How Identity Influenced a President's Career at i2i Corporate Strategies
Angel, a first-generation college student and Latino, describes feeling "behind the eight ball," lacking guidance on choosing a major and career path. This necessitated greater effort in seeking mentorship to compensate for the lack of early career guidance, impacting the trajectory and timeline of their professional development.
Overcoming Challenges, Mentorship, Career Exploration, First-Generation College Student, Leadership
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Angel Orrantia
President
i2i Corporate Strategies
Stanford
Arizona State University (ASU) - W. P. Carey; Notre Dame - JD
Engineering - Electrical
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing), Law
Business Strategy
International Student, Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Student Athlete, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Angel's first-generation college experience and Latino identity presented initial career challenges due to a lack of guidance and understanding of career paths.
2. Angel emphasizes the importance of seeking mentors and advice to navigate career decisions, highlighting the need for proactive guidance, especially for first-generation college students.
3. Angel's journey suggests that overcoming early career disadvantages requires hard work and a willingness to seek mentorship to compensate for a lack of initial knowledge and support.
Transcript
As someone who identifies as Latino and a first-generation college student, how has that impacted how you've navigated your career?
Unfortunately, those two things together put me behind the eight ball. I had a lot of catching up to do when I graduated from high school and went into college.
I had very little understanding as to what I should even major in. Fortunately, the college I chose allowed me to delay declaring a major until my junior year.
But up until that point, and certainly my freshman year, I was completely clueless as to what I should study or the ramifications of each study in terms of a career path.
One thing is I had to work a lot harder and reach out to more mentors for advice. This would ultimately help me launch my career or keep it going. I think I probably could have done that a lot faster had I known about some of these things earlier.
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