CTK Alumna Helping to Fuel her Company's Growth while Growing Personally

After talking with Treonia Gardner CTK ’16, it was easy to understand why her company, RLDatx had recently featured her in their internal newsletter and promoted her to Senior Recruiter on the Talent Acquisition team within two years. Her passion for her job and company comes across loud and clear. She is credited with playing a critical role in finding the right new employees to help keep pace with RLDatix’s rapid growth in the healthcare technology space. She has come a long way since graduating from CTK in 2016, due to her dedication to personal growth and helping others. 

Although they lived on Chicago’s South Side, Treonia’s parents insisted she go to school where they grew up on the West Side. Having a lengthy daily commute made her long CTK school days even longer. She did well academically at CTK, staying on top of her schoolwork, and being named the top Latin language student in her class and a National Honor Society member. She also found time to be involved with dance, volleyball, and student government. A service experience while at CTK serving meals to people who are homeless had a lasting impact on her. “It’s important to me to give to others, especially those in need. I always try to show kindness and care.” Like all CTK students, Treonia also worked one day a week in a Corporate Work Study job. Her 3 years at the Kraveloc Jambois & Schwartz law firm allowed her to gain professional skills at a young age, and to learn the importance of networking. She built relationships and asked questions of her co-workers, and has stayed connected with one of the senior lawyers to this day.

Treonia became the first in her family to graduate from college when she earned a bachelor’s degree in health administration from Eastern Illinois University in 2019. Initially, she was planning to attend a nearby community college, but her parents recognized her potential and encouraged her to aim higher. She became interested in healthcare at an early age, and entered EIU intending to pursue nursing. “I took my first biology course, and knew that was not the path for me.” She took the health business administration route instead. She credited CTK and her teachers with preparing her for her college-level classes. She also valued her independence and the opportunity to decide for herself what path to pursue. “At college, you can begin to create the life that you want for yourself. I decided to choose a route that would help to make me successful in my career.”

She started working while at EIU first as an intern and then in a full-time position at CTF Illinois, a company that assists adults with developmental disabilities. It was there that she was first exposed to employee relations and recruiting, which quickly became her favorite role. After graduating, she relocated back to her hometown Chicago, and worked in recruitment and human resources for a few years at Envision Unlimited before joining RLDatix in July 2022. “Healthcare has been a passion of mine, so knowing that I help find and choose people who are creating and implementing important software into healthcare organizations allows me to feel as though I am making an impact.”

During her two years at RLDatix, the company has grown from 1,400 to 2,000 employees.  She said her role consists of “finding top talent for RLDatix while also building meaningful relationships with hiring managers and candidates.” The scope of her recruiting includes the US and Canada, but is expanding internationally, with an upcoming trip planned for Australia. This aspect of her job fits with Treonia’s love of travel. She mentioned having gone to 6 different countries including a recent trip to Cuba. RLDatix is also a strong fit for her due to its culture which encourages transparency, flexibility, and employee growth. Because of the flexible work schedule, Treonia was able to complete an online MBA program at the University of Illinois Springfield. She feels the enhanced business knowledge she gained will help her in serving the needs of managers in different business units at RLDatix.

She shared a lesson learned in her career that can also serve as advice for current CTK students, “Be your authentic self. Change is great, but don’t lose yourself in the process of trying to fit into a world you were never meant to fit in with. Be you, be open, and continue to strive to be better than yesterday while remaining true to you.” Throughout her journey, Treonia has remained true to herself including always putting God first, which has helped her to overcome challenges in her personal and professional life   Her favorite scripture passage is Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  There’s no doubt that Treonia’s future will continue to be bright.