Adriana Sanchez

I think it's just the passion I have for helping people. I mean, sometimes it's not even necessarily being officially on a board, but just, you know, I'm the one who knows how to say no. My friends will tell you that. Ultimately, if somebody asks for help, I'm gonna run, and I'm gonna do what I can to be there. That passion for helping others is really what drives everything I do and has led to the success I've had in my career and in my life.

You know, I think the one thing I heard, and it's always resonated with me, is not everybody is me. Because I think a lot of times we question, you know, like, why can't people do this? And, you know, if I can get this done, why can't they do that? And somebody said, you know, not everybody is you. And that's always resonated with me. You know, working with people, you have to learn that not everybody is me, and not everybody's going to work like me. And once you learn that, and you learn that people are different, then you just learn to accept them, and you just can work with people. I think that's the hardest thing that people don't understand. That's why people get frustrated, and when you learn that not everybody's you, then you can work with people.

I would say don't be afraid of what others have to say. Just do it. And don't be afraid of being uncomfortable. I think being uncomfortable makes you... the accomplishment, the level of success you feel at the end is just so rewarding once you've crossed that finish line. So don't let fear of what others think or fear of discomfort hold you back, because that's where the real growth and achievement happens.

The biggest challenge is the huge backlog in the Social Security administration. Unfortunately, there's a lot of moving parts, and there's a huge backlog. The public's in need. There's a disabled community out there that just needs assistance, doesn't understand the programs, and doesn't understand what needs to be done. Unfortunately, there's such a huge backlog that it's frustrating. These people are already in need, they're a vulnerable community, they don't understand the process, and they're becoming homeless in the moment waiting for a determination. I've had a few people who unfortunately have passed away waiting for a medical decision to come through. Right now, in California, it takes about 14 months just for an application to get assigned to somebody to even start looking at it, not for a decision, just for somebody to actually start working a case. As far as opportunities, I wouldn't even call it an opportunity. This is more a privilege of getting to help people. Having the knowledge that I have from my experience working inside Social Security, I'm just here to help people. That's my ultimate goal, just to get across the finish line with them and hopefully have a positive outcome.

I think family is the most important value, just being there for them and teaching my family to be compassionate as well. I actually get to work from home, so my kids see a lot of the work I do. Sometimes they listen to those hard conversations I have with people, and you know, sometimes I get off the phone and I've been teary-eyed. I've had to speak to a spouse because the person I was helping passed away. Teaching my kids how to be compassionate for others, whether it's at school or at the grocery store, is so important. My husband and I like to do a lot of pay it forward when we get the opportunity, and we've been blessed that way, whether it's at the Starbucks line. We teach our kids that too. You just don't know who you're helping, and sometimes it's just the kind words, just being nice to somebody that makes somebody's day, because you don't know what they're going through. I think just having compassion for people and being respectful with people and just being there and helping when you can is so important, because you don't know when you're going to need it. Sometimes a smile goes a long way, and people just don't realize it.