A Conroy Family Affair

We know Sharry Conroy as the force behind Robinson’s Panther Immersion Programs. As part of these experiential trips, she strides through the New York Stock Exchange, stands on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, and visits the hottest West Coast tech companies alongside students competing for jobs. But before Sharry became one of the college’s most passionate student advocates, she spent 15 years in the corporate sector. By the time she ascended to assistant vice president and senior recruitment specialist at insurance brokerage Willis North America, she was at the top of her game. But as a mother to two young sons, she needed a better work-life balance.

Sharry always had told herself that if she left her line of work, she would transition to a career services position at Robinson. She first was exposed to Georgia State’s business students while overseeing talent acquisition at global insurance and risk management firm Marsh—a role she held prior to Willis. An intern from Robinson with intense pride in the school connected her with faculty from what is now the Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Science. Sharry felt so drawn to the university that she began volunteering with Robinson students in need of interview practice and resume preparation, through what is now the Career Advancement Center (CAC).

Sharry wanted to recruit Robinson talent but couldn’t. The firm only hired students from its national school list. She fought hard to add Georgia State to the roster.

“It was a game changer for Marsh,” she said. “Robinson students outperformed peers from other schools. They were genuine, interested in learning, grounded, and humble.”

Sharry spent 3 more years at Marsh before moving on to Willis, where she learned a lot about the talent development niche. After a couple years at Willis, she decided to shift gears and work on the student support side. She called Jason Aldrich, then executive director of the CAC, and asked about the possibility of transitioning her skillset to the education sector.

“I’ll never forget what he said,” Sharry recalled. “Someone had just resigned, and he thought I’d be a competitive candidate for the job.”

The stars had aligned.

Just as Sharry began a new chapter as associate director of the CAC, her older son Bryce entered kindergarten. When she brought him to the office, he sat at her desk and colored; when she worked from home, he overheard her talking to students and planning agendas for Panthers on Wall Street, the longest-standing Panther Immersion Program. Every morning, instead of Sesame Street, Bryce watched tickers run across the screen on Bloomberg Markets.

“Once, when Bryce was seven, the commodities came up, and I overheard him exclaim, ‘Oh!’,” Sharry said. “I scurried in to ask what was wrong, thinking he had dropped something or found something in his cereal. Instead, he said, ‘Sugar is down.’”

Sharry’s ardor for Robinson undoubtedly rubbed off on Bryce. When he began applying for college, she encouraged him to consider schools that aligned with his goals. But Robinson is what made sense to him. Bryce enrolled as a pre-finance major last fall.

“A business degree, especially in finance, would position me to work in a variety of sectors,” Bryce said. “I’m interested in aviation. This summer, I’ve lined up an internship as an underwriter within Starr Insurance Companies’ aviation division.”

For a freshman to land a summer internship demonstrates extreme savvy and motivation. Sharry had something to do with that. She urged Bryce to network with employers at the CAC’s Career EXPO, which is where he met a recruiter from Starr.

Bryce is part of Georgia State’s Honors College as well as Kappa Sigma Fraternity. Despite a busy academic and social schedule, he makes time to commute to campus with Sharry, or to meet her for lunch. Any mother would be thrilled to maintain such closeness with her son.

“I’m well-known in some circles on campus. Faculty and staff members probably worry that if their child attends Georgia State, they won’t feel truly independent,” Sharry said. “I’m really happy Bryce chose to have this experience and welcomed me into his life.”