Series: Women of Long Beach State
As a working mom of three small children ages 3, 6 and 9, Kierstin Stickney is pulled in many different directions daily.
Stickney has worked for five years as the director of marketing and communications for the 49er Shops and a part-time lecturer for the College of Business.
“I enjoy working here for a lot of reasons,” Stickney said. “It really works well for where I’m at in my career and my family. I love all my students, and it’s a good team of people. I really enjoy the teaching aspects too.”
Stickney has many people that work for her, including her student employees who all resound the sentiment that she is a great role model and a pleasure to work with.
“Kierstin has added to the workplace by providing our office and surrounding departments with an excellent example of leadership and professionalism,” said Marketing and Communications Assistant Lauren Meyers.
Meyers said she has learned a lot from Stickney.
“She is warm, kind and never hesitates to help me with any of my projects, which makes her a great role model,” Meyers said.
Even though being a working mom means juggling many things at once, Stickney said she enjoys being busy because she feels she is a contributing part to society and wants to be a good role model for her children.
“There’s lots of planning and trying to be present in all of these roles to be the best employee and the best mom at home,” Stickney said. “It’s wearing a few hats and wearing them all flawlessly which can be a real struggle.”
She said there is a lot of pressure put on working moms these days and feels only a small amount of time in the day is left for herself, which can be exhausting.
According to Stickney, a significant amount of planning is involved every day to ensure her kids are taken care of while she works. While she and her husband both work, finances can be a struggle because on-campus child care is $1,000 a month.
“Where we work, we are all kind of in the middle,” she said. “We don’t make great salaries. A lot of moms I’ve talked to have stopped working because the child care costs more than what they’re making.”
While Stickney enjoys all the aspects of her role with the 49er Shops, she says her favorite thing about working at LBSU is her students.
“Watching them learn, grow, evolve and fly into the real world is very rewarding,” she said.
Stickney stays in touch with her students and said she thinks it’s wonderful to see them flourish and contribute to the world.
“There is trust between her and the employees in the office,” said graphic designer for the 49er Shops, George Ly. “We, the employees, are pretty autonomous as she trust us to execute and deliver. Whenever we have questions or concerns on projects, she’s always willing to help clarify.
Stickney has added value to the workplace due to her work ethic and professionalism, Ly said.
According to Marketing and Communications assistant Sami Brown, working for Kierstin is wonderful. She is extremely helpful and supportive.
“Kierstin has made this workplace a safe and positive environment,” Brown said. “She always ensures that we are doing our best and that we have all of the tools necessary to succeed. She also makes work an overall fun and pleasant experience each day.”
Stickney said even though being a working mom is tough at times, she wouldn’t have it any other way. She enjoys working and is grateful for her children and her job.