BGC Brief - Fall 2024

Temporary Gig to Long-Term Career HR Manager’s Personal Experience Creates a 'Path for Others'

Fresh out of high school, working at the mall and doing a bit of door-to-door sales, she found a job posting for an Activity Leader at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County and applied. She thought this would be a temporary gig, but that was 20 years ago. Meet Jovan Molina, the Club’s Human Resource Manager.

Jovan remembers that during her initial interview with Executive Director, Zane Smith, a small child burst into the office and excitedly started telling Zane about his day. After the child left, Zane explained to her, “This is their space, and the kids know my door is always open and they can always come in and say hi no matter what I’m doing.” That is when Jovan knew this was where she wanted to be.

Jovan worked as an Activity Leader for three years, but after marrying her husband, Chris, who was in the military, they relocated to San Diego for a few years. Yet the Club never let go of her heart!

In 2013, Jovan and her family were living back in Bakersfield, and she returned to the Club but this time as a Human Resource Assistant. As an HR Assistant, Jovan oversaw staffing substitutes and placement, but quickly advanced to HR Specialist handling screenings, interviews, onboarding, and training of new staff. Now eleven years later she is the Club’s HR Manager.

During COVID, Jovan trained for her current role overseeing a team of five with the responsibilities of hiring, training, and discipline across 70 locations and 750+ employees. Last year alone, Jovan and her team screened over 5,000 applicants and trained over 700 new hires. “Despite the challenges, I can’t imagine being anywhere else. “The Club feels like home…and we joke, ‘It’s a lifestyle and we bleed the Boys & Girls Club blue,’ reflecting our dedication and loyalty to the Club,” Jovan explained.

When Jovan says the Club feels like home, there’s a bigger meaning. Jovan’s husband was a Club kid himself and also works at the Club as Director of Operations. And her daughter, Mariah attended the Club from age six through high school and her son, Christopher is currently a Club kid. “While I didn’t attend the Club as a child, I have witnessed first-hand the impact it makes on kids. My son loves the Club and I watched my daughter transform from a shy, quiet little girl to a confident young woman because of the Club.”

Jovan grew up in a single-parent home with two other siblings. Her mother struggled with just providing the bare necessities for her family. This certainly shaped Jovan’s outlook on life,

“I’ve worked hard to make sure my children have the experiences and opportunities I did not have, and the Club is a big part of that.”

As Jovan looks back over her total of 14 years of working at the Club, she expresses, “My favorite part of working for the Club, hands down and without question is the people and relationships I’ve built here. I also enjoy that the Club has the commitment and drive to evolve to fit in the ever-changing world we live in today, for the sole purpose of providing better opportunities for the children we serve.”