Celine Frueh '94

Back to All Art, English, International Women's Day Spotlights

1994

Current job title and employer and briefly describe what it is you do: I am currently the Human Resources Director at the Allagash Brewing Company. I grew up on Long Island, in NY and have lived in Portland, Maine for the past twenty years with my husband and three sons, ages 12, 15, and 19. I’ve worked in the Human Resources field for 24 years, which is about half my life at this point. I fell into Human Resources very accidentally after originally getting hired as the receptionist at a software company in Cambridge, MA. My curiosity about people, along with research and writing skills made it an immediate fit. At Allagash, where I’ve worked since 2012, I have the best colleagues and work environment I could ask for. I love to be outside more than anything, no matter the season, and am always dragging my coworkers on walking meetings. I am always reading and usually have a couple of books going at once. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry — I love it all.

Academic experience at Saint Michael's College help prepare you for your career: Academically, after floundering a bit the first couple of years, I found my happy place as an English major. My favorite classes opened doors to other cultures and featured women and BIPOC authors: Empire and After; Caribbean Literature; Film Theory…I could go on and on. I feel incredibly fortunate to have gotten that opportunity to explore more than the traditional (white, male) narrative through the guidance of some bold and charismatic female professors. This desire to see situations through many perspectives has definitely shaped my career.

Favorite memory or class from your time studying at St. Mike’s: I made some of the best friends of my life at Saint Michael’s. My freshman year roommate and I still talk almost every week! We attribute our good fortune of finding each other to our mothers’ collective prayers for a good roommate. There was no shortage of fun during those four years; we hiked, biked, skied, saw a lot of concerts, and had plenty of adventures.

Translated your volunteer experience at Saint Michael’s into giving back to your community after graduation: St. Mike’s was where I got started volunteering in the community, at a shelter for victims of domestic violence — I used to babysit the kids while the moms received help. The importance of giving back in some way stuck with me and volunteering has been a big part of my life.

Other information you would like to share or advice for incoming or current students: A few things: If you don’t know what you want to do for a career yet, don’t worry about it! There are so many options out there that you couldn’t even imagine. I had never heard of Human Resources in college. Keep exploring and taking the next best step and things will fall into place. There is a lot of great research and dialog about women in the workplace. I’d recommend checking out some of it early on to understand some of these dynamics. Harvard Business Review has a great podcast called Women at Work. One of the first episodes, “Make Yourself Heard,” is a great starting point to examine societal communication norms and how you fit (or don’t) into them. Look for mentors. I was very fortunate to meet women further along in their careers that took me under their wings a bit and gave me confidence and direction. These relationships have been invaluable!

What are some strategies that can help woman or women-identifying people achieve a more prominent role in their organizations: A healthy organization allows ideas, influence and leadership to come from anywhere. Don’t be afraid to share your thoughts, critiques and perspectives — even if you’re not being asked specifically for it. I love this quote from a book called Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott: “The person who most accurately describes the situation without assigning blame emerges as the leader.” This has proven to be very true in my observations of workplace dynamics. Insights are powerful. Sharing yours, respectfully, will help your career.

Also, cultivate self awareness. The better you understand your “autopilot,” or how you tend to react and come across to others, the more you can evolve in the right ways and make adjustments to create a powerful, comfortable work persona.

And this is big: ask for what you want at work. Don’t be afraid to negotiate salary, title, responsibilities or schedule. You’re not just making your own life better, you’re paving the way for other women who come after you too.

What keeps you motivated and driven on a daily basis: There is so much important work that needs to be done in the world. Every person has a unique ability to contribute something based on where they are and what they can see. It feels like a responsibility to me to keep trying to move things in a positive direction. Women bring a much needed voice and perspective to conversations whether at work, in the community, on the board of a non-profit, or in government — basically any place! I find sitting on the sidelines incredibly boring. I like to be learning, growing, and generally engaging with people and nature.

What woman or women-identifying person most inspires you and why: I have to go with my grandmother, Mary Adams McGuire. She died twenty years ago, but never leaves me. Her life had plenty of hardship, but that never got in the way of her enjoying nearly every part of her 96 years. She could talk to anyone, ask them anything, and had this innate sense that she mattered, and so did everyone else. She was direct without being a jerk; you always knew where you stood with Grandma. And she could tell stories that made you laugh until you cried. Is there anything better?

Anything else you would like to add: If you do end up in a role where you can influence systemic change, do it whenever and wherever you can. I find HR to be a meaningful line of work because I am able to shape policies and programs, thus advancing inclusive practices: things like increased paid time off, better parental leave, education benefits, flexible schedules and paid volunteer time. Programs that benefit women end up benefiting everyone. Normalizing the role a person plays within their family or the community and making it possible to blend that with their work responsibilities is key to a positive workplace culture.