College Experiences That Helped a Chief of Staff at UCLA Anderson Succeed
Teresa's undergraduate experience involved leadership roles in campus clubs, teaching valuable skills in "lead[ing] people from a lot of different areas, different backgrounds," and accountability. Balancing a part-time job with full-time studies, while acknowledging a period of academic probation due to excessive socializing, ultimately shaped their ability to compartmentalize tasks and manage competing priorities—skills directly applicable to their current Chief of Staff role at UCLA Anderson.
Leadership, Teamwork, Time Management, Resilience, Accountability
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Teresa Djedjro
Chief of Staff
UCLA Anderson School of Management
American University and Antioch University (2019)
currently at UCLA Law, MLS program
International Relations & Affairs
Education
Operations and Project Management
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Immigrant, Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. Developing leadership skills through extracurricular activities and club involvement, learning to manage responsibilities and work effectively within teams.
2. Balancing work and academics, developing time management and compartmentalization skills to handle multiple priorities effectively. This is especially relevant in a fast-paced work environment.
3. The importance of maintaining a strong academic focus while managing social activities and extracurricular commitments. Learning from mistakes and adjusting approaches to achieve academic goals is crucial for long-term success
Transcript
What did you do in undergrad to help set you up for success?
I was involved in different clubs on campus and held a few leadership positions. These experiences were great because they taught me how to lead people from diverse backgrounds. They also taught me responsibility and accountability.
These skills are very useful and key to getting work done in a team setting, especially in my current role. During my second to last year of undergrad, I worked part-time while also working full-time. This experience helped me balance my responsibilities and compartmentalize.
I learned to separate work from school, leaving very little personal time, but I did manage to have some. This skill has been particularly useful in my current role, where I constantly switch between tasks without letting them overwhelm me. I can focus on one thing at a time, even for just a few minutes.
I think I was a bit too social in undergrad and may have faced academic probation. So, I would advise against getting too caught up in social activities and forgetting the main goal: graduating with decent grades. Although I had a 1.8 GPA one semester, I'm still doing okay.
However, I had to change my mindset and approach to things. The leadership positions in different clubs really helped. I know not everyone has that opportunity, but even becoming an RA or participating in a sorority or fraternity can teach valuable skills.
I was the membership director for one of the clubs, which was a great experience. It taught me how to deal with many different people. These leadership experiences helped set me up for success due to the skills I learned.
Advizer Personal Links
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