Career Services

This is an interview with Katie Tejeda, Director of SAU Garden, Greenhouse, and Farmers Market.

What was your first volunteering experience, and what motivated you to get involved?

I don’t remember my very first volunteer experience, but during my undergraduate years, I was able to volunteer in many different places. Some of these include CCAPS Animal Shelter, Southern Christian Mission, Theatre Usher, Stew Pot, Laundry Love, Bethel Church Nursery, ISI Small Group Leader, Wesley Foundation Intern, Making Magnolia Blossom, Mulerider Move-In, Boys and Girls Club, Celebration of Lights, Blessing Boxes, Operation Christmas Child, and SAU Track and Field events.

How has volunteering influenced your personal or professional growth?

Volunteering has helped me grow in how I communicate and work with people. It has shaped my heart toward caring for individuals with values and interests that may differ from my own.

What should people look for in a volunteer opportunity if they want it to lead to career growth?

Students should be open to volunteering in anything, even opportunities they’ve never heard of or tried before. Stepping outside your comfort zone can lead to discovering a career calling you didn’t even know existed.

Did any of your volunteer roles lead directly to a job opportunity or internship?

Yes. Volunteering at SAU allowed me to meet my student-worker supervisor, who eventually connected me to my first career boss and helped me secure a job after graduation. If I hadn’t served food one evening during my sophomore year, I wouldn’t have met the SAU staff member who offered me a job. That experience ultimately shaped my career path, and my life would look very different today without it.

How do you think volunteering continues to influence your career decisions and values?

Volunteering has solidified my passion for caring for people. If a job I’m applying for doesn’t offer a direct or indirect way to help others, I don’t consider it. My sense of purpose is fulfilled when I’m doing something for someone beyond myself.

What advice would you give to students or job seekers considering volunteering to explore career opportunities?

Be open. Get involved. Find something that fulfills you and do it often. The habits you create in college will stay with you for the rest of your life.