Tess Nelson HD ‘13 served two years as a HealthCorps Coordinator in New York City, where she taught Health classes to high school students, while also leading cooking courses, staff wellness programming, and community outreach. Tess then moved to WeWork, where she has been for the last 4 years, operating buildings in London and New York. She currently serves as the Community Manager for WeWork’s headquarters in New York City.
We had the pleasure of speaking to Tess on October 4th during a session of the Young Alumni Lunch Series.
What does Human Ecology mean to you and how has this shaped your career trajectory?
I find that Human Ecology is such an empathetic field, where people are so curious about how to make the lives of others better, but are willing to study them so that we can be sure that what we do makes other people better, more successful, and healthier.
After studying nutrition during my first two years, I wanted to work in health so I could bring that knowledge to other people. Now at WeWork, it felt like a perfect match because many of the aspects of Human Ecology has helped me become a better people manager. By having such a great understanding of how people operate, what makes them tick, I feel like I am a more informed leader of others.
How do you network and navigate mentor relationships?
The best way that I have found people to mentor me or sponsor me is putting myself in opportunities where I’m able to truly connect with others. I’m a little more shy, but when I’m in a place where I feel like the focus is connecting and getting to know one another, I feel more comfortable to get to know others. Even in my work, I put myself in a lot of smaller groups and smaller situations, so I can get to know people better.
For HD majors who are not sure about what direction they can take their career, what advice would you give them in exploring their interests?
I think that anyone who comes from Human Development or Human Ecology has a leg up because you’ve spent the last 4 years studying people, and this will make you a more successful leader, teammate, colleague, project manager, and more. Have the confidence that this education brings you many perspectives. Knowing what other people have experienced through the research that one does in Human Ecology helps you have empathy for people.
When it comes to finding jobs, you can do anything with this major. You know probably in your gut what’s one thing you’re interested in–if you can decide on just one thing to try, just take the first step. Explore what you like about it and what you don’t, and make an informed decision about where to go next.
We thank Tess Nelson for visiting Human Ecology and sharing with us how Human Ecology has shaped her experiences, how she gets to know others better, and for encouraging us to explore our interests! We wish her the best in all her endeavors.