TPG Mentors Share Top Advice for Young Professionals

Manuel, Inez, Grace, and Alyssa

We’re excited to work with four new interns this summer! Grace Cruickshank, Alyssa Johnson, Manuel Torres, and Inez Hernandez-Fuerte are each partnered with a mentor at TPG. Mentor and mentee connections help young professionals navigate their career goals, provide networking opportunities, and create long-lasting relationships. Our interns are motivated and sharp, and they’ve been teaching us new things all summer long!

We asked our mentors what their best piece of advice for a young professional is, and we asked our mentees about their most influential mentor to date. Here’s what they said:

“As a young professional, there were several major opportunities that came to me simply because I had a good attitude. Knowledge and skills are obviously important, but being open, confident, and optimistic can get you far in any career.”

Mentee: Grace Cruickshank, HR/Operations & PartnerWell Intern

 “I worked at an athletic club for the past five years, and my supervisors had this positive and contagious attitude, even when it was 5 AM. They taught me that work is really what you make of it.”

“If you really love what you do, you’ll develop your skills outside of work for fun and become more versatile in whichever role you step into.”

Mentee: Inez Hernandez-Fuerte, ELI IT Desktop Intern

“My middle school Language Arts teacher inspired my love for learning. Without him, I don’t think I would be where I am with computer science.”

“Always be curious. The more you learn and ask questions, the more you can contribute to the organization. Also, hold high standards for company culture wherever you work.”

Mentee: Alyssa Johnson, Sales and Marketing Intern

“My sorority advisor taught me to always remember my goals are worth the struggles that may come with them. She also encourages me to be the best version of myself.”

“Explore different jobs or professions until you find what you truly love to do. I’ve been in the accounting business for 20 years, and those years would have been miserable if I didn’t love it.”

Mentee: Manuel Torres, Accounting Intern

“My high school baseball coach taught me the importance of mental toughness through the sport that I love. I still use the lessons he taught me in every aspect of my life.”

Learn more about our interns below:

Grace Cruickshank is spending the summer at TPG as the HR/Operations & PartnerWell Intern. She is a senior at the University of Portland with a degree in Business Marketing. She is passionate about cancer research and volunteers on the Student of the Year leadership board for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as well as participates in their Team in Training program. Grace has a strong interest in public health and fitness. She is most excited about expanding her interest in public health to the business setting and learning how she can encourage others to stay active during and outside of the workday!

In her free time, Grace enjoys cooking healthy recipes, marathon training, cycling, swimming, and being outside with her puppy!

Inez Hernandez-Fuertes joined The Partners Group this summer as the ELI IT Desktop Intern. She is currently a student at Oregon State University, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a minor in Business & Entrepreneurship. She plans to graduate in the spring of 2020. She is the Coordinator for the OSU chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Latina and also spends time volunteering through Circle K International. Inez enjoys the field of Computer Science because programming helps create awesome solutions to global issues such as renewable energy, self-driving cars, biomedical devices, and so much more. After graduation, she hopes to work as a Front End Developer or Software Engineer in Portland, hopefully for a company that creates a positive impact in the local and global community.

Inez loves spending time exploring the Pacific Northwest, including rock climbing, hiking, checking out the local food scene, and travelling with friends.

Alyssa Johnson joined The Partners Group this summer as the Marketing & Sales Support Intern. She is currently a student at Oregon State University, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Business & Entrepreneurship. She plans to graduate in the spring of 2020. At OSU, she is a member of Delta Gamma, works as an Office Assistant in the Psychology department, and is involved in the campus student health program as a Wellness Agent. Alyssa enjoys marketing due to the wide variety of opportunities it offers to be creative and innovative in a team setting. After graduation, she hopes to work in marketing or organizational development.

In her free time, Alyssa enjoys exercising, listening to podcasts, and spending time with family and friends.

Manuel Torres is the Accounting Intern at TPG this summer. He is currently a junior at the University of Oregon, pursuing a double major in Accounting and Economics with a minor in Spanish. At school, he is a member of the International Business and Economics Club and several day-trading groups. He plans to graduate in the spring of 2021. Manuel enjoys accounting because it gives him an opportunity to learn about a business through their numbers. Upon graduation, he seeks to work in accounting or the stock market.

Outside the office, he enjoys going on local hikes and other small adventures.