Reese Tobin, a management major from Atlanta, is the Harbert College of Business Spring 2025 graduation marshal. She will lead her fellow graduates into the commencement ceremony carrying the college’s banner on May 10.

The honor is particularly meaningful for Tobin, who will become a third-generation Auburn graduate—mother Melissa Boswell earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in accountancy and grandfather William H. Boswell earned a degree in pharmacy.

“It was an honor to even be nominated, but it’s surreal to have been chosen,” Tobin said. “This is a special experience. Auburn has given me…so much that I feel like this is a small way that I can give back.”

Graduation marshals are selected for their outstanding leadership, citizenship, character and promise of professional ability.

Tobin has made valuable contributions to Harbert College through her work with the student chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), where she served as director of both communications and student relations her sophomore and junior years and currently serves as president.

Her primary role has been to manage a variety of enrichment activities and events for SHRM’s 60-plus members—everything from facilitating guest speakers at SHRM meetings to promoting student members’ involvement and interactions with HR professionals to elevating the organization’s social media presence.

She also served as a peer instructor this past year for a junior-level professional development course (MNGT 3010) in the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship.

“Helping my peers with assignments, being a mentor to them or helping with career fair prep and LinkedIn [skills] has honestly been rewarding to me,” said Tobin, who is a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority at Auburn.  

Tobin’s efforts and enthusiasm are appreciated by course instructor Megan Sumners.

“Reese has been a tremendous resource for me and the students with her ability to contribute to the course, think on her feet and be a role model for her peers,” said Sumners, who is also the program champion for the department.

Tobin has completed two internships with mass media company Comcast during her time at Auburn. In the summer of 2024, she worked in HR with the tech operations and engineering department. A highlight of the job was analyzing survey data from field workers who install and repair Comcast products in customer’s homes or businesses.

“I summarized employee survey data by region, including places like Philadelphia, Michigan, Florida and Indiana,” she said. “Their feedback told us what we could do to grow and improve as a department.”

Her work made such an impression that she was invited to stay on for a second internship in the fall. As a university relations intern, she helped review applications for HR internship positions and she helped select undergraduate interns who will work in the government affairs and PR divisions at Comcast this coming summer.

When she graduates, Tobin said she will relocate to south Florida, where she’ll work as an intern again at Comcast on its Employee Resource Group initiative, which are voluntary, employee-led groups that promote a sense of belonging and inclusivity within the workplace.

Beyond this summer, Tobin looks forward to moving into an HR generalist or employee relations position, and someday she hopes to become and HR executive.

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Learn more about the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship major.