I Belong: Meet Lacey

Meet Lacey | District Leader, E. New Jersey

I considered myself a lifelong learner at an early age. I was a first-generation college student pursuing a Psychology and Elementary Education degree. Growing up, I always wanted to be a teacher. While I was paying my way through college, I held a job in retail, which was initially just a “job” to help pay the bills; I had no idea it would turn into much more!

During my final semester in college, I spent four months teaching first-grade students. It was a rewarding few months, and I learned so much about myself and developed skills in compassion, patience, empathy, and communication. Upon graduation, I assumed that I would go right into teaching. As much as I loved teaching outside the classroom, the professional environment felt like something was missing.

I decided not to pursue the classroom; instead, I took a leadership position in my retail job. This decision would change my life’s trajectory. I chose this because I realized I wanted to be a leader who could also be a teacher, coach, mentor, and inspire others.

Three years later, I joined PetSmart as a Store Leader. I immediately knew PetSmart was the right choice because I felt welcomed by my store and district team.

One of my favorite things about PetSmart is its commitment to development and prioritizing work-life balance. I was able to utilize the tuition assistance program benefit and attend graduate school for my master’s in business administration. Upon graduation, I continued to advance my career with PetSmart and applied for the Talent Acceleration Program (TAP) to become a Market Leader. I was promoted to District Leader in the Northeast shortly after TAP graduation, and I experienced overwhelming support from my RVP and peers; it was truly heartwarming.

I am celebrating my 15th year with PetSmart this year, and my impact on associates, pets, and pet parents is so far-reaching.

Like my journey, you may wonder if you are on the right path - what I've found is that PetSmart is a wonderful place to continue creating any path you want. With immense happiness, I finally found my way at PetSmart, where I Belong.

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The Belonging Program’s “I Belong” Series harnesses the power of empathy through storytelling. This series is intended to give associates a greater sense of understanding, a bridge to gain new perspective, and a way to build connection to each other.