HFC welcomes Web Content and Design Manager Hannah Trethewey

HFC Web Content and Design Manager Hannah Trethewey isn’t just an employee of the College, she’s also a student.

Trethewey is working toward her associate degree in web development at HFC (her second college degree) and will graduate at the end of 2023. She began her current position – her first job in web development – in May. Her duties include updating pages on the HFC website, brainstorming ideas to redesign aspects of the website, and communicating with various departments to make sure any requested changes are student-friendly. Trethewey reports to HFC Web Architect Micah Webner.

“I’ve been able to learn a lot in a short time. I’ve always been up for learning new things, especially seeing how various processes work,” said Trethewey, of Trenton. “Classes are great when it comes to teaching you a particular skill, but you can’t really master it until you’ve done it, until you’re in the thick of it.”

Welcoming coworkers ensure a smooth entry into new career

Even though she has been at HFC for a short time, her co-workers on the web team – Webner, Jacob Krogol, Rachel Ford, and Brandi Jackson – have been very welcoming and helpful.

“I feel like I’m part of the team. They trust me to do assignments. They are experts in the field and I always enjoy hearing their perspectives,” said Trethewey. “It’s certainly a big adjustment from my old career, which is good. The people here have been super helpful. Everyone I met at HFC has been same way. I’m still new to field, but the transition has been smooth and that’s because of the people here.”

She pointed out that she never set foot on the HFC campus until she began working on the web team. All the classes she had taken were online.

“Micah and Jacob showed me around campus on my first day, not just the buildings but also the biking trails,” said Trethewey. “It’s a very nice, pretty campus.”

Exploring creative avenues by switching careers

The youngest of three, Trethewey was born in Royal Oak and raised in Rochester Hills. She is an alumna of Stony Creek High School. After graduating from high school, she attended Michigan State University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in communications. After graduating from MSU, Trethewey worked in telecommunications for Corewell Health (formerly Beaumont Health Care) for 2-3 years.

“Majoring in communications gave me a lot of useful skills, but I didn’t think I was passionate enough to make a career out of it. Web development is definitely something I’m more passionate about and I can see myself doing for a long time,” she explained. “I always enjoyed web development and being creative. This job gives me the opportunity to do both.”

Trethewey decided to change careers and return to academics during the pandemic, exploring higher education institutions. At first, she thought about going into culinary arts, but that was more of a hobby than a career.

“The admissions process was painless and the advisors at the College were very personable,” said Trethewey. “People were very welcoming and enthusiastic. You want to go to a place where they want you to be there.”

Work ethic, leadership skills, and communications skills lead to new position

Her new career path was set after enrolling in Software Engineering, taught by HFC cybersecurity instructor Robert James. Webner was James’ assistant in teaching the class, which is how he and Trethewey met.

“I first met Hannah as a student in the Winter 2022 semester Software Engineering capstone project,” said Webner. “Hannah served as leader for the Front End Web Development Team, and I was impressed with her work on the project, the way she led her team, and her professional and engaging communications skills when dealing with the project’s client.”

Webner informed Trethewey that there was an opening on the web team, and encouraged her to apply.

“He thought I might be a good fit,” said Trethewey. “I had a connection and really enjoyed working with Micah.”

“I was able to work with Hannah again in Winter 2023 in my role as co-instructor with Bob James for the Web Server Administration class,” said Webner. “Hannah again proved herself a quick learner who quickly completed the lab assignments with great attention to detail. I'm excited to have Hannah join our department and look forward to adding her skills and experience to our team dynamic.”

Vice President of Marketing and Communications Rhonda DeLong is enthusiastic about adding Tretheway to the team.

"This is a rapidly expanding and evolving field," she said. "We have found it a competitive hiring environment, and while the roles here are highly sought-after, there is a lot of movement within the industry. We are looking for people who are seeking a robust team environment that is focused on student success, and Hannah is a good fit for that environment. Many IT-related positions are portable or solo, but we look for people who care about our specific audiences -- internal and external -- and the quality of their experiences and connections with the College. So this is not just a ‘hard skills’ position. Our Web Team members all need to have both hard and soft skills. Hannah brings a good combination of those skills and the maturity to navigate change along the way. We're glad she's with us, and we're glad to have all the team's positions filled!"