I am the great-granddaughter of immigrant factory workers and the granddaughter of a first-generation US citizen. When I was thirteen, I helped my grandfather with his business. Rudy, my grandfather, was a retired high school counselor who coached students through the college application process. I learned the value of education while he amused me with anecdotes of his life. When he was in first grade, the children would tease him for his poor English; but Rudy had a tenacious resolve to overcome and rise above adversity. The poor little boy would grow up to be an educator and support a family of eight and two grandchildren. He died pursuing his doctorate. He never stopped learning.

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My grandfather taught me to read when I was four, and by five, I could write. He wanted to ensure I had the knowledge and skills to be successful at an early age. It was my passion for writing that carried me through school and into my undergraduate program at Gonzaga. I graduated in 2006 with a degree in print journalism. The country was on the brink of a recession then, and I struggled to find work writing. Being married to a sailor made it more challenging to find a company to invest their time in me when I often had to relocate. Eventually, I found work as a photographer — another talent I developed as part of the Journalism program at Gonzaga. However, working in someone else’s studio left me with little money. I secured part-time employment in retail sales.

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The retail world gave me an outlet to sharpen my interpersonal communication skills with customers. Additionally, I grew my leadership services in management. I create deeper rapport with my customers through empathy to achieve my sales goals. The biggest lesson I learned in the retail world was that my success as a leader is dependent on my ability to communicate. Nevertheless, my desire for success exceeds communication on the sales floor and into a corporate communications role.

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At one company, I used my writing talents to carefully craft a letter to the human resources department addressing their discriminatory training material. I highlighted how the lessons were not strategic in promoting sales and instead promulgated racist stereotypes. The letter further pointed to the fallout the company would suffer if they continued using these materials. The content contrasted with the parent company’s mission. HR pulled the content from the website within the week with an apology issued to the associates. The company noted my letter as a key component for change. This experience left me yearning to get off the sales floor and into a position where I can identify systemic problems in corporate communications. I recognized that Gonzaga University’s Masters in Communication and Leadership program was what I needed for solid transformation to begin.

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My concentration in Strategic and Organizational communications gives me the competitive edge in communications I need to break into a content creating role. This program has already transformed and strengthened my leadership capabilities in my current supervisory roles. Through the program, I have learned how to implement strategic tasks that cultivate company culture. My favorite part has been creating digital content and implementing digital strategic content. Good leaders communicate effectively, and effective communication is paramount to the success of any organization seeking the highest standards for industry growth. As a woman in leadership, this program has given me a pathway to rise above adversity as I continue my education and pursue my career interests with the same tenacity my grandfather and I share.