Teresina Hone

How did your experiences at CSUB help you find your first position after graduation? 

 I currently run a domestic violence intervention program. Working as a case manager in this program was my first position after graduation. My classes in Philosophy and my emphasis on feminist Philosophy and Women and Gender Studies made me an ideal candidate for this position. Domestic violence intervention isn’t something that everyone understands, much less something many people want to work in. Coming to an agency with that knowledge already pre-programed so to speak was definitely a benefit.

What career advice would you give our students?

 Do what you want, not what your parents want. Life is so much more fulfilling when you like the work you do.

How did you decide to pursue the career that you are working in today? Was there a pivotal moment? 

 I wish I had an elegant answer to this question. I always knew I wanted to “help”, I just didn’t know in what kind of capacity or what that would look like. I started working in domestic violence intervention and prevention by accident and sheer luck. Life is funny that way.

What do you attribute your success to? 

Professors that believed in me at CSUB. I really do owe them quite a lot. I love each one of them. They know who they are.

How do you foster creative and innovative thinking within your organization? 

 Our day to day involves a lot of creative thinking and innovative solutions in order to provide the best services we can with somewhat limited budgets and staff. We more often than not work to solve a problem as a team, and we will try most things, especially those ideas that are “just crazy enough to work!”.

What are the most important decisions that you face daily as a leader in your organization? 

 In many ways we are responsible for the well-being and livelihood of others. All the important decisions however boil down to one thing, “Is this what is best for my client?”. If the answer to that question is a firm “Yes” then I know we are on the right track.

What have you accomplished or overcame in the past that you thought was impossible at the time? 

Wow. Too many things to mention here. Let’s just say I never thought I’d ever go to college, much less actually graduate with a degree in Philosophy of all things! Once that happened I knew I could handle nearly anything.

Who is a person that you considered as a role model early in your life? 

 I didn’t have very many early role models, which is why I think it was so difficult for me to even make it to college. I did have a lovely set of high school teachers that mentored me and convinced me that this whole college thing was something that I could do. A huge thanks to many of my teachers at Quartz Hill High School. Dr. Debra Jackson deserves some credit too. She convinced me I could do Philosophy. She was right about that. She’s right about a lot of things.

Which accomplishment are you most proud of? 

 The work I do every day makes me proud. The changes and improvements to the program which I run. The little victories in each client’s life on a daily basis. Those are the things I’m most proud of.

Where do you expect to be in five years both personally and professionally? 

 Let’s see. In five years I hope to be a licensed Marriage and Family therapist, preferably sooner rather than later. Personally, I’m not sure. Guess I haven’t really thought about that bit. We’ll see what happens. I’ll just wing it.  

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