August 23, 2026
Tell us about yourself
My name is Samantha. I was born and raised in New Haven’s Edgewood neighborhood. I attended Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School where I studied creative writing, and in 2024, I graduated from Yale College with a degree in Sociology. I am a proud New Haven Works (NHW) member and New Haven Promise Scholar. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, trying new foods, and spending time with friends. I also cohost a monthly album club called Deep Cuts.
Tell us about your job search experience
My path to employment at Yale was a three-part effort supported by New Haven Promise, the New Haven Hiring Initiative (NHHI), and NHW. New Haven Promise first shared the opening for the Senior Administrative Assistant role with NHHI and invited me to reach out if I was interested. I initially saw the email late, but I followed up anyway.
Soon after, I met with the NHHI Community Outreach and Engagement Manager. Our conversation helped me understand where I was as an applicant. She shared game-changing tips on how to strengthen my resume, tighten my elevator pitch, and sign up with NHW.
Working with my NHW job coach made a huge difference, especially during the interview stage. With her guidance, it became clear what the department was looking for, which made me feel even more qualified for the role. We practiced mock interviews, and based on her feedback, I created a study guide I could use to draw on my experiences and skills effectively. She encouraged me to use NHW’s professional closet so that I could look the part. By interview day, I was nervous but confident since I was well prepared. Shortly after, I was hired in June 2025.
Tell us about your current role at Yale
As the NHHI Senior Administrative Assistant, I provide administrative support to a team of three. My day-to-day is very dynamic. Each week, I schedule Zoom and in-person meetings, take minutes and share meeting summaries, manage shared calendars, and coordinate logistics for information sessions and community events. I also track, order, and restock inventory, pack materials and giveaways for community tabling where we share resources and connect people to our partners. I manage our social media accounts, create and edit content, and design and publish our monthly newsletter, including the one you are reading now! This past year, I worked with Yale’s communications department to update our website. I regularly communicate with internal and external partners to support programs like the Employment Readiness Series at the Dixwell Q House and our Bridge to Employment pathway program. My favorite part of my job is seeing the impact of our partnerships up close. Candidates who have been looking for a long time finally get the help and resources they need to move across the finish line.
While attending Yale University yourself as an undergraduate, you participated in a New Haven Promise internship with the Office of New Haven Affairs and subsequently received a post-graduate fellowship, the Chauncey Fellowship, in support of the project you co-founded, Liberation Table, all before you secured your staff position on the NHHI team.
What were these developmental experiences like? How does the culture of learning and development at Yale impact you?
I interned at the Office of New Haven Affairs in 2024. I learned to navigate core Yale tools and systems like Zoom, Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Workday. One of my favorite parts of the internship was creating summer program recap videos in Canva. It showed me that my creative and professional skills aren’t separate. They actually strengthen each other when I bring them together.
That same year, I began my Chauncy Fellowship, where I was able to bring Liberation Table to seven New Haven Public High Schools for Black History Month 2025. Liberation Table is an opportunity for Black people of the African Diaspora to reflect upon our history of innovation, strength, and overcoming oppression over a shared meal. A guide filled with poems, discussion questions, stories, and rituals walks guests through the practice. The fellowship challenged me to manage multiple priorities and showed me that my work had a measurable impact.
Yale’s culture of learning and development has pushed me out of my comfort zone and into my own voice. Every day, I am learning that my story is my superpower. Even though I am early in my career, I learned I bring value to my team, including “fresh eyes.” Using individual talents and perspectives leads to the best result.
What advice do you have for other job-seekers?
Believe in yourself. As cliché as it is, your confidence and persistence can be what carries you through. You know your story better than anyone. Practice telling it clearly and confidently. Speak to your experience creatively. Even if your past roles aren’t your target today, the skills from those experiences can transfer. Customer service, communication, problem-solving, reliability, and organization matter at work, and you can connect those strengths directly to future positions.
Lean on your community. Your community can be a source of opportunity and referrals, but it’s also where you find encouragement, people who celebrate your wins and keep you going after rejection. The path isn’t always linear, and rejection can be redirection to the right place, but it’s easier to stay steady when you aren’t alone.
What is next for you?
I plan to keep building my leadership skills, deepen my knowledge, and expand the ways I contribute to my team. I’m also interested in using Yale’s tuition reimbursement program to pursue a master’s degree. I want to immerse myself more in the community through Yale Employee Resource Groups and local events. With the other co-founders of Liberation Table, I also plan to continue developing the project as it evolves into Black Heritage Academy, a program for Black K–12 students focused on learning their history.