Ellen Hollins doesn’t shy away from the unComfort zone. She embraces it in a very streamlined, thoughtful manner, as if it were part of the plan (or calling) all along. 

Pastor Joel Osteen, in one of his online sermons, points to the reality that within us all there exists a conflict as we navigate our journey: Comfort or calling? Religious implications aside, his message has valid, secular relevance to our own lives as professionals and as people in our communities. If we remain comfortable with where we are at, we could miss something bigger.

From her education to her work ethic, from a very early age, Ellen hasn’t missed much in the way of opportunities - even when considerable challenges presented themselves. Though she speaks humbly about her opportunities and her journey thus far, the Arkansas-based Human Resources Manager speaks loudly through her actions… and her service.

The Call to Prepare.

Ellen was born and raised in St. Louis, near a major city park where friends and family routinely gathered. She attended the Metro Academic and Classical High School, a premier college prep school that pushed students hard to prepare them for the next academic level.

“My grandmother would always hassle me about carrying ALL of my textbooks in my backpack. But I had to have them to do my assignments,” Ellen joked. “I had the opportunity to take AP classes, which was a lot of added work, but that really set the foundation for me. It prepared me for college, definitely.”

Before long, it wasn’t difficult for Ellen to hammer out a 10-page essay on a given topic.  But there was more than academics that Ellen had her sights on.

The Call to Overcome.

Part of the expectation at her high school was to immerse oneself in after-school activities to help the student become more well-rounded. After much debate, she felt called to start running, even though she’d suffered from asthma her entire life.

Three times a week and early every Saturday morning, Ellen would train with her peers, and in her time with the program she ran three half marathons. Those who have run the 13.1 know that there’s nothing easy about mile 12 of a half marathon. But there was more than your standard sore legs for Ellen to overcome.

“With my asthma, I’d often need to stop to catch my breath, so I’d walk and run while I continued to build my endurance,” she said. “Surprisingly, running does build our endurance, and running really helped with my symptoms. It made me stronger, without a doubt.”

The Call to Serve.

Ellen Attended Hendrix College, a private liberal arts university based in Conway, Ark. She’d long had a fascination with the brain’s functionality, but also loved helping people from a young age. So, she looked into being a psychologist. Though Hendrix did not offer a Human Resources-specific program, she kept the field top of mind as she continued to purse her studies.

“For me, it’s always been about helping people and about being empathetic,” Ellen said. “A lot of the areas between psychology and my interest in Human Resources were connected. It’s very much people to people.”

As part of the college’s Odyssey Program, Ellen was asked to get involved with the community. She jumped on the opportunity to assist with the Arkansas Food Bank. After signing on, Ellen was literally given a spreadsheet of names of individuals who had encountered issues with the SNAP food benefit program. It was her duty to call these people one by one, hear their stories, and research ways for the Food Bank to make the application process easer.

“It was daunting. It was just hard. You have these programs and you want to help them; however, it is discouraging to learn that certain things in place makes it impossible for those to receive benefits. But ultimately, I was glad I was able to help future applicants avoid similar challenges and gain the resources that they need,” Ellen said.

After graduation and a role as a Junior Human Resources Associate with L’Oreal, Ellen finds herself at Datamax. She admits that the technology learning curve is steep, but she’s taken it upon herself to learn the business upside down to best support the people in Arkansas and support the business as well.

“It’s great to connect with the people here, but if I really want to help them, I need to understand the business side of what we do,” Ellen said. “That’s been one of the biggest ‘uncomfort zones’ for me, familiarizing myself with what we do as a company and what the specific roles are for people in a different industry.

Consider it her latest calling. But know that her role at Datamax seems as clearly defined. To be prepared. To help others overcome obstacles in the workforce. But more than anything, to serve.