Meet the Team

Mandy Connelly is the Director of the Graham Office of Career Management, where she brings a decade of expertise to support student career development and employer engagement. Since beginning in her field, she has been dedicated to preparing students and professionals to achieve strong career outcomes, helping them become hire-ready for internships, post-graduation roles, and new opportunities.

A passionate advocate for student success, Mandy holds both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Eastern Kentucky University. Her career in higher education began there, where she served as the Assistant Director for Career Readiness & Outreach and taught a course in major and career exploration. She later held the role of Human Resources & Talent Manager for the University of Kentucky Office of Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement.

Mandy holds the Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF) certification and is a Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) through the Association of Talent Development. She currently serves as President of the Kentucky Association of Colleges & Employers (KACE) and has served on the board of the Kentucky Career Development Association (KCDA). Beyond her work in higher education career services, she also carries her love of professional development forward by volunteering with programs to help women in recovery or those facing other economic hardships prepare to reenter the workforce and achieve career goals they may not have thought possible.

Hayley Hollenberg is the Associate Director of Employer Engagement & Outreach for the Graham Office of Career Management at the University of Kentucky’s Gatton College of Business & Economics. She partners with employers to create meaningful recruiting opportunities while helping students discover careers that align with their interests, strengths, and goals. Hayley serves as the primary point of contact for employers looking to engage with Gatton talent.

Raven Gibson joins Gatton with nearly a decade of experience as a social services professional providing case management and counseling in multiple settings. She is excited about preparing students to confidently step into the world of work with increased clarity on who they are and what they are working towards. Her primary goal is to be the career advisor she needed as an undergraduate student. Raven earned her Bachelors degree in Psychology from the University of Tennessee Chattanooga and a Masters in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Tennessee Knoxville. She is a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) and Certified Career Counselor (CCC).

As Office Manager, Denise brings the Graham team a wealth of industry experience in customer service and administrative support across multiple organizations, including Kentucky State University, Marriott Hotels and Resorts, and Olympia Church of Christ, in her home state of Washington. She holds an Associate of Technical Arts degree in Information Processing Management from Puget Sound Community College.

Brendan Christian is a Career Coach Intern. He is a senior at the University of Kentucky pursuing a Bachelor’s of Business Administration, double majoring in Business Management & Psychology. As a Career Coach Intern, Brendan assists Gatton students with resume and cover letter feedback, as well as explaining the resources the Graham Office has to offer.

Brendan comes from a background of customer service, acting as a Customer Experience Coordinator for Marshall’s, a Cast Member at Walt Disney World through the Disney College Program, and most recently a Stores Executive Intern at Target with a focus on HR.

Brendan’s experience for this role has come from his years at Gatton, his time in student organizations such as Alpha Kappa Psi, and his time as VP of Career Development for CDECA at the University of Kentucky. Combining his time in the service industry and the skills he has gained through the University’s resources, he is excited to now be a resource for his fellow students.

Blake Poynter is a Junior Finance & Accounting major. At Graham, he is the Employer Engagement Intern. In this role, he assists Hayley Hollenberg in her position to support employer relations, event management, partnership initiatives, and data driven projects that strengthen connections between employers and Gatton students. His day-to-day office responsibilities include assisting employers with their needs during events, conducting employer research, and checking students in to their various career related appointments.

His prior experience as a special events intern at Gatton, as well as his current role as Lewis Liaison for Finance & Accounting majors in the Lewis Honors College, has prepared him for meeting both the needs of companies and attendees within event settings and the importance of using analytics from these events to better processes in the future.

If you need to reach out to him, he will respond on LinkedIn or via email!

Yasmin Affini is the Marketing and Communications Intern, where she helps support efforts to expand Graham’s digital reach and develop content for stakeholders. She creates engaging content for LinkedIn, including regular updates and interactions with followers, and contributes to the office’s website development by assisting in its expansion and improvement. She also helps create marketing materials for the office while staying up to date on industry trends.

Yasmin is a current senior majoring in Marketing and Statistics/Data Science. Outside of Graham, she is a Gatton Ambassador and an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant. Her past marketing roles have helped her learn how to develop content for Graham, and the strategies she’s learned in her classes at Gatton have helped shape her approach to her work here.