Emanuel Sepulveda

Strategic Military and Community Relations Regional Manager / Class of 2011

Chief Petty Officer Emanuel “Manny” Sepulveda was born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico and raised in Hoboken, New Jersey. He enlisted in the Navy on June 13, 1988 and went to Recruit Training in San Diego, California. Throughout his time in the Navy, Sepulveda earned two Navy Marine Corps Commendation Medals, nine Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and various unit and campaign awards.

In the Navy, Sepulveda served as a counselor recruiter, where he worked closely with men and women in his unit, offering career guidance and development. This role allowed him to advise petty officers projected to reenlist and those who were planning to transition into civilian roles.

While transitioning into the civilian world may have been relatively stress free, it was Sepulveda’s personality and planning that facilitated things for him. Knowing that he would be stepping into a new chapter in life, he started to prepare early. It was the little things that he thought about before it was time to transition that allowed him to have a comfortable, post-Navy landing.

Networking was key for Sepulveda because he was able to meet a lot of people who shared advice about what he should and shouldn’t be doing.

When asked what was the most important piece of advice he was given, without hesitation Manny responds, “It was to go to school.” He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, with a concentration in Human Resources.

For those men and women who are preparing to step away from the military and are looking for a smooth transition, Manny offers, “The most important thing to remember when you’re preparing to transition is that no matter where you’re networking or who you seek out for advice, you’re always on an interview. If you treat it like that and maintain a positive attitude, you’ll do a lot of good for yourself.”