Inside SFS

“At SFS, I always assumed I could be anything I wanted to be,” recalls Tess McNamara , who’s spent the past five years managing the Program Management team in Service Operations at Tesla, after a varied career that included interning for the White House and the San Francisco District Attorney’s office and working for Barclays. She initially thought she’d pursue a career in the law, but after working at a startup in Silicon Valley, she knew she’d chosen the right path. “You have the chance to be on the front lines building a company from the ground up that’s having a real impact on society,” she reflects.

That drive towards societal impact is something McNamara brings with her from her SFS days. “One of the things we talked about often when I was at SFS is how your actions make a difference. That even as one person, you have a voice. SFS taught me that if you see something wrong in the world, it’s your job to do something about it.” She also credits SFS for fostering her love of the outdoors, listing outdoor trips like camping in Yosemite and backpacking in Pt. Reyes as some of her favorite school memories.

McNamara has also brought something else important with her from SFS: her friendships. “My closest friends from SFS are like my family now….Even now, we don’t all live in the same city anymore, but when we see each other you can pick up right where you left off, like no time has passed at all. Our parents are still friends too. My mom still goes to the same book club started by a few SFS moms almost 15 years ago.”

Posted June 06, 2018