Whether it was involved in the DuBois Central Catholic community or in her hometown of Brockway, Ishman was always quick to lend a hand or strike up a conversation. Doing more is, and has always been, something that felt like second nature, and it has been a huge reason how someone in her mid-twenties is already a department lead for an entire marketing operation.
“I enjoyed growing up in a small town,” said the 2014 DuBois Central Catholic graduate. “It always felt like I could find something in common with people and could connect with them on a more personal level. I also liked the small class sizes I had in high school and having known all my classmates for a long time. I got to know many of their families, their lifestyles, and we got to see people develop their own personalities.”
For nearly three years, Ishman has been the Marketing Manager for Excalibur Data Systems as a remote employee. She has completely transformed the marketing operations with duties that include social media creation and implementation, blogging, webinars, presenting, and searching for new vendors and markets.
Coming from a vast background in business has helped prepare her for the role as Ishman during her college years, gained a collection of experiences that would serve her well in the marketing and communications industries. These roles have included a Marketing and Event Planning internship at Ohio Valley Hospital, a Management and Marketing internship with At Home Senior Services, a Promotions Assistant position for WISH 99.7, and a Marketing Research Internship with FHAS Inc.
This did not include the vast opportunities Ishman had as a student at Robert Morris University in the Pittsburgh Area. She made it a point of emphasis to become involved in her college community, similar to her days at DuBois Central Catholic. She served as a Colonial Caller to help raise money for the university, was a First-Year Seminar Program Mentor and Instructor, served as a New Student Orientation Leader, worked at the Robert Morris Career and Professional Development Center, and served as a Communications and Events Planning Assistant.
She did all this while being a sister of Delta Zeta sorority and a sweetheart of Alpha Chi Rho fraternity. Duties for these college Greek Life organizations included Vice President of Membership, which included recruitment, event management, promotions, and meeting the standards of the national Delta Zeta organization. Because of her success and passion for bringing people together, she was later selected as her sororities chapter president besides all of Robert Morris University Greek Life.
Within her commitments to Greek Life, she helped her sorority remain focused on their philanthropy missions including working with Starkey to help distribute hearing aids to those in need, helping Alpha Chi Rho raise money for their philanthropic missions, and also helping Delta Zeta with their The Painted Turtle Camp fundraisers, childhood camps that help children with special needs complete projects, crafts, and interact with one another.
Becoming involved in charitable causes is something that dates back to her days in high school as she and her classmates were involved in clothing drives, recycling drives, and cleaning the town of DuBois, to name a few. She also held various leadership positions during her days in high school, including the class president, yearbook editor, and as a member of the drama club.
From these experiences, she knew a college experience that would include being involved in various organizations and working a collection of events and jobs was what she was looking for. After a tour of Robert Morris, she decided being in a big city on a small college campus was the perfect mix she was seeking.
“I visited Robert Morris three times before I committed to going there,” Ishman said. “Each time I went, it felt more like home. I always wanted to live in Pittsburgh but wanted a small college experience. It became the perfect fit, and many of the faculty members in the communications department believed in my ability and potential before I believed in it myself. They were supportive, but critical with feedback to students. They pushed us to be better.”
Ishman would finish a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications and Advertising in May 2018, but more impressively, she concurrently began a master’s degree starting in her junior year in Organizational Leadership, which she completed in December 2018. This master’s degree experience was completed online and gave her experience of working with a team that had different strengths, schedules, and knowledge. It also allowed her to gain deeper insight into the business world, something that has unquestionably paid off in her career so far.
It was after the completion of her master’s degree that she would begin her time at Excalibur Data Systems. Presently, she is the only employee in the business’s marketing department, something she and the company plan to change in the future. She is hopeful about working with and leading a team of marketing professionals, continuing her consulting projects and duties, and continuing to work on her professional development as she continues her career at Excalibur.
Currently, she is a Vice President of Communications for HDI Steel City, a local chapter of a professional association that helps technical professionals locate jobs, collaborate and share knowledge and resources, and host professional development and social events. It has allowed her to meet technical professionals from across the country and expand on her already strong network of professionals in both the business and technology space.
Her other consulting and volunteer project is a cause that Excalibur supports called READ Saint John. This cause helps adult individuals from all over Canada learn to read and write. She supports the cause with event organization and social media promotion.
In her free time, Ishman enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with family and friends. Her travels have allowed her to have three study abroad opportunities, including stops in Italy, Greece, Turkey, Ireland, Japan, and Taiwan. With much of the foreign travel still being restricted, she has found weekend getaways to be an acceptable substitute to fulfill her need to see different parts of the country and the world.
To become the well-rounded individual she is, she credits a collection of people, including the educators she had at DuBois Central Catholic and Robert Morris. She thanks one of her mentors, Beth Miller, who served as a great academic advisor and boss while she worked for the Robert Morris Career and Professional Development Center.
However, her foundation is the people from Jefferson County who have offered unwavering support in her life and career. Her parents Bill and the late Cheri Ishman, her brothers Matt and Jacob Ishman, and her grandmother Darlene Chamberlin are who she credits most for pushing her to be the best version of herself.
For current business and communications students, Ishman said that their opinion and input is important, something they cannot lose sight of.
“Your opinion and input matters,” she said. “It is important to own things and say things with confidence, and to have confidence in yourself. Seeing the world and traveling is another recommendation I have because it is something that does not limit you and allows you to see and experience a new perspective.”
For Tabitha Ishman, she continues to live a busy and involved life. She continues to gain valuable experience in business, takes on new experiences and views, and gives back to those less fortunate than she is. Her work ethic and passion for serving others will continue to shine through for many more years to come.