Hartney’s hustle leads to Texas Toyota job
Lily Hartney ՚23 starts a new position at Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) in Plano, Texas, one week after her Cornell College Commencement.
Hartney is passionate about her new employer and exudes positivity when talking about her future with the car manufacturing giant. As one of Toyota’s newest brand engagement center advocates, Hartney feels aligned with the company values and sees a long future with Toyota.
In her new position, she will collect data about Toyota and Lexus recalls down to the finest of manufacturing details and service fixes. She will answer questions about those recalls when both Toyota employees and car owners have questions.
Toyota encouraged Hartney to see her new position as a seedling that will lead to advancement opportunities in their human resources (HR) department. She has in-house mentors who will help her travel the internal paths that most interest her—one primarily being HR.
She followed Toyota across various websites and social platforms monitoring careers and job postings and knew when she saw the announcement for the brand engagement center advocate that she would pursue it. After a long and rigorous interviewing process, Hartney says she got chills when she received her job offer with one of her dream companies.
What led Hartney to Cornell
Through her dance community in Cedar Rapids, she learned more about Cornell after performing in a recital hosted on the Hilltop by Cornell’s Theatre and Dance Department (an arrangement designed to include high school and younger dance students). As a result, she made friends with two Cornell dance students. Hartney was offered the Iowa Promise Scholarship, a talent award in dance, and other academic scholarships which solidified her decision to make Cornell her home for her undergraduate studies.
“When I was given a big chunk off of my tuition, I knew they wanted to invest in my future and I couldn’t say no to that,” Hartney says.
Major decisions and influences
Hartney double majored in business management and applied psychology graduating with a bachelor of arts.
Professor of Economics and Business Santhi Hejeebu says, “Lily is my advisee and a shining star in and outside of the classroom. She discovered a passion for working with people early in her Cornell career and took her first steps through internships. Through these experiences, Lily deepened her commitment to HR and became active in local professional groups such as the Eastern Iowa Human Resource Association. Lily has a joyful and quick smile to go with her sharp intellect.”
Hartney describes her double major as “an HR bundle—it encompasses business aspects but psychology aspects too. I wanted to be well-rounded in those areas.”
Hartney calls out Professor of Economics and Business A’amer Farooqi’s Managerial Economics as an unexpected and yet influential course in her growth as a student.
“I took it Block 1 senior year and I was really apprehensive about econ,” she says. “I felt like it was going to be something that was beyond my reach, something that would be quite challenging. As I worked my way through the course, I learned my own capabilities and that on the block plan, I can really dig deep and learn something that I thought I would never have enjoyed.”
Hartney says she now has confidence in her abilities to lead and manage while keeping the bigger economic picture in mind for employees. She says it is important to adjust your mindset so that you reach for stretch goals because the rewards are validating and confidence-boosting.
“The course is intended to show students how to apply economic principles to business decision-making,” says Farooqi. “For a perceptive and dedicated student like Lily, it is a valuable opportunity to use her liberal arts training to prepare for the professional outcomes she seeks.”
Her biggest challenge: organizing the day
The block plan moves quickly. Fortunately, she learned just as quickly that organization was key to finding success. In a typical day on the block plan there is some built-in structure around class hours and meal times. She looked for time slots to pursue her extracurricular activities and made time for work as a peer tutor on campus, a tutor off-campus at Mathnasium, and when she was interning at a local engineering firm.
Hartney learned to not overload her schedule so she could take time when needed to recharge and spend time with friends for a better study-work-relax balance, which lends itself to a healthier mind.
Her biggest accomplishments
Being selected for Omicron Delta Epsilon—the Economics Honors Society—and being honored with a special award for service and excellence at the induction ceremony showed her that the faculty at Cornell reward hard work and value her contributions to the greater community.
What’s on her horizon
Hartney looks forward to the start of her career in Plano, Texas, where she sees her role expanding her skills in data, interpersonal relations, and in communications. All good skill sets for someone pursuing a career in HR.
“It’s data management,” Hartney says. “I will be making sure people will have the proper solution to their recall issues.”
Hartney says that all of her work and professional development experiences were directly tied to Cornell, paving the way to this employment opportunity. She interned in Cornell’s HR department and met a panel of HR professionals through a senior seminar course which led to another HR internship.
“Lily’s internship consisted of a mix of broader projects, from research on increasing the diversity of applicant pools to 1095-C form preparation,” says Cornell’s Human Resources Director Stefanie Bray. “Lily is incredibly thoughtful and good with details. She has a bright future in HR.”
In five years, she hopes to have a cat, be involved in a church community, and be on her way to a growing career at Toyota’s HR department.
Just for fun
We asked Hartney a speedrun of questions:
If you had to pick a theme song for your Cornell days, what would it be and why? “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” by the Beatles, because it follows all of life’s stages.
Fave Hilltop food and drink? Zamora’s BLT with mayo and an iced oat milk latte.
Fave campus spot? Any floor of the library!
Most memorable block break? German Club trip to Davenport to tour a museum and eat great food.
What are you looking forward to reading, watching, or doing this summer? Taking Pilates classes.
What items or photos will you cherish the most after graduation? A photo of the ginkgo tree by the President’s House.
What advice would you give your younger self upon your arrival at Cornell? Enjoy the little things. You are not going to realize a moment is special until it is gone. Take the time to soak in the little moments.
