What makes you a Difference Maker?
I consider that in my case what makes me a Difference Maker is my desire to share my story and have an impact in the community.
I’m an international student from El Salvador, Central America and when I chose to move out of my comfort zone and come to a place that I wasn’t familiar with, I was challenged in every possible way. So, when I first came to campus I had to decide how I wanted to affront this situation—I could be focused on my scholarship and succeed in my studies, or I could live the complete experience of studying abroad by meeting different people and cultures and also sharing mine with others. I chose to combine both options. I recognize that I come from a country that is known internationally for its bad news. This situation inspired me the desire to do something and try to change people’s opinions, because sometimes it just takes speaking up and sharing your story and background with others. I want to let the people know that El Salvador is way more than what the news says. That was the main reason I started to get involved at the university—I tried to become an ambassador of my country in the United States, and at the same time, I wanted to keep growing and acquire new knowledge about everything around me.
Also, I have the chance to study abroad with a scholarship, and I am very grateful for that opportunity. So, when I came here I started looking for chances to give back to the community. I started volunteering for the service days in the Metro Detroit area, such as MLK Day and the Alternative Spring Break. I believe that if I invest my time and effort to help those in need, then I can give back and show the gratitude I have for the many blessings I’ve been given. I’m always trying to do things for others—they may be small or big actions, but they’re actions that can definitely make a difference.
Highlight your campus achievements:
I had the opportunity to come to UM-Dearborn with the support of the Fulbright Foreign Student Program, a prestigious exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government. This program selects outstanding students with leadership skills and they are given a full scholarship award.
I’m in my second semester at UM-Dearborn. During my time here I’ve had the opportunity to get involved in more than four student organizations and also be part of the team that worked to restart the Catholic organization on campus (GRNC). Besides that, I was selected to be a Diversity Ambassador, a member of the Wolverine Leadership Cohort and one of the fifty Difference Makers for 2017-2018.
Highlight your leadership experiences both on and off campus:
Prior to coming to UM-Dearborn, I had different leadership experiences in my undergrad program, including my volunteerism activities and my previous work in El Salvador. The skills I learned through these activities have shaped me and allowed me to pursuit my desire to study abroad.
My leadership experience on campus is related to be involved in many student organizations, being on the board of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), the Gabriel Richard Catholic Newman Center (GRNC) and, recently, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE). I’m also a member of the Toastmaster Club and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE).
Being a part of different organizations and leadership programs, being in a multicultural study program, listening to my classmates and professor’s experiences, participating in different professional events and seminars and growing my network with different people has allowed me to reinforce all my leadership skills.
What is your dream career and/or long term life goal?
My life goal is to become a consultant and a professor in my field of specialization. I want to acquire new tools, ways of thinking, knowledge and network in my master’s program at UM-Dearborn to implement them into my country. I’d like to be able to promote a different kind of management in El Salvador, such as providing training and seminars for executives from different companies, preferably small national companies that need to improve their performance. Also, I'd like to encourage Salvadorian universities with an industrial engineering program, to include a subject of “engineer management” and “continuous improvement,” to start deploying in future engineers different tools of innovation, implementation and problem-solving approach. I believe that the positive results of the work done will allow me to make an impact (small or big) in the Salvadorian industrial sector to begin changing their way of doing things, from the universities to the workplaces, which is a strategic bet for the country.
What was your most defining moment at UM-Dearborn?
I think that one of my most defining moments at UM-Dearborn was when I selected this university to pursue my master’s program. With the Fulbright Scholarship, I had the opportunity to apply to any university in the United States. I selected four universities and was accepted into the programs, but my final decision was to attend UM-Dearborn. By that time, I’d never been in Michigan before, but the information about the university and the engineering management program made me come here. Now, I can say that I made the right choice. I’ve enjoyed my time at UM-Dearborn and have learned so much in my classes, from both my professors and my classmates. Also, I’ve had the opportunity to interact with many great people, make really good friends, expand my ideas, learn about different cultures and, at the same time, feel welcomed and supported by everyone.
Another defining moment was during the spring break. I had the opportunity to do volunteer work during the week in different communities of Muskegon, MI. Working as a volunteer there, I learned about the ABCD (Asset-based Community Development) methodology, that bases on the sustainable development of Communities with the collaboration of their members. It was so enriching to be a part of such amazing job, and to be a witness of the powerful results you obtain when people get together and work as a community for a goal of improving the place where they live, and at the same time transforming their minds and hearts. Even though when we had to do a lot of physical work (rebuilding houses, painting, cleaning, a so forth), the fact that we were making a small impact and working with young people in that area, made it worth it.
In my opinion, I feel that UM-Dearborn offers opportunities to each student to become a leader and to grow, not only in the professional aspect, but also in our commitment to do our best and try to make a change in the world.