After starting her career at Newman as a staff accountant in the business office, Melissa Castle is now Director of Human Resources — a role she never planned on.
“I was always good at math,” she said. “So I just kind of gravitated to, ‘oh, I think I want to do accounting.’”
While in the position, she also took online classes at Newman, working towards her bachelor’s degree in organization leadership.
“I was working full time, so online worked really well for me,” Castle said. “I’d always thought about teaching business in high school or just staying around that general business space.”
A shift towards people
But after a couple years in accounting, Castle recognized that it limited her time with people, which was important to her.
“After doing that for four plus years, it was like, I’m not getting to interact with people. I was trying to do that assessment of what are the things professionally that bring me joy, and that is dealing with people,” she said.
That realization followed a timely job opening at Newman in human resources, which was something Castle had found an interest in through one of her organization leadership courses, Talent Management.
“We had to interview an HR professional and put together a list of questions based on the chapters, then write a report on your assessment of HR,” she said. “It’s not just about HR policing people and checking boxes and filling out forms. There’s that human aspect of human resources that you’re trying to identify.”
In 2020, she applied to be HR’s employment specialist, not sure that she would qualify without her bachelor’s degree being completed yet — but she did.
Then within weeks of being hired, the campus went remote due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I had to figure out my job independently, but it really was a good time because it was trial by fire. The nice thing was, I already had four plus years of history working here at Newman, so I knew how things worked. I knew who people were.”
Two years later, Castle received Newman’s Staff Excellence Award in 2022, and was recognized for her attention and care to students and staff members alike.
“I don’t know who nominated me, I didn’t see, but it’s just like, that’s amazing. When it happened, I was like, ‘oh my gosh, you guys actually like me,’” she laughed. “You’re just putting one foot in front of the other and you’re hoping what you do makes an impact positively.”
Following her 10 year service award at Newman in Jan. 2026, Castle was promoted to director of human resources.
“Your people are your greatest asset,” she said. “They can also be your biggest detriment, but they should be your greatest asset if you’re managing them well.”
Efforts across campus
Castle also served as staff assembly president from 2021-2022 and now chairs the university’s Project NUBelong committee, working closely with ASC Sister There Wetta, director of mission integration.
“I have had the good fortune to serve on several committees with Melissa and work alongside in many daily activities that are part of our roles at Newman,” Wetta said. “She has led the Project NUBelong Committee for the last three years, a role that has made a difference on campus.”
That role, she said, is what earned Castle recognition in the Wichita Business Journal’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award recipients in October.
“I’m not really comfortable with being recognized,” Castle said. “It just feels weird, because it’s like, I haven’t moved the needle.”
Wetta sees it differently, however.
“Melissa is a generous person, a patient person,” she said. “She is a committed woman who not only lives Newman’s mission and core values but promotes Newman to many in the external community.”
Apply to Newman
Experience a super-charged student support and success program designed to help you thrive in a rapidly changing world.
