CECOM Spotlight: Human resources specialist processes civilian awards

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. — Gabriela Santos-Babilonia, a human resources specialist with the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command G1-Human Resources, Human Capital Division, serves on the Civilian Awards Team.

Santos-Babilonia, who started with CECOM on June 3, 2024, is responsible for processing honorary, quarterly, length of service, and employee spotlight awards. She enjoys the variety of her job and learning new things daily in the G1.

“In the Human Capital Division, we do so many things; there are so many opportunities for you to take on other projects and tasks. It is great for your career development,” she said.

Santos-Babilonia, who is originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, said she enjoys learning from her mentor, Cassandra “Casi” Boyer, also an HR specialist with CECOM G1, who has been with CECOM since 2019.

“She is amazing. That’s also been a great tool for grasping all the new information since I got into the federal government,” she said.

Santos-Babilonia said her program lead, Gerri Camacho, and Victoria Fuhrmann, both human resources specialists, served as her sponsors.

“Having a mentor and a sponsor is really helpful when you start,” she said.

Santos-Babilonia thanked her supervisor, Casey Kugler.

“My supervisor has been great, in the sense that she always assigns different projects that will serve a great value to me, with learning different aspects of HR in the federal government,” Santos-Babilonia said.

Achieving goals

Santos-Babilonia graduated from Inter American University of Puerto Rico with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2020, during the middle of the pandemic. She is currently working to complete a master’s degree in industrial-organizational psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and is set to graduate this spring.

Before coming to CECOM, she worked as an HR generalist in Pressley Ridge, a non-profit organization founded in 1832, that provides an array of services to keep children and families together so that youths with challenging behaviors can remain in their homes, schools, and communities. Prior to this, she worked as an HR specialist in Kohl’s E-commerce Fulfillment Center in Edgewood, Maryland, for nearly three years.

As Santos-Babilonia reflects on her career, she is proud of her accomplishments, juggling multiple roles. She said that attending graduate school while working full-time and being a mother to a toddler hasn’t been easy. Every day, she strives to be the best version of herself, and this mindset keeps her motivated.

“Everything I put my mind to do, I have accomplished,” she said.

Santos-Babilonia said being organized helps her stay on track. She is mindful about how she spends her time, even on weekends, and uses her free time to prepare for the week.

“Now that I have a son, I want to be the best example that I can for him,” she said.

Taking opportunities

Since joining the CECOM Team, Santos-Babilonia said she has become more comfortable stepping out of her comfort zone and is unafraid to ask questions. She also advises new employees to network and make connections in CECOM. She said it is helpful to volunteer for different assignments, which will give you a better understanding of your career field.

“Bottom line is: don’t limit yourself,” she said.

Besides her variety of work, what Santos-Babilonia enjoys most about her job is her teammates.

“I love my team. It is always hard to be the new girl, but they embraced me with open arms when I started,” she said.

Santos-Babilonia also praised having an alternative work schedule, which gives her a regular day off.

“I have a one-year-old and just being able to have the entire weekend with him, when I have RDOs, is amazing, something I value so much,” she said.

Santos-Babilonia said she finds her job rewarding because she helps recognize employees, which she calls the “positive side of HR.” She has enjoyed getting to know the HR points of contact and developing relationships while processing awards for CECOM employees.

“I love that I am on the good side of HR right now, that I am able to reward employees for their hard work and their contributions,” she said.

Personal time

Santos-Babilonia’s husband, Eduardo Lopez, is an industrial engineer with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command C5ISR Center, matrixed to the CECOM Integrated Logistics Support Center. They were high school sweethearts while they were living in Puerto Rico.

Santos-Babilonia said having an RDO and holiday weekends has also given her more flexibility to travel more with family. She said that raising her son inspired them to travel more because they wanted to make memories with him. Some places she visited recently include Arizona, Florida, and Puerto Rico.

“When you have a child, your perspective on life completely changes, and you feel like you have to enjoy life to the fullest,” she said.