José Antonio Tijerino
Hispanic Heritage Foundation
Austin, TX USA
"Imagine what’s possible and work backwards from what you want."
Career Roadmap
José Antonio's work combines: Non-Profit Organizations, Education, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
You aren't supposed to have your career path figured out at 17 years old, but if you have an idea of what you're interested in and what drives you, then follow that. I realized early on that I was driven by service to my community. From there, I was willing to take chances and find inspiration anywhere. Try anything. If someone wants you in a room, show up and be loud. Try out all avenues and stay connected to that core value driving you.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Journalism
University of Maryland
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
I realized early on that success for me would never be about money or power—it would be measured in service.
2.
Studying journalism in college taught me how to write clearly, which is a skill that’s powered every role I’ve ever had.
3.
I waited tables during college which taught me humility, hustle, and how to connect with people from all walks of life.
4.
I built a career in marketing and public relations, including working at Nike, before aligning my work with my deeper purpose.
5.
Becoming CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation gave me the opportunity to serve my community through creativity.
6.
We created the first Latino-themed Minecraft game, reaching 30 million kids in 30 languages.
7.
I’m proud to have helped over 100,000 kids learn how to code, and now we’re pushing forward with AI and digital equity.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
You need to decide your career path before going to college.
How I responded:
We're pressured to figure out what we want to do in life when we're only 17-18 years old. I disagree with that. Just get through college—you don't need to have it all figured out. Think about what you're interested in. If that aligns to a major, great! If it doesn't yet, that's okay. You can figure it out along the way. I majored in journalism, which isn't directly related to my career but it gave me valuable transferrable skills—like writing—which have served me throughout my entire career.