Zeltzin Montero Castillo, a Genesys Works Twin Cities alum, was recently promoted to Senior Engineer on the Executive Level Support Team at Target HQ! Zeltzin wrote a blog post for us back in 2020, and we recently caught up with her to hear about the amazing advancement she has made in her career since then.
Zeltzin currently works full-time while going to school at Augsburg University full-time. Due to the transformation from the pandemic, most of her classes are online and asynchronous, allowing her to balance her two large commitments. Still, not an easy feat and demands the ability to stay organized and focused. She enjoys staying busy!
At Target, she is a part of a small team who supports the Executive Team, over 150 people, of SVPs and above. Her team is responsible for supporting executives’ technology needs, whether setting up equipment, troubleshooting, ensuring hybrid board meetings go smoothly, and more. Zeltzin’s trajectory at Target first started through Genesys Works’ internship program as a high school senior. She returned to the company through a Genesys Works college internship two years later and was hired full-time this past January. When asked what she enjoys most about working at Target, Zeltzin shares her appreciation of the culture of support. Everyone is always willing to help each other and answer questions. Even if they might not know the answer, they will help you navigate to the solution. She compared it to the customer experience at Target stores. It is a part of their company DNA.
Zeltzin shares that Genesys Works was an important part of her journey to launching her career in Technology. When asked how she has transformed prior to participating in the Genesys Works program, she reflected on her increased confidence in public speaking in front of large groups. She is still grateful for the presentation they had to do during Summer Training where she was stretched out of her comfort zone. Since then, she has met a lot of different people in different departments at Target to build her public speaking skills and now works with the top executives at one of the biggest companies in Minnesota and the country.
When asked what advice she would share with current Genesys Works participants, Zeltzin encourages them to stick through it even if the feeling of discomfort creeps in. Sometimes, it takes that extra push to grow; and to remember that weaknesses can turn into strengths. She did not imagine herself being where is now, but because she took advantage of new opportunities and new job openings, she is now a Senior Engineer at Target.
Genesys Works Twin Cities established the alumni program in 2018 to support participants beyond their high school graduation in vital areas of post-secondary education and career development. We now have over 2,000 alumni in our network. In Fall 2021, the number of college internships placements with Corporate Partners nearly doubled. Genesys Works is proud to be a long-term partner and opportunity provider for local youth to achieve upward mobility and a lifetime of economic self-sufficiency.
About Genesys Works
Genesys Works’ mission is to provide pathways to career success for high school students in underserved communities through skills training, meaningful work experiences, and impactful relationships. We envision a future where all young adults are equipped and empowered with the knowledge and skills required to achieve career success, upward mobility, and a lifetime of economic self-sufficiency. We serve high school students and alumni through our comprehensive program continuum of an eight-week professional and technical summer training, year-long paid internships, college and career coaching, and college and career success support.
