When Melvin D. Campos Jr. applied to IUPUI he was going to be a Computer Science major. All that changed at orientation when on the advice of a friend, he checked out the School of Informatics and Computing (SoIC) and was intrigued. Four years later, he graduated with a B.S. in Informatics, specializing in Human-Computer Interaction and today works as an Implementation Manager at Wunderkind in their Indianapolis location.
Campos credits some of his early success to school staff like academic advisor, Elecia Hadley who helped him navigate college, career services director Pat Rhodes who linked him to internships, Learning Informatics for Tomorrow (LiFT) program director Molly Morin who selected him as a peer mentor and “gave me some of the best career advice ever,” and diversity coordinator Vicki Daugherty who helped with whatever he needed. “Some highlights of my time at SOIC were definitely being a peer mentor for LiFT, attending the Tapia conference in Orlando, and learning things that I use in my everyday job now!”
As of July 1, 2022, Campos was promoted from Implementation Associate to Implementation Manager at Wunderkind, which is headquartered in New York City and offers one-to-one, individualized multi-channel marketing solutions for e-commerce. He is the technical point of contact and the project manager of the onboarding process and serves as a liaison for a variety of internal teams (QA, Integration, Engineering, etc) to help communicate requirements to some top-level, high-profile clients. Campos manages the project from start to finish and makes sure all deliverables are given at a timely manner to keep the project in track, allowing clients to tap into the greater Wunderkind network so emails can be sent on their behalf.
Campos is also serving as a Co-Lead for an Employee Resource Group, Somoskind, for the LatinX Wunderkinds, where his job is to foster a safe space for all Wunderkinds who identify as LatinX, and where he was also the first Implementation Associate hired at Wunderkind and the first Latino hired on the Implementation Team.
“What I love most about my job is working with clients! At first, I was super scared to even talk to clients but building those relationships is definitely fun. I also enjoy keeping the project on track and problem solve when issues arise! As Co-Lead, my favorite part is connecting with other LatinX at my company and realizing I’m not in white corporate America alone. I have brothers, sisters and ‘theysters’ who experience the same things I do as a brown Latino in corporate America,” Campos says.
Of his long-term goals, Campos says he hasn’t “thought that far out yet but as of now, I’m just enjoying my time at Wunderkind!”
Campos offers this advice to others starting out their journey: “Having a college degree will always hold more weight than not having one. Your hard work doesn’t go unnoticed. Keep striving and working hard because it’s for a better cause. For all my brown and black kids, I’m going to give you the advice I was given in my junior year of college. You’re going to be the only Brown/Black person in these predominantly white spaces but just know, you’re kicking down these doors to let more of us in these spaces. It starts with you. Keep pushing….and if anyone ever tells you, you’re not able to do it, prove them wrong! You got this!!”
Media Contact
Joanne Lovrinic
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