Sasha Buddle isn’t willing to place any of her life’s plans on the backburner. She’s accomplished plenty in a short span of time.
Having emigrated to the United States following her high-school graduation, Buddle joined the U.S. Army at age 19 . She served a tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2011, and is now in her senior year as a Human Resource Management major at Temple University’s Fox School of Business – and looking for her next great challenge.
“Whenever I’m not feeling motivated, I just say ‘Be self-made.’ I know only I can do this,” said Buddle, 29.
Buddle spent her formative years in Montego Bay, Jamaica, with her grandparents. As one of eight children with dual citizenship, she split time between her hometown and the United States. She remembers her grandmother’s devotion to fostering academic aptitude, compassion, and discipline as a driving influence. And despite her strict upbringing, Buddle recalled her time on the islands as a quieter life.
“In Jamaica, you go to school and you come home. In the States, you go to school, you work, and you move out on your own. It’s totally different,” Buddle said.
With her eyes on moving forward and pursuing a passion, Buddle joined her mother and sisters in the U.S. in 2004. The initial transition was rocky, with so few friends here, lots of new customs to learn, and much-colder temperatures to which to adapt, Buddle found an opportunity by enlisting in the U.S. Army.
From her first moments in basic training, Buddle knew the Army would be a new and difficult experience. She said she learned to enjoy the physical demands of her enlistment in order to grow as a person. She credits her time in the U.S. Army with helping find her voice.
“It’s custom in the Army to salute and verbally address a passing officer,” Buddle said. “One time, I didn’t say anything, and the officer yelled at me in front of my team. In the end, no matter how shy I am, I know it’s important to speak up.”
In 2011, Buddle served a tour in Afghanistan as an Army Specialist. Responsible for $74 million in supplies and gear, Buddle managed the responsibility with just one other person while adapting to life in a combat zone.
“We were bombed two to three times a week. We lost three people,” Buddle said. “But my unit was a family. I wear a bracelet every day to honor them, serve as my memory of them, and to keep them close.”
Having navigated the inner-workings of supply and human resource management for the Army, after having returned stateside, Buddle set her sights on attending business school. Buddle, who is motivated by her desire to help others, is pursuing a degree in Human Resource Management. The organizational aspect excited her, she said, while the math requirements proved more difficult. Plentiful access to professors has helped her, she said, as a non-traditional student.
In her final year of undergraduate studies at Fox, Buddle has taken advantage of the career and professional development resources available to her and all Fox students. She enrolled in Fox’s Center for Student Professional Development (CSPD) course in business etiquette and networking. This fall, she participated in the CSPD Fall Connection, a bi-annual networking event that connects student with leading employers.
“The CSPD gives you the ability to stand out as a individual, not just as a Fox student,” Buddle said. “I wish the class would move from one to three credits because it is so essential for students.”
Buddle is currently working for TruMark Financial Credit Union, and interviewing for opportunities in the financial planning and human resources field. She aspires to work in senior management and possibly open her own boutique fashion store.
As she nears graduation, Buddle remembered first setting foot on Temple’s campus, when she knew she’d found a place that made her feel part of something special.
“My first day I asked myself, ‘Why hadn’t I done this all my life?’” she said.