Russ Mountain Memorial Scholarship Spotlight with Caroline Wittenauer

Announcer: Welcome to the Recruiting Community Podcast, the go-to channel for talent acquisition leaders and practitioners. This show is brought to you by CXR, a trusted community of thousands connecting the best minds in the industry to explore topics like attracting, engaging, and retaining top talent. Hosted by Chris Hoyt and Jerry Crispin.

We are thrilled to have you join the conversation.

Chris Hoyt: Welcome to the CXR Recruiting Community Podcast. I’m super excited that you’ve decided to join us—on a treadmill, a bike, a skateboard, whatever you’re doing, we’re excited that you’ve dialed in. Be sure to like and subscribe—that makes us internet famous, and we’re really happy about it.

You can find past and future episodes—well, you can’t listen to the future, obviously—at cxr.works/podcast. We’re excited to be in our 400-and-somethingth episode. We get to interview, on the regular, TA leaders and folks doing really cool stuff in the space.

Speaking of cool things in the space, I can’t help but think about the CXR Foundation. Barb, why don’t you give us the escalator pitch? But first, tell everyone who you are, because you’re not on the show very often, so it’s really nice to have you on as a cohost today.

Barb Ruess: Thanks, I’d be happy to. My name is Barb Ruess. I’m the VP of Operations here at CareerXroads, also known as the CXR community. I’ve been here for 25 years, so I always tell people if I can’t answer a question about CXR, we’re all in a world of hurt.

Today I’m wearing my foundation hat. I’m the Secretary of the CXR Foundation and the Chair for our Scholarship Committee. The CXR Foundation’s mission is to support the talent acquisition industry. We do that through a variety of projects, including the History of Recruiting and, my personal favorite, the Foundation Scholarship Program.

This program supports students who are connected to the world of TA—maybe they have a parent, aunt, or uncle in TA, or maybe they’re working in TA themselves and looking to further their career. We’ve been awarding scholarships for five years now—tens of thousands of dollars have gone to help students with their education, which I love.

The Rust Mountain Memorial Scholarship is one we’re now in our second year of sponsoring. I was really touched by the story behind it when we first heard it, and I’m so excited we were able to bring it to life last year and continue it this year.

So today, we get to meet and learn more about this year’s Rust Mountain Memorial Scholarship winner: Caroline Wittenauer. But first, I’d love for everyone to hear a little about that story. Tricia, I’m hoping you can share it.

Trisha Barone: Thank you, Barb. My name is Trisha Barone, and I’m honored to be part of this scholarship. Russ passed away in 2014, and we had a core group of employees who stayed close to him—and to us. A few years ago, I got a call from Lauren who said, “Hey, what do you think about this idea?” I said, “It’s the best idea. I love it.”

We rallied tons of support and began fundraising. It’s been really special for me to honor Russ. He was both my partner in life—my husband—and in business. Being able to do something that I know would have been his passion has been so rewarding. We’re just so grateful to be a part of this and so excited to have Caroline with us today.

But I have to give credit to Lauren, who really was the driving force in putting this team together and bringing this idea to life. So with that, I’ll introduce you to Lauren.

Loren Bunche: Thank you, Tricia. I definitely can’t take all the credit. If not for CXR, Barb, Chris, Jerry—none of this would have happened. As Tricia mentioned, Russ was an incredible person. He hired me straight out of school. I was 22 with no experience apart from some internships and the usual food service jobs you pick up during high school and college.

He gave me a shot at this thing called recruiting. Now, 25 years later, I’m still in it. When he hired me, he said, “Come on in. We’ll show you what to do. We’ll train you and coach you.” And they did. I started on 100% commission—it was a make-or-break first year. Luckily, I made it, thanks to everyone around me.

When we evaluate candidates for this scholarship, we look for the qualities Russ would’ve looked for when hiring us back then.

Caroline, when Tricia and I spoke with you, we knew it immediately. We’ve learned to read each other’s minds, and we both knew: you were it. You have so many of the qualities Russ valued.

Can you start by telling us a little about where you are in school—sports, work—you do it all. Want to share?

Caroline Wittenauer: Absolutely. I’m going into my junior year at the University of Connecticut. I’m part of the School of Business, majoring in Business Management with a concentration in Entrepreneurship, and I’m minoring in both Analytics and Spanish. I know that’s a mouthful!

I’m really active in the community—I’m part of Greek life, serving as Vice President of Finance and Housing. I’m also in Hillside Ventures, our student-run venture capital fund, where I’m now the Recruiting Lead. And I’m on the club track and field team. I’m just trying to get a well-rounded business education while doing the things I enjoy and learning along the way.

Loren Bunche: Amazing. That all came through when we first spoke—it’s incredible time management. You also talked about your sorority leadership and the three varsity sports in high school, all while working. That’s a lot.

What opened your eyes to recruiting, and how did you hear about this scholarship?

Caroline Wittenauer: I learned about it through the CXR Foundation. My father is in the TA space, so he encouraged me to look into it. I’ve always had a business-focused mind, even in high school. As a team captain, I was recruiting others to join and step out of their comfort zones. I’ve continued that in college—I’m part of the recruitment team for my sorority and for Hillside Ventures.

Loren Bunche: Do you remember how you heard about the scholarship specifically?

Caroline Wittenauer: Yeah, absolutely. As a college student, I’m constantly searching for scholarships online. This one stood out to me on the CXR Foundation site. I actually applied to both scholarships. This one really resonated—it felt like an answer to my prayers. And meeting both of you was just such a grateful experience.

Loren Bunche: Well, we feel the same. As you look ahead, when does school start?

Caroline Wittenauer: Monday the 25th—so just a few days away.

Loren Bunche: What are you most excited about this year?

Caroline Wittenauer: I’m most excited to level up in my organizations, take on more responsibilities, and make a positive impact. I really want to spread opportunities, help others feel confident, and leave a lasting legacy.

Loren Bunche: That’s wonderful. One last question from me before I turn it over to the group—what advice would you give to other students looking for scholarships like this?

Caroline Wittenauer: The best advice I can give is to be genuine. Stick to your values and know who you are. If you can communicate that authentically, you’re set. I really thought about who I was and showcased that in my application. I didn’t just participate in things—I had a reason for everything I did. So be true to yourself and let that shine.

Loren Bunche: Wow. I fully believe Russ sent you our way. Tricia and I just knew. And I love that advice. My life motto is: “Be yourself. Everyone else is taken.” When I coach candidates, I always say—you don’t need 15 resumes. You need one. Be authentic. So thank you, Caroline.

Barb Ruess: Okay, I’ve got one question—not totally related. Caroline, I just learned you were an athlete in high school and now you’re doing club sports in college. So I have to ask: at UConn, do you look forward to football or basketball season more?

Caroline Wittenauer: Oh, definitely basketball. You can’t beat us! We’re working on our football team—they’re coming up. But the basketball environment is just amazing—so much student passion. It’s unlike anything else.

Barb Ruess: I’m an Indiana Hoosier, but some of my favorite college memories are from basketball games. That UConn women’s team is fun to watch!

Chris Hoyt: I love it. Caroline, it’s just so wonderful. And full disclosure—your dad is a bit of a legend in this space.

Barb Ruess: Oh, no one tell him we said that!

Chris Hoyt: Yeah, when your name came across, Barb and I—who aren’t involved in the scholarship selection—saw it and went, “Could that be the same Wittenauer?” So I reached out to him, and it was great to catch up. He’s given so much to this industry, and seeing this scholarship go to someone in his family just feels right.

Loren Bunche: And Chris, just to clarify, Tricia and I didn’t know about the connection when we selected Caroline. You told us afterward. The process worked exactly as it should.

Chris Hoyt: Totally. There’s something magical at play here, I’m just saying.

Barb Ruess: Absolutely.

Chris Hoyt: Much gratitude to everyone for being here. Barb, thank you again for the tireless work you do leading the committee. Two scholarships annually is no small task. If anyone’s interested in learning more, it’s super easy—just go to CXRFoundation.org. We’ll put the link on screen and in the show notes. You can learn about the Rust Mountain page and even donate right there.

And yes, there’s now a recurring donation button—so feel free to use that and support a great cause.

Thanks to everyone for joining us. This was a special episode—we don’t do too many of these Foundation features. We’ll see you next time. And don’t forget: cxr.org/podcast. Subscribe, like, and help us stay internet famous. We appreciate it.

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