Making Her Own Way, Tessie Estes
By Public Relations Specialist Levi Oyster
Working at Southcentral Foundation means more than merely having a job — it is about developing a career that can lead to opportunities for advancement, supported by on-the-job training, a generous scholarship program, and academic leave.
SCF Learning and Development Specialist Tessie Estes, of Yupik descent with family in Napakiak, has taken a non-linear and rewarding career path to her current position. Her story is one of seeking opportunities and taking them head on.
Estes’ story is an example of how SCF allows you to pursue a career on your own terms.
In 2011, Estes had been working in retail for almost 10 years and was ready for something new. Her sisters, SCF Case Management Support Casandra Rabb and SCF Health Educator Rebecca Rabb, encouraged her to apply for the Administrative Support Training Program. Both Cassandra and Rebecca also started in ASTP and progressed into successful long-term careers at SCF.
Estes began her journey at SCF by graduating from ASTP and was placed in Anchorage Native Primary Care Center. Soon after, she was promoted to the role of case management support, developing versatile skills in customer service. After three and half years as a CMS, she transitioned to program coordinator and was soon promoted to administrative supervisor, the position Estes wanted for years.
“Building the relationships with my team and teaching and helping them to grow made me happy,” Estes stated. “I loved being there for customer-owners and producing solutions to best suit them. The support I received from my leadership team prepared me to be ready for a manager position one day.”
Estes supervised employees in primary care for over five years and wanted to expand this skill set further. She enrolled in the first class offering of the Manager and Supervisor in Training Program. MSIT is an immersive and engaging leadership development program designed to advance Alaska Native and American Indian people into supervisory and managerial positions throughout SCF.
“This experience really pushed me to work on my internal growth and allowed me to fully engage in some of the best leadership trainings,” she shared.
Estes went on to be a manager of the Behavioral Health Consultants and Community Resources Program supporting departments throughout SCF. While Estes enjoyed being a manager, she realized her true passion was the culture of SCF itself, sharing story and building relationships. Estes, in turn, became a learning and development specialist to teach and train fellow employees on these topics to build a stronger community-based organization. Estes’ non-traditional career path allowed her to develop a wide range of valuable skills that led her to the rewarding work she engages in today.
“Taking this position totally fills my bucket,” Estes stated. “I love working for SCF because there are so many opportunities for growth, and they really foster growing leaders from within while embracing Alaska Native culture and traditions.”
For information about career opportunities at Southcentral Foundation, visit bit.ly/SCFApply.
