Package Deal: Nikki Wustman Now an HR ‘Coach’ with Nissan Motor Corp.
Written by Doug Goodnough, ’90
Nikki Wustman, ’07, and Jodie Haines, ’07, were a package deal to Hillsdale College.
Wustman, who visited Hillsdale during her sophomore year of high school, at first wasn’t sold on the small campus environment. In fact, she had eyed other potential NCAA Division II schools until Haines, her AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) basketball teammate, said she was thinking about attending Hillsdale.
“I called her up and I said, ‘Jodie, if you go to Hillsdale, I’ll go to Hillsdale,’” Wustman said. “And she went, and I went, and we both ended up there.”
After a playing career that had her make the all-conference team three times, including first-team honors in 2005-2006, Wustman said she is grateful for her Hillsdale experience.
Coming in as part of a class of seven freshmen, Wustman said Hillsdale women’s basketball coach Claudette Charney was trying to rebuild after a 23-6 record and an appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament after the 2002-2003 season.
“We did not have a winning record,” said Wustman of her first year, which had the Chargers finishing 10-16. “And there were a lot of learning moments, getting adjusted to the pace of college ball and learning how to play together. So it was a bit of a rough year, but we had a great time.”
Her next three seasons were winning ones for the Chargers, including her senior year, when Hillsdale finished 19-9. Wustman, a 6-foot-1 forward, did most of her work inside, averaging more than ten points and nearly five rebounds a game during her senior season.
“I strictly played just in the post,” Wustman said of her playing style. “And I played very physically, and I would fight for the ball. I loved playing defense. I loved trying to make the other girl (on the other team) miserable.”
A memorable moment during her playing career was defeating Division I foe Western Michigan in an exhibition game.
“It was very sweet for me, because the coach who was there (at Western) had actually recruited me to play at Western,” Wustman said.
Not sure what she wanted to study when she entered Hillsdale, she finally landed on psychology.
“I ended up finding it very interesting, very intriguing,” Wustman said of psychology. “And next thing I knew, I had a major in it.”
After graduation, Wustman spent four years in marketing for Stryker, a medical equipment company. However, it was the area of human resources that interested her. After earning her master’s degree in human resource development from Villanova University in 2008, she accepted a position with Target as an HR manager.
She eventually decided to move to Nashville, Tennessee, to be closer to her sister and her family, and accepted a job in HR with the Nissan Motor Corporation. She will complete her tenth year with Nissan later this year and currently serves as a human resource business partner manager.
“My job as an HR business partner is to make sure I’m giving credible, reliable, timely answers and support to our client groups,” said Wustman, who is an SHRM Certified Professional. “We have five sales regions across the U.S. I support those groups.”
She said human resources is much more than just payroll and benefits.
“A primary portion of my role is more of a career coach,” Wustman said. “How do I help somebody who is an entry-level employee who just came into Nissan and wants to grow into a leadership capacity? How can we help guide them and help them with their career path? And that’s where I spend most of my time, talking about career paths. more on the strategic plan side of HR, less on the operational.”
Wustman said her role reminds her a lot of being on an athletic team, and now she’s the one doing the coaching.
“I think that’s why I enjoy it so much,” she said of her job. “And I think you see a lot of former athletes in these kinds of careers because there are so many parallels between both of them.”
She said life in Nashville is good. Her competitive fires still burn in areas like pickleball and recreational volleyball, and she gets a chance to travel often, especially internationally. And once a week, Wustman volunteers in Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital’s emergency department.
“It’s eye-opening and rewarding at the same time,” she said.
Each year, some of her Chargers teammates enjoy getting together in the summer to reminisce. Wustman said she treasured her time and education at Hillsdale.
“The rigorous academics weren’t fun at the time, but I have a wonderful appreciation for it now,” she said. “I really enjoyed my time at Hillsdale and had a great community, primarily as an athlete, and particularly within our team.”
Doug Goodnough, ’90, is Hillsdale’s director of Alumni Marketing. He enjoys connecting with fellow alumni in new and wonderful ways.
Published in April 2024