, I gave my team members a voice and let them know their opinions matter. Some see HR as the ‘eyes in the sky’, but HR needs to be boots on the ground to speak with employees and try to be helpful.
How has the MSHRM program at USC impacted your life after graduation?
Post graduation, I started a new role through an introduction made by someone in class, interestingly enough. They referred me to the HR director, whom I now report to at Brasstech Inc., and I’ve been at Brasstech going on six years.
After graduation, I also participated as an Ambassador for two years. During that time, I had the opportunity to meet a lot of great individuals. Currently, I’m serving on a regional alumni board with the USC Marshall School of Business.
How did it feel to be selected for the National Human Resources Association of Orange County’s 2025 Class of Rising Stars in January?
I was thrilled to learn about my selection! It is a great honor to be nominated by my director, Angie Maldonado, and my mentor, Deborah Rodriguez, whose belief in me and constant encouragement have been invaluable.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned as an HR Practitioner?
Most of my positions have been within manufacturing, therefore, a large majority of the workforce is on-site. Most of the frontline workers are hourly, and if you’re not visible to them, you are not approachable.
Something I have learned as an HR practitioner is to go out to meet team members, do constant pulse checks, and be approachable rather than waiting for them to come to HR when a problem arises. As HR practitioners, we tend to serve as a listening ear to our team members, and we guide them in the best way we can. Consistency is key.
Mentorship has had a big impact on your career so far. What advice would you share reflecting on your journey?
To continue to pay it forward. I’m a mentor for a nonprofit organization called Girls Inc. I’m a part of the Orange County chapter. I mentor girls who are in high school, who have just graduated, or who are in their first or second year of undergrad. More recently, I’ve been involved with young women entering or seeking to join the workforce.
One of the things I share with them is that we don’t always have to have the answers. We just have to be open to receiving guidance. What I mean by that is, when you’re at a young age, ambitious, and know what you want to do, it can be discouraging when it doesn’t always go your way. Seeking out help and being open to change make us successful even if things aren’t exactly how we envisioned them. I also encourage them to be authentic to themselves and surround themselves with people who believe in them.
Learn more about the Online MS in Human Resource Management program today.