From Denver to the U.S. Department of Commerce: Stephanie Trejo’s Korbel School Experience

For alumnus Stephanie Trejo, the Korbel School quickly became a home that welcomed all aspects of her journey: her non-linear career path and her identity as a Latina woman, to name a few. Before Korbel, Stephanie wasn’t sure how to make her dream career possible. “Now, I’m finally doing it,” she says, “I have a career in International Trade. But for the longest time, I never had mentors or someone that could direct me to the right path to get where I am now.” Ultimately, Stephanie's leap of faith when she moved to Denver offered her the perfect path to a career in Washington, D.C.

Stephanie graduated in 2023 with her master’s in Global Economic Affairs, and while at the Korbel School, she worked as an Employer Outreach & Events Coordinator. She also landed positions at the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission as a graduate student. Stephanie explains that these incredible opportunities were only possible after faculty and staff encouraged her to embrace her non-linear background, rather than seeing it as an obstacle. “At first, I was intimidated by a lot of my classmates,” she says. “They had really impressive internships and really impressive job experiences. My experience was not very linear.”

Originally, Stephanie graduated with a degree in Philosophy from the University of El Paso, Texas, and wanted to be a teacher. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she wanted to do something different and took the chance to finally explore careers in International Trade. After finding the Korbel School and moving to Denver, she quickly found support in her Global Economic Affairs community. “It’s a great program,” she says, “There were times when it was hard to navigate a new career or new life step, so the support that Korbel provided — that helped me feel included — was really great.” At first, working with so many talented faculty and students felt intimidating, but her mentors encouraged her to move past that. “That’s one thing I love about Professor Ilene Grabel. She always gave you the opportunity to speak, and she was always engaged in what you wanted to say.”

Stephanie’s career counselor also helped her see that many of the Korbel School’s most successful students and alumni had non-traditional paths, too. Once Stephanie discovered the International Career Advancement Program (ICAP), everything clicked. ICAP is a mid-career, professional development program designed to bring greater diversity to senior management and policy making positions in International Affairs. Their annual, two week-long seminar in Aspen is a cornerstone event for many leaders in the industry seeking community, and Stephanie got to take part as a Program Manager supporting the event. “Up in Aspen,” she says, “they talk about career development, career history, and all their journeys in the government." For Stephanie, this experience helped her form invaluable connections to pursuing her career in International Affairs. “Sometimes, as a woman of color, a Latina, it is really hard to find good mentors, especially those who work in the government.”

When asked about Hispanic Heritage Month, Stephanie maintained the importance of community and celebrating each other’s accomplishments. "Anyone can achieve their goals with hard work and perseverance," she says, and for Stephanie, prioritizing strong connections with mentors and following their advice is one of the most important parts of the journey. "Mentees, treasure your mentors along the way, really make sure to value that connection. Treasure it because that will take you so far. Sometimes, there are a lot of obstacles, even though the world is changing for people of color, especially women. But having this month to recognize us and our hard work is really cool, because I feel like we are seen, we are heard, and we are recognized.”

Stephanie currently works as an International Trade Analyst for the U.S. Department of Commerce, and she plans to apply to be an ICAP fellow once she meets their mid-career benchmark. To learn more about ICAP, you can check out their website here.