Jess Mendes and Chris Unera, former Creative Fellows, talk about their experiences working in BuzzFeed Creative Services.
Jess: Growing up, I split my time between Cape Verde in Africa (where my family is from) and the South End area of Boston. I thought being surrounded by a ton of different cultures was totally normal…until I went to college in the suburbs. The reverse culture shock encouraged me to learn more about African American History, so I minored in Black Studies.
Chris: I was born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania. My father and mother immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines in 1979 and 1982 (respectively), making me a first-generation Filipino-American. I have a B.S. in Chemistry with a minor in Biology from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA.
Jess: Around this time last year, I was in a dorm room, contemplating which direction I should start my career path. I majored in Communication and Mass Media, which meant I could do everything and nothing. I knew I wanted to work somewhere young and fun, but wasn't sure what that was.
Chris: Being the eldest son in an Asian family, I was bred to have aspirations to one day become a doctor. The majority of my college life was dedicated to this. After graduation, I began work as an oncology research analyst for Mount Sinai Hospital. I worked directly with patients on clinical trials in Queens, NY. Around this time, I realized that, although I was knowledgable, the medical field was not for me. As luck would have it, a stand-up comic, Jo Koy, who I had previously worked with in college, asked if I could work for him full time. I was hired as his head of marketing, social media chief, traveling field manager, and personal assistant.
