The educational and career journey of Ohio State psychology alum Christine Gibson began as a shy but driven undergrad from Marion, Ohio and has grown to a confident career minded banking executive in her local community.
Marion, Ohio native and Executive Vice President of Pillar Credit Union Christine Gibson earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from The Ohio State University in 1995. Gibson spent all four years of her degree program at Ohio State Marion, later earning a second bachelor’s in business administration and accounting from Franklin University in Columbus.
According to Gibson, an important part of any career is managing relationships with colleagues in the workplace and her undergraduate degree from Ohio State has helped her achieve just that.
“My career with Pillar began 25 years ago working with members on the frontline. I am now the executive vice president, helping to manage the credit union in all areas. My psychology degree has helped me manage relationships with others.”
“I loved my experience at Ohio State Marion. The smaller campus allowed the instructors and students to really know each other and build the types of relationships that strengthen learning,” Gibson said. “I feel some of that is lost at the bigger campuses. It helped me realize how important relationships are in our development,” she added.
Having a degree from a world class research university was a huge draw for Gibson when deciding where to attend college, but ensuring she got a return on her college investment was a big part of her decision to attend an Ohio State regional campus. Gibson said, Ohio State Marion gave her both.
“Ohio State Marion was close to home allowing me to save money and pay for my education with minimal assistance from my parents,” Gibson explained. “It also allowed me to be a Buckeye, the best of both worlds.”
Building a mentor/mentee relationship with faculty is one of the top benefits of attending a smaller campus like Ohio State, Gibson shared. One of those that provided Gibson guidance and direction during her educational journey was Psychology Professor Emeritus, Terry Pettijohn.
“At the time I wanted to go into psychology, Dr. Pettijohn was an excellent professor in this area. He was very open to sharing his experiences and communicated well with everyone. He was always willing to answer questions and provide guidance. My goals changed after graduation, but that was not a reflection of my experiences at Ohio State Marion.”
Gibson shared that her degree from Ohio State is an example of what determination and hard work can do for anyone.
“You can get a great education and improve your life situation with those characteristics,” she said. “The fact that The Ohio State University provides the regional campuses to help in that endeavor is something we, as Buckeyes, should be proud.”
Not only did Gibson appreciate the quality of education at Ohio State Marion, but also the return on investment her decision to attend her local regional campus afforded her.
“Because my dad made too much money for me to get any real assistance, staying home and attending Ohio State Marion allowed me to work part-time to pay my own tuition. I did not have all the extra fees that I would have had if I had attended a school further away,” said Gibson.
“Although I know my parents would have helped me attend any school I wanted, I did not want them to have that burden,” she shared.
That pragmatic decision has continued to pay dividends for Gibson in her career today, saving money, allowing her to build her own independence, and building practical skills and a knowledgebase that she still relies on in her executive position.
At press time Gibson shared that the CEO of Pillar Credit Union has announced her upcoming retirement, and Gibson will be named the CEO of Pillar Credit Union beginning January 1, 2024.