CXR Foundation 2024 Russ Mountain Memorial Scholarship Winner

Chris Hoyt: So, I mean, we’ve been doing these scholarships for a couple of years now. I’m really excited about this—the first one. But I heard that during the interview process, we had maybe a round of unexpected introductions. Elena, was there something kind of fun that happened during your interview?

Alayna Bunch: Yeah, during the moment I was actually awarded the scholarship, my mom and dad were waiting behind the door, listening in to see if I got it or not. The moment I was awarded, I saw my mom peek through the door and just stick out a thumbs up. Eventually, she came in and talked and got to meet everyone.

Chris Hoyt: Like one of those—just the arm comes in first!

Loren Bunche: Yeah, just the arm.

Chris Hoyt: But everybody got to meet your parents?

Alayna Bunch: Yeah, which is cool too because my mom is in talent acquisition. So this was such a cool thing, and I actually learned about the scholarship from her. Having her join me through the whole process was an exciting experience.

Chris Hoyt: Oh, I love that. Well, we’ve got some questions for you, Elena. Are you ready?

Alayna Bunch: Yeah, absolutely.

Chris Hoyt: Okay, let’s do this.

Announcer: CXR channel—our premier podcast for talent acquisition and talent management. Listen in as the CXR community discusses a wide range of topics focused on attracting, engaging, and retaining the best talent. We’re glad you’re here.

Chris Hoyt: All right, everybody, welcome to another edition of the Recruiting Community Podcast. I’m your host, Arthur. This is my handy-dandy sidekick, Merlin. How are you, sir?

Gerry Crispin: Fine, Arthur. Just fine.

Chris Hoyt: We’ll just take turns pulling on that sword. I’m excited about today. This year, the CXR Foundation added a second scholarship to our program—the Russ Mountain Memorial Scholarship. It awards a rising junior or senior college student who has a passion for recruiting and talent acquisition and plans to pursue a job in the field after graduation.

I’m super excited because we’ve got our winner on here today. We’ve got some fun questions for her—or maybe not, but hopefully she’ll humor us and pretend she’s having a good time.

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Just a reminder—this is an ad-free labor of love. Jerry and I do this because we enjoy connecting so many great people and conversations. And that’s why we try to keep it short—like a water cooler chat.

Gerry Crispin: Exactly right.

Chris Hoyt: Which means we should be moving forward. I think we’ve got a delay—or Jerry just likes to leave me hanging. Either way, it’s great.

Let me introduce an executive we have on the line with us. A longtime CXR member and a friend of ours for years—the woman who taught us how to order a “yes” off the menu (that’s a story for another podcast). Loren, how are you?

Loren Bunche: I’m doing well, thanks Chris. Good to see you both. Thanks for having me today. It’s an exciting day!

Chris Hoyt: Lovely to have you on. I set the stage a little bit. We’ve got two more guests to bring in, but I think we should hand the mic over to you. You’re really the catalyst for this scholarship program that we partnered on. So go ahead and take it away.

Loren Bunche: Thank you so much. So, we’re going to meet our winner in a minute, but first, a little background on the Russ Mountain Memorial Scholarship.

This is the first year of the scholarship, and without CXR, our fundraisers, and the committee who helped us put it all together, we wouldn’t be here today. Russ Mountain ran and owned Roland Mountain and Associates, which was the first firm I worked for after graduation. I joined at age 22—he was the president and co-founder.

He was an amazing man who taught me everything I know about recruiting. He taught me how to get to “yes.” He was generous with his gift and taught so many of us how to be great recruiters—how to really listen, how to get it done, and not be transactional. He was present and engaged with whoever he was with—on the phone, in person, or on video.

Thank you to Russ. We’re thrilled to be doing this today.

Chris Hoyt: Good stuff. I love it.

Loren Bunche: Do you want to introduce the others?

Chris Hoyt: Yeah, let’s bring in Tricia. There we go. Hi Tricia—would you like to introduce yourself?

Tricia Barone: Yes. I’m Tricia Barone, CEO of Roland Mountain and Associates. I’m so excited to be part of this. Russ was my husband, my partner in life, and in business. I was so touched when Lauren contacted me about this scholarship. I felt very moved. The whole process has been amazing. Huge thanks to Lauren and CXR for making it all happen. It’s very meaningful to me and to Roland Mountain.

We’re really excited and thrilled about our first recipient.

Chris Hoyt: Well, without further ado, let’s bring our winner in!

Loren Bunche: Let’s do it.

Chris Hoyt: I wish we had a drum roll sound effect. We would add those.

Loren Bunche: Excellent! We’ve got Alayna Bunch here. She is our first Russ Mountain Memorial Scholarship winner—2024. Alayna, we’re thrilled to have you. We had a great process learning about your interests and studies. We even got a few signs from Russ along the way confirming that you were the right choice. We’re so happy you’re here.

Alayna Bunch: Thank you. I’m honored to be here. Hearing more about Russ and how influential and meaningful he was—I’m honored to be part of that legacy.

Chris Hoyt: Alayna, tell us a little about yourself—what you’re studying and how you plan to take advantage of this internship and scholarship.

Alayna Bunch: I’m a student at the University of Kentucky. I’m an English major and also majoring in Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Studies, with a minor in Professional and Technical Writing. It’s a bit of a long title!

Essentially, I’m studying technical writing—specifically within the field of talent acquisition. My mom has worked in TA almost her entire career, and it’s something I’ve always had a big passion for. So, the opportunity to do an internship with Roland Mountain is amazing. It’ll help me really get my hands into the field, gain experience, and get some hands-on training. I’m super excited.

Chris Hoyt: I love it. Lauren, was there anything that stood out in Elena’s application—besides having wonderful parents who took part in the interview?

Loren Bunche: Yes! We asked applicants to write a short essay based on something Russ used to do—he gave out quarterly “BEST” awards. He’d play Tina Turner’s “Simply the Best” and award team members for the quarter.

We asked students to describe what they believe in, what they put effort into, describe structure, and describe their total commitment.

Elena brought her whole self into that essay. Tricia and I both really appreciated her voice and heart. And throughout the process, her communication was great. She even shared some personal stories. It was very genuine.

Tricia Barone: Ditto! From the very beginning, Elena stood out. I had her highlighted on our little spreadsheet. She went above and beyond, and her interview was just as impressive. Her authenticity and interest in TA made me think right away: we want her as an intern too. That part is a bonus for us.

Loren Bunche: Yes! The internship was actually an add-on. Tricia offered it at the end of the process, and I thought it was such a cool addition. Elena, we hope you think that’s cool too.

Alayna Bunch: Absolutely! A hundred percent—yes.

Chris Hoyt: It’s interesting for me—maybe it’s just my own aging in the industry—but it’s fascinating to see younger generations coming out of college with an interest in TA. Most of us fell into it. I certainly didn’t study to be in TA. So it’s wild—and exciting—to see students who are interested in it right out of the gate.

Gerry Crispin: Absolutely. Most of us didn’t graduate with degrees in recruiting. I discovered it in grad school. But for those of us who’ve made careers in TA, we take pride in the impact we’ve had on so many lives.

This profession matters. These scholarships help say: this is important. Elena, we wish you the best. We’ve got great expectations for you—to go out there and shake things up.

Alayna Bunch: I hope I can live up to the expectations!

Chris Hoyt: All right, Elena. We ask every guest on the show the same question, so you don’t get a pass. If you were going to write a book about your professional and educational journey up to now, what would the title be?

Alayna Bunch: Ooh… probably something like Believing in Others. It’s so easy to be cynical in today’s world, but I love that TA is centered around helping people—whether it’s finding the right job or helping a company find the right person.

It’s about connection. Believing in others—and in yourself—is so important. I wasn’t sure I’d get this scholarship. It was a shot in the dark, but I believed in myself, and I did it. That belief really carried me.

Chris Hoyt: I love it. That gave me the feels!

Last question: who gets the first signed copy of your book?

Alayna Bunch: Probably my mom. I’ve talked about her a lot, but she’s helped me so much. She’s the reason I’m where I am today. So, she gets the first copy—signed.

Chris Hoyt: I love it. Elena, it’s folks like you who are the reason we do this. We’re so grateful for your interest and your passion. You’re going to make this industry better.

Alayna Bunch: Thank you all so much.

Chris Hoyt: Huge thank you to Tricia and Lauren as well—for all the work you’ve done with the committee and the CXR Foundation. If anyone is interested, visit cxrfoundation.org. And if you’re watching on the treadmill, we’ve got a QR code on screen that links to the donation page.

With that, let’s say goodbye, everyone!

Alayna Bunch: Bye!

Announcer: Thanks for listening to the CXR channel