Penelope Tejada ’26
Finance
Economics
Penelope Tejada arrived at Providence College determined to explore career opportunities and experience hands-on learning. Her persistence led her to discover, during the second semester of her first year of college, a paid summer internship at the White House.
Penelope saw the position advertised on LinkedIn and decided to apply. While other programs had turned her down because they preferred to hire students who were juniors in college, the Executive Office of the President chose Penelope to work for 10 weeks during the summer of 2023 as an accounting intern in the Office of Administration, reporting to the chief financial officer. She also assisted the Office of Travel and Events in managing the travel of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.
There were many perks, including attending the state arrival ceremony for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and working on the South Lawn during the White House’s Independence Day celebration. She lived in a residence hall at American University and commuted daily by Metro to the White House campus.
“When I started college, I wanted to know right away whether I wanted to work in the field I was studying,” Penelope said. “I wanted to hone in on what I wanted to do in my career and build my resume.”
While the internship was “the best 10 weeks of my life,” it also helped Penelope discern that working as an accountant in an office wasn’t the best choice for her. When she returned to campus in the fall, she adjusted her major to finance with a minor in economics — and began exploring internship possibilities for the summer of 2024.
Penelope, who is from East Greenwich, Rhode Island, is a Michael J. Berkeley ’85 Business Excellence Scholar in the Providence College School of Business. Berkeley scholars receive mentoring and enrichment opportunities through four years of college, including invitations to speaking programs.
She is one of three Providence College students selected to participate in College Leadership Rhode Island, a career exploration and leadership development program designed to encourage students to build relationships within the state.
She is a member of PC’s Academic Affairs Student Advisory Council, secretary of the college chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants and treasurer of the college chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals for America. She is a mentor for Horizons, a program that supports multicultural students throughout their PC years, and as a new student, participated in Transitions, which helps multicultural and first-generation students acclimate to college life. She also is a resident assistant in McCarthy Hall.
Her advice to students?
“Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there because you don’t know what is on the other side,” she said. “It’s pretty cliché but believe in yourself and never stop learning because knowledge will always carry you through.”
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