From Idaho to D.C.: How ISU Grad Chelsey Hibbard Found Purpose in Public Service

POCATELLO, Idaho––Chelsey Hibbard is an Idaho State University (ISU) graduate from the early 1990s. Coming from a small town in Idaho to serving the U.S. Department of Defense was not a straightforward path for her. However, this path was exactly what she needed.

She grew up in Blackfoot, Idaho. The reason for her choice of ISU was simple: convenience. “It was there, close to home,” she says. “I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do yet, so ISU made sense.”

Getting enrolled in ISU opened avenues for her that she could not have predicted. Her journey started with curiosity, exploration, resilience and culminated in federal leadership.

As she started her academic life at ISU, Hibbard took a course that had a massive impact on her: experimental psychology. “It just fit my schedule, that’s all it was,” she laughs, “but I absolutely loved it. I realized I could ask a question and actually get an answer through data. That moment set me on the path.”

Her interest was in understanding the human condition, how human beings practice emotional intelligence, and in learning how people become themselves. She majored in psychology and minored in sociology, both disciplines studying human beings, their motivations, and behaviors. 

After she was done with her studies at ISU, Hibbard moved on to bigger challenges. “I wanted more opportunity,” she says. She hit the road and drove all the way to the Washington, D.C. area with her then-husband in search of a new life. There, she joined her mother.

In D.C., she started her professional life with an entry-level position as a research associate at a firm specializing in Industrial-Organizational (I-O) psychology. Before joining, she did not even know that such a field existed. “I learned from the best,” she says, “They were really well-known in the contracting community, and that’s how I ended up at George Mason University for grad school.”

While she was working full-time there, getting practical experience that determined her professional journey, she was also studying for a master’s degree in I-O psychology.

Now, Hibbard serves the federal government in the Department of Defense (DoD) and works in a leadership role there. She prefers not having the spotlight on her, but her work is impactful. “I love working in government. I take civil service seriously. It’s not glamorous, but we’re helping people. That matters to me.”

At the same time, in a big institution like the DoD, she sometimes does want some visibility, a direct result of her smaller agency. “You’re a part of something big, but your name’s not on it. I’d love to go back to a place like OPM (U.S. Office of Personnel Management), where I can point to something and say, ‘I did that.’”

Granted that her choice of ISU was determined by convenience, ISU has played a foundational role in her development. “It gave me everything I needed. I didn’t think twice about going to grad school,” she says.

Although she lives and works on the other end of the country, she cannot help but remember her undergraduate experience fondly even now. When she recollects, her mentor, Dean Kandi Turley-Ames, Ph.D., stands out. “Dr. Turley-Ames—she was amazing. I was part of her research team, and I felt like we grew up together a bit. She was a new professor fighting to make her place in the department, and I was lucky to be part of that journey.”

She recalls how Dr. Turley-Ames helped her with counterfactual thinking research. Now, as a professional, she still proudly follows Dr. Turley-Ames’ success at ISU. 

She gave a refreshingly bold answer when she was requested for some advice for current students: “Be flexible. Life won’t unfold in a straight line. And if you’re pushing for something that’s not working, maybe it’s not meant to. Step back. Let the universe do its thing.”

She further promotes a brave risks mindset in students, even when others are doubtful. “Shoot for the stars. Just go do it. I’d rather deal with failure than sit around wondering ‘what if?’”

Since she studied at ISU over 30 years ago, she is still filled with joy whenever someone mentions her alma mater. “If I see Idaho State in the news or online, I always check it out. That’s my school. I love it. When I go back to visit, I always stop by the bookstore, get some malted milk balls—just the little things that bring back memories.”

However, Chelsey always loves to explore new things.  One of her favourite quotes is, “Go for it. If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out—but at least you’ll never have to wonder what might’ve been.”

About our contributor: Suraiya Nasrin is a former Graduate Instructor in the Department of English and Philosophy at Idaho State University, where she taught first-year composition and English as a Second Language. She holds a Master of Arts in English from both Idaho State University and the Islamic University, Kushtia, Bangladesh. Her research focuses on rhetoric and composition, multimodal pedagogy, material culture studies, and environmental humanities, with particular interest in how infographics enhance students’ creativity and critical thinking. Suraiya is also an experienced student mentor, committed to fostering inclusive and engaging learning environments.