You\u2019ve carved out a unique career path. What have you been up to since graduating?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m a storyteller at heart\u2014whether I\u2019m doing public relations, growth marketing, or writing. I\u2019ve been at TerraCycle for nine years, where we\u2019re known for recycling the unrecyclable and building solutions for hard-to-recycle items like cigarette butts, chewing gum, and food packaging. I\u2019ve worked on everything from launching the Loop reuse platform to publicizing a beach plastic recycling innovation recognized by the United Nations. I\u2019m also an inaugural member of our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Impact Committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Outside of TerraCycle, I write about music and pop culture for The Aquarian, New Jersey\u2019s original alt-weekly, where I\u2019ve interviewed artists including Billy Corgan and The National. I also volunteer regularly at the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen and give back to Monmouth by mentoring students, sitting on alumni panels, and participating in career fairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What role did Monmouth play in shaping who you are and what you do today?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Monmouth gave me the freedom to explore and the support to succeed. I started out planning to go to law school\u2014I took the LSAT twice and scored well\u2014but along the way, I fell in love with writing and storytelling. A writing minor gave me space to hone my voice through creative nonfiction and op-eds, while my political science major gave me the tools to understand systems and power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The faculty\u2014especially Dr. Joseph Patten, Dr. Rekha Datta, and Dr. Nancy Mezey\u2014taught me how to think critically, debate respectfully, and engage with the world. They inspired me to have a sociological imagination and to see that power (including the power to change the world) is intersectional. That was important for a brown, bookish, \u201cqueerish\u201d person like me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Patten also encouraged me to apply for The Washington Center, a sort of domestic semester abroad where students from schools across the country take up an internship, coursework, and volunteer hours in the nation\u2019s capital. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that gave me a glimpse into what a career in politics, public service, or even news journalism would look like, and I\u2019ve been creating these roles for myself ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Were there any extracurricular experiences at Monmouth that helped you find your voice?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n WMCX was where I found my footing. I hosted a music\/talk show called \u201cSmoke Signals\u201d and was on the news team. I covered campus issues, interviewed politicians, and learned how to connect through communication. It was a space where curiosity and weirdness were celebrated, and where I started becoming who I am. For my work, I earned the Department of Communication\u2019s Radio Broadcasting Award, a small but heavy trophy that reminds me to use my voice for good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I also found community through the campus chapter of All Lifestyles Included, now called Monmouth PRIDE, which offered space, support, and visibility for LGBTQ+ students. It showed me the power of joy, connection, and representation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. How has your cultural heritage shaped your identity and career?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n My mother and father are, respectively, immigrants from the Philippines and India, so I am first-generation Asian American, raised by parents who came to the U.S. to build better lives. Growing up at the intersection of two rich cultures taught me to value resilience, adaptability, and connection\u2014especially through food and storytelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At home, the news was always on. We talked about global injustice, inequality, and progress. That awareness shaped how I saw the world\u2014and how I wanted to show up in it. From the classroom to the boardroom, I\u2019ve often been the \u201conly\u201d in the room: the only Asian, the only woman, the only Filipina-Indian. I used to see that as something to hide. Now, I see it as a superpower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My heritage influences how I lead\u2014with empathy, clarity, and purpose. It\u2019s not just cultural\u2014it\u2019s operational. I\u2019m a bridge-builder because I\u2019ve lived between worlds. And I\u2019ve learned that representation isn\u2019t just about being seen\u2014it\u2019s about making space for others, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Is there any advice you would offer to young AAPI professionals starting their careers?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Remember who you are and own the fact that your perspective is powerful. As an AAPI professional, you bring a global mindset, cultural fluency, and the ability to see across differences\u2014those are leadership traits. Don\u2019t wait for permission to contribute, but when you do speak, speak with intention. Read the room. Clock the dynamics. Meet people where they are and move with clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The truth is, many of us in the global majority grow up knowing we must be twice as good, twice as prepared, in spaces where we are underrepresented. You can work to break that cycle (a lot of progress has been made by your ancestors), but not by pretending it doesn\u2019t exist. Lead with confidence, but stay observant, and don\u2019t take things personally. Do your thing and know when to keep your cards close. Power and influence don\u2019t come from being the loudest in the room\u2014it comes from being precise, and authentic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Find your people\u2014mentors, allies, peers. Build relationships that energize you, not just advance you. And when you do find yourself in rooms with influence, use that presence to make space. Representation isn\u2019t just about being seen\u2014it\u2019s about helping others be themselves, too. That\u2019s how we shift the culture: not overnight, but one intentional move at a time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you could go back to the start of your Monmouth journey, what would you tell yourself?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Everything I just said. And also\u2014stop taking yourself so seriously, but start taking yourself more seriously. You\u2019ll know what I mean one day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, and do more internships. Time flies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sustainability marketer and music writer Veronica Rajadnya \u201909 on the power of storytelling, cultural pride, and creating space for others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":21314,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"image_focus":"{\"x\":50,\"y\":23}","hide_title":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,6],"tags":[93],"class_list":["post-21313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-class-notes","category-the-back","tag-alumni-donor-profiles"],"thumbnail":"![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/05\/2025-04-28-13-12-45-855-4-200x300.jpg\")
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