Campus News

Regents are Resilient. That is especially true for Rockford native Chelsea Johnson, BS ‘12/MBA ’15.

2020 began like any other year. Chelsea was excited as she started her new job working as Project Delivery Manager for Global Solutions at multinational oil and gas company BP. When the coronavirus pandemic took hold of our country, Chelsea started working from home but soon learned that the company’s Naperville campus where she worked was scheduled to be eliminated in April 2021 due to restructuring. Since then, Chelsea has been one of the only remaining project managers at the Naperville office. “I needed to learn to adapt and be nimble through this transition,” she said.

Chelsea attributes her ability to connect and work well with others to Rockford University. “Being an alumna of RU, I always remember to make connections with those I get to work with,” said Chelsea. “Creating that genuine connection with someone is something I feel I can credit to RU through the small class sizes and the amazing people I got to learn from in my time there.”

Although her time at BP is nearing the end, Chelsea is continuing to learn by pursuing a range of certifications that will increase her marketability. She’s already earned PMP (Project Management Professional) and PSM 1 (Professional Scrum Master I) certifications with more in the pipeline.

“I am forever grateful for my time spent at RU,” said Chelsea. “It allowed me to learn about myself, continue to pursue goals, and never back down from a challenge. Always keep up a challenge.” She is also thinking about her future once her time at BP ends. Chelsea has begun to consult on project management for a pharmaceutical company.

During this time, Chelsea has remained positive saying, “I just keep my head up and try to keep everything in perspective – it has been a journey and I just want to learn what I can along the way.”