Twelve years ago, I became profoundly deaf. I realized early on that I had two options: I could isolate myself and fall through the cracks of disability, or I could stand against the challenge, adapt, and seek opportunity amid this new world without sound. I decided to return to college and began to invest in the development of this new path before me. I quickly began learning American Sign Language (ASL) and was introduced to the Deaf culture. This was a pivotal moment for me, as I realized that the Deaf culture was not merely a group of people with shared attribute of deafness, but a rich and beautiful, yet largely unknown, culture amidst the rest of the world. I became fascinated by it, a curiosity that soon stretched to culture in general. Through my studies, I have further sharpened my interests in the dimensions of culture and learned of its crucial position in human life. It is strange that it would take me becoming somewhat cut off from the world to realize how fundamentally connected I am to it.
In 2019, I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology. At this point in my life, I had a revelation. I had been working on a sustainable development program in Lombok, Indonesia, and realized that the private sector carries a powerful torch when it comes to either creating a more sustainable world or keeping us pinned against old world ideas and indecision. I decided to begin learning how to leverage my skillsets in the context of business. This decision led me to seek out some of the best MBA programs in the country. I quickly discovered that one of the best in the WORLD was in my own backyard; thus, I began my journey with the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Coming into the Masters of Global Management (MGM) program, I was full of uncertainty, as my background seemed so different than business. My first semester was full of tears and triumph as I became initiated into an entirely different subject of learning. But with all the anxiety, I also loved it. Though conducted in a virtual environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Thunderbird seemed to live up to my expectations, and I realized that the leaders of tomorrow don’t follow a universal path. I met many fellow students who had equally (or more) storied experiences… I felt like I was home.
During my first semester, I received an email from the Career Management Center (CMC) asking whether I’d be interested in pursuing a summer internship with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), which is now known as Stellantis. My initial response was “no,” as it was an internal audit position, and I had a few other internships in mind for positions that were more “comfortable” for me. A few weeks later, I received a second email and decided to look further into it. I began working with my CMC coach on interviewing skills and learning how to advocate for myself to ensure that I could interview in a way that my deafness would not become a barrier. I was able to arrange for a video interview, which I think ultimately strengthened my position as a candidate. After practicing with my coach and working on my mock interviews through the ThunderStart program, I felt confident. A week later, I received the offer. I also discovered a couple months later that I would be sharing the internship with another Thunderbird. It was amazing to be able to experience this journey with someone from home!
Our internship was to be within the internal audit corporate leadership development program at Stellantis, formerly FCA. Stellantis (which means “to brighten with the stars” in Latin) formed through the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and the French auto company Peugeot. We were lucky to be coming into the organization right at this pivotal point. It may seem like a chaotic moment to join an organization, but it carries a certain excitement and opportunity as well. We were not the only ones on a learning curve, and I believe we were able to gain better access to individuals from different areas of the organization, as they were more visible through this time of change. The first couple weeks were pure insanity, as we were thrown into a firehose of training and meetings with department colleagues, managers, and my audit team. This would have been a difficult time had I not had access to my coach, mentor, and of course, my fellow Thunderbird intern. The company culture also was a great fit and provided the perfect environment for learning. We were never kept idle, and our work was meaningful. From the first week, my cohort and I were placed into important roles on our audit teams, and by the end of the internship, I felt confident that I could come back as a full-time internal auditor if given the offer.
When I started Thunderbird, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to do an internship and certainly hadn’t imagined that my summer would be spent in the auto industry. However, as I ended Summer 2021, I can honestly say I felt my career had been propelled forward. I will carry the lessons learned over those 12 weeks at Stellantis throughout the duration of my career. The following are some of those lessons:
- Pick a company where you fit with the culture. There’s a reason this is part of the TTI assessment we do in ThunderStart. Culture is crucial, and if you don’t fit with the company culture, you’ll never be happy there.
- Celebrate your diversity whenever given the opportunity. Look for a company that will celebrate it with you. At Stellantis, for example, they have a club titled Diverse Abilities and strongly promote the awareness of the unique strengths everyone has to offer the team.
- Ask questions. This is expected of you, and it is considered when you are assessed. Learn as much as you can. This is why you’re there. You are not expected to know everything (or even anything, in my case).
- Take advantage of your coaches and mentors! I cannot stress this enough. They are invaluable resources and provide a wealth of information about the organization, the industry, and the role.
When it comes to interviewing, the following are what worked for me:
- Be yourself. Authenticity goes a long way. I now know from working at Stellantis that they have a culture that requires that authenticity.
- Research the company as much as you can before the interview, including the executives, department heads, etc. if possible. This includes understanding their financials.
- Ask questions at the end of the interview. I remember the CMC telling us this in one of our sessions, and I was skeptical. But it absolutely does make a difference, and I cannot recommend it enough.
Best of luck to my fellow T-birds as we continue our hunt for jobs and internships this spring!