By Kellie Britch, College of Arts and Sciences
After answering questions from the moderator, Scott Solomon, Marc and Rios then took questions from the crowd. (Photo by Corey Lepak)
Students, faculty and staff gathered in the atrium of the Judy Genshaft Honors College on April 10 for Bulls in Action, where two alumni from the School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies, Shelly Marc, a manager of public policy at Meta, the parent company of Facebook,
Instagram and Whatsapp, and Hiram Rios Hernandez, an economic officer at the U.S.
Embassy in Lima, shared stories about their journeys from classroom to career.
“This opportunity meant so much to me because it was a chance to give back to a place
that gave me so much,” said Marc, who graduated in 2013 with a degree in political science and criminology. “USF shaped my foundation — both personally and professionally. I remember attending
events like Bulls in Action as a student, eager to meet and learn from people who
had once been where I was.
“To now be on the other side, able to share my story and hopefully inspire someone
else, was a powerful reminder to stay grounded and never forget where you come from,”
she added. “Giving back in this way felt like honoring all the people who once poured
into me.”
Later that same day, the USF Alumni Association presented Marc and Rios with the Outstanding Young Alumni Award.
While Marc and Rios both outlined the steps they took after graduation to launch careers,
the choices they made at USF proved the most important. For Marc, gaining internship
experience while in school was pivotal to her professional journey. Rios, who graduated
in 2015 with a degree in international studies and economics, shared how minoring in world languages impacted his career.
“Minoring in Chinese had a direct impact on my employability,” Rios said. “It was one of the key reasons
I was selected to join the State Department. My language skills made me a strong candidate
for overseas assignments and were essential to my success as a Consular Officer in
Shanghai.
“Federal agencies, including the State Department, actively seek candidates who are
proficient in critical languages, and being able to speak fluent Mandarin set me apart
from other applicants,” he added.
After the event, Marc and Rios stayed for almost an hour talking to students individually
and answering their questions about their career paths.
“I think these types of events are so important for our students so that they can
realize that there’s a whole network of bulls out there who have succeeded and can
provide help along the way,” said M. Scott Solomon, chair of the School of Interdisciplinary
Global Studies and moderator for the event.
Rios shared his experience and recommendations for the application and hiring process to work for the foreign service. (Photo by Corey Lepak)
Marc, who now serves as a lobbyist for Meta, explained the steps and internships that paved her way to Capitol Hill. (Photo by Corey Lepak)