Wave-Maker Spotlight: Ivonne Tejeda

Over the next few months, we will be posting profiles on the amazing alumni that have come out of the Making Waves College and Alumni Program. These profiles are meant to both highlight our inspiring alumni and support other young professionals in understanding their own career path. If you have questions for us or our alumni, please post them below.

Today, the spotlight is on a conversation that we had with Ivonne Tejeda - an 8th Waver, graduate of CSU-Sacramento, and recent employee of CBS Interactive.

Describe your career path. What experiences provided insight along the way? Was your career path straight and planned, did you stumble into it, or was it somewhere in between?

My career path is currently in the Human Resources field. I enjoy working with people. My summer internship with CBS Interactive was the biggest stepping stone that got me insight into this industry, since my path was first leaning toward social work. Thanks to Making Waves, I learned about and earned the opportunity to be a part of the Summer 2016 internship program at CBSi.

What advice do you give to those interested in your field and type of work? Are there any experiences and skills that you recommend them working on while in college?

Make sure you like to work with people and take a few business classes (however, this is not mandatory).

What general advice do you have for college students still trying to understand their path?

Any opportunity that you get, take it! Even if it is temporary. The more exposure you get, the more you start to realize what it is that you really like, and what it actually is that drives you to actually want to do something. Because in the end, you want to be doing something that you love - it's why you are working so hard in school right now. All of this is for YOU!

If you could give a piece of advice to your college self, what would it be?

You should have studied abroad.

Did you or do you currently have a mentor? How did they support you personally and/or professionally?

I still have a mentor, till this day, and that is Mr. Grady. Amazing support, making sure that I kept up with my goals, and was always there to make sure that I was on the path that I wanted to be on (leading me to my goals).

What are your career dreams you have for yourself over the next 5-10 years? 

My career dreams for the next 5 years would be to really understand what field in Human Resources it is that really drives me. Also, to learn everything I can about that role and really give it my all.

When you are 80 years old, what do you hope people say about you?

She follows her heart and always does she loves. Always happy. Works extremely hard, but never forgets to have fun.