The Future of Work is Diverse, Inclusive, Just and Equitable

GlobalMindED closes the equity gap by creating a capable, diverse talent pipeline through connections to role models, mentors, internships for low-income students, returning adults, First Gen to college and inclusive leaders who teach them, work with them and hire them.
From Child Immigrant to First Gen at DU to Masters at MIT to Raytheon Career in the United Emirates: Meet Alondra Sandoval

What is your personal story?

My personal story begins just like many others. My Parents immigrated from Mexico when I was only four months old and tried to give me the best possible life. Growing up undocumented is something most students face in these times, and luckily when it was time to figure out what I was going to do with my future DACA became available. It was honestly a great resource because otherwise I genuinely believe that going to the university of my dreams would not have been possible.

As a first-generation Latina student being accepted to the University of Denver seemed unreachable, especially growing up in a lower-middle-class household. That once-far dream became reality when I was awarded a full-ride scholarship through the Daniels Fund Scholarship Foundation and was able to attend DU and study Computer Science. Fast forward to nine years later, and I'm proud to say that I recently graduated from MIT with a Masters in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. I have recently accepted a position with Raytheon Technologies in the United Emirates as the Associate Director of Digital Workplace Services.

How did you come to be in your present career?

I've always had a passion for technology, ever since I was a kid my father would buy me old DVD players so I could take them apart, analyze the mechanisms, and put them back together. This being said, I knew I wanted to do something along those lines. However, never in my life did I imagine that I would end up working for one of the biggest aerospace and defense conglomerates. Being part of the Raytheon team is such an honor and I am excited to see where the future takes us.

What advice do you have for our First Gen students?

The biggest advice I could give to students, particularly First Generation students, is to not give up on their dreams. There will be days when graduating college will seem impossible but keep believing in yourself. Believe it or not, there are a lot of people who are more than happy to support you and see you through those moments when you feel like giving up. Find your support system, and hold on tight because you could do it. Take it at your own pace and most importantly follow your dreams.

What long-term impact would you like to have in the course of your career?

Wow! I never thought I would be in a position to leave an impact or a legacy, but here I am. The effect I would like to have in the course of my career and hopefully surpass this is, to be honest with myself and never forget where I come from. By doing this, I can hopefully become a mentor to millions of minorities who, like me, just had a dream.

I hope to one day provide opportunities to those who grew up in adversity but did not let anyone stop them. Hopefully, this will be achievable as my job now is to recruit those brilliant minds and provide opportunities to those who might not have seen it as possible.
The GlobalMindED Inclusive Success NetworkTM had another banner year of growth, impact, and outcomes for First Generation, poverty-affected and minoritized students. Here are some of the highlights: 
 
  • Return of in-person GlobalMindED conference with record attendance and the largest First Gen Leadership Class ever of 122 student leaders. See PhD Project brief video of the event. 
  • Our fourth annual Inclusive Leader Awards recognized 15 DEIB leaders across sectors.
  • Almost all our 100+ panels and sessions of 2022 featured a student. 
  • Of the 300+ speakers, 73% were diverse leaders sharing their thoughts. 
  • We held our first Industry Marketplace Career Exploration Arena at GlobalMindED 2022 with 40 companies, giving K-12, college students, educators, and leaders a way to learn about emerging fields and careers. Join us for the next one at GlobalMindED 2023. 
  • Our first satellite event at Georgia Institute of Tech was livestreamed via the Atlanta PBS affiliate. 
  • We became an official initiative of the Foundation for the Support the United Nations (FSUN) and will hold our first UN event on March 22, 2023. 
  • ·We served ten colleges with the GlobalMindED Success Collaborative connecting students at each HBCU, MSI, HIS and Tribal College with role models, mentors, internships, and jobs. 
  • We had partners/volunteers from Microsoft, Salesforce, Rubrik, HP, Stanford MBA and more. 
  • We spoke at the White House Initiative for HBCUs with sponsor Hewlett Packard. 
  • Our team, Board, Colorado Board and Executive Leadership Council are all majority diverse serving a majority diverse population of emerging leaders. 
  • We continued to publish our daily newsletter and conduct monthly virtual Equity events, led by people of color with majority diverse panelists and students. These are the role models for our students.
  • Our annual operating budget increased by 67% emerging COVID strong. 
  • We doubled our staff from four to eight as we grow to scale our impact. 
  • Our Young Professionals grew to 40 strong, with a ten-person leadership cabinet made up of, but not limited to, graduates of our programs who are now working professionals.  
  • Since 2015, we have successfully connected 1,200+ students to internships and jobs. 
  • Our founder, Carol Carter, was recognized as one of the Most Powerful Women in Denver by the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce and one of the Most Admired CEOs by the Denver Business Journal. 
 
We are grateful for the support, inclusive leadership, and financial contributions of our community and sponsors who work tirelessly to open doors for the students we serve, the institutions who support them, and the businesses and non-profits who are committed to hiring a capable, diverse talent pipeline.  We look forward to seeing all of you June 7-9 at our best event yet, GlobalMindED 2023 - Transforming Boundaries: Creating Systemic Access and Equity. The Inclusive Leaders Awards Dinner is June 7, followed by the conference June 8- 9 at the Denver Downtown Sheraton.  
Join us in Denver June 7-9 for GlobalMindED 2023
June 2022 Conference Summary in Photos and Videos
We had an inspiring conference in June after two years of virtual gatherings due to COVID. If you missed that, you can still be a part of the experience through the photos from the 2022 GlobalMindED conference, as well as seeing the completedto program for connections and inspiration.



Video remarks:
Honoring the 2022 Inclusive Leader Award Winners. Please see their stories:
GlobalMindED | 303-327-5688 | contact@globalminded.org | www.globalminded.org
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