On Friday, October 3rd, Hispanic Alumni from the University of Notre Dame gathered for a panel discussion reflecting on their journeys from campus to their current career. The event, moderated by Dr. Carlos Gomez-Meade ‘01, surgeon and chair of the Hispanic Alumni of Notre Dame National Board (HAND), featured an accomplished lineup of panelists representing a range of disciplines and experiences.
Panelists included Lukas Mendoza ‘08, Academic Advisor for the School of Architecture at Notre Dame; Manuel Davila ‘06, finance executive; Nicholas Maalouf ‘04, business executive; Dr. April García ‘05, assistant teaching professor in the Institute for Educational Initiatives at Notre Dame; Crystal Medina, ‘03 federal relations director; and Ruben de Jesús Medina ‘05, Tech CEO. The conversation was facilitated by lead panelist Gregor Arimany ‘04, a corporate executive and active member on the HAND network.
Gathered in the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development, students and staff listened with anticipation to these accomplished Latino professionals. The audience not only learned from their stories but also from the interactions between panelists.
Some panelists had known each other from their student days on campus. Dr. Carlos Gomez-Meade reminisced on serving as a resident assistant to Nicholas Maalouf when he was a freshman. Remembering that these professionals were once students helps current students see themselves reflected in their success and see that there’s a promising future ahead of them.
To answer Arimany’s request to share a defining challenge, every panelist shared a trial they had to overcome on their path to success. This part of the conversation reminded students that one can and will prevail over challenges, big or small. Dr. Garcia spoke about failing a class early in her college career. While painful, it served as a form of discernment that allowed her to realize she wasn’t interested in the STEM field. Others touched on more personal matters, such as missing family and having a proper meal during the holidays. Whatever the difficulty was, each panelist showed they persevered in sharing the realities of their life. Each story carried the same message: success is whatever you paint it to be, not the missteps on the way.
A helpful piece of advice for students was to keep going, even if the path looks uncertain. A panelist shared how there may be moments where everything seems to be laid out for you, and others where it seems that life has taken a turn for the worse. However, these are moments that define new pathways.
Networking was another central theme of discussion. Panelists emphasized how networking is something valuable in building a career, no matter what position you find yourself in. The event concluded with a networking session, giving panelists, students, and staff the opportunity to put that advice into practice while sharing a meal.
Having so many experiences and lessons to learn from are important for the Latino population at Notre Dame. These professionals were once students that used their resources to their advantage and are now successful in their respective fields. This community that has been built with the alumni is helpful for students to learn from.
Dr. April García shared, “This gives me so much hope for the amount of connection that exists on campus and the amount of connection that exists once you graduate. As I continue to work with undergraduate students, they give me hope for who Notre Dame is and what Notre Dame should be in the world. It makes me feel hope for what we mean when we say Notre Dame familia, and I feel confident that it will continue to exist.”
Ruben de Jesús Medina echoed that sentiment. He said, “I think it’s very important for younger generations at Notre Dame to hear of our paths, of our mistakes, and how we overcame those mistakes, and lessons learned down the road that we wish we had known earlier. The sooner you start networking and also the sooner you hear different perspectives of our different paths.”
He added, “At the end of day, it doesn’t matter if you’re an engineer, finance major, or if you want to go into healthcare. Whatever your path is, a lot of what we talk about translates to any sort of career choice you make.”