Jessica Truong-Castellanos, M.A. in Higher Education, is an Academic and Career Success Coach and First Year Experience instructor at Dougherty Family College, University of St. Thomas. She redesigned the FYE seminar to integrate academic skill building, values and goal reflection, early career exploration, resume drafting with peer feedback, and employer or alumni engagement in one cohesive arc. She launched the Career Champions initiative to equip faculty and staff to embed career conversations across classrooms and student services. As a co leader within the MCUCSA Professional Development Committee she helps design statewide programming that advances practitioner learning and consistent career readiness practices. Drawing on full cycle student hiring experience, employer partnership development, curriculum design, and her graduate training in student affairs, Jessica builds practical structures that help first generation and low income students connect early coursework to internships, transfer planning, and long.
