Denise’s Story: From a São Paulo Favela to a Dream Job at Marriott   

by StreetWise Partners
October 8, 2024

“I felt like I didn’t belong in the U.S. I knew I had the skills and experience to get a job in project management, but didn’t know how to talk about myself in interviews.” 

Denise Phillips grew up in an impoverished area of São Paulo, instilled with her mother’s belief that education was the route to escape poverty. By age 11, Denise was studying English. At 13, she learned computer desktop programs. By 16, while still in high school, she landed an apprenticeship at Santander Bank, one of the largest financial institutions in South America. She was hired and promoted within two years to an operations role. 

In 2020, Denise moved to the U.S. on an exchange program to study English and earn project management certifications. She worked at Starbucks but was eager to return to a more professional track in project management like she had at Santander Bank.  

Despite her impressive knowledge and skills, Denise struggled in interviews, sometimes even forgetting her own name. "It was frustrating,” she said, “because I had the qualifications but didn’t have confidence to convey the depth of my experience.” 

She heard about StreetWise Partners from a friend who had been in the program. Knowing it would help her learn to self-advocate and communicate her professional strengths, she joined StreetWise Bridge in Spring 2024. The mentorship was transformative. 

Denise practiced interview techniques, received constructive feedback, and learned to clearly articulate her achievements in a way that resonated with employers. This process also helped her build confidence to better represent her abilities and future potential in interviews. 

"StreetWise helped me connect with amazing people and mentors,” she says. “I learned about the benefits of networking and informational interviews as well as how to schedule them, ask questions, and handle formal conversations. The support, workshops, and meetings with my mentors helped me understand corporate America and learn about different companies.” 

Denise’s newly acquired skills plus connections she gained through StreetWise led to a breakthrough opportunity at Marriott.  

One contact she met through StreetWise was Jacob Vogelhut, Director of Business Process Validation, Deployment Services at Marriott. “I put Denise forward as a candidate and she came out as the top pick in a competitive candidate interview pool,” he says. “The value the StreetWise program provides for preparation and professionalism was really on display with Denise and was apparent to the other interviewers.”  

Within two months of completing StreetWise Bridge, she secured an offer for a Senior Manager position as a Business Process Validation Specialist — a role that perfectly aligned with her professional skills and career goals.   

“I would never have learned about and gotten this job opportunity without StreetWise Partners,” she says.  

Join us as a mentor and change the life of someone, like others did for Denise. Register to mentor now.