Influential Woman · Nonprofit

Aleika Arboleda

Program Director, Libby's Legacy Breast Cancer Foundation

Orlando, FL

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Bachelor's in Communication and Conflict Resolution Degree University of Central Florida Degree Master's in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management Degree Walden University

Her Story

About Aleika

Before entering the nonprofit sector, I worked in retail and customer service, real estate administration, and property management. Right after college, I started working in nonprofits. I was already working in nonprofits focusing on preventing homelessness in Central Florida when the opportunity came to work with Libby's Legacy. I feel very connected and passionate about this work because my mom is a breast cancer survivor, so when the opportunity came to work in breast cancer services, I jumped at it. Libby's Legacy has been around for 7 years and provides services in all Central Florida, including mammograms, ultrasounds, breast biopsies, MRIs, and patient navigation for those diagnosed with breast cancer. I started at Libby's Legacy as a mission manager in 2022 and was promoted to program director after 4 years. Working in nonprofit means you wear so many hats, and because you don't have a big staff, you're constantly working overtime and more hours. The majority of community events happen on weekends, so you work during the week and then on weekends you need to go to your events, so we work all the time. I completed my bachelor's in communication and conflict resolution from the University of Central Florida after starting in Puerto Rico, then taking classes online while staying home with my kids. I completed my master's degree in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management from Walden, with a specialization in grant and proposal writing and patient navigation. I graduated from my master's program a year ago while working full-time.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Aleika

01What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

I always need to feel like I'm learning something new. When I feel like it gets very steady and I'm doing the same thing over and over, I look for something new to do. I need to have goals - I need to always have goals that I need to achieve to be able to keep motivated. I value the time that I put into something, and as an adult you know how valuable time is, so when you put in so much time into something, you need something back. I'm passionate about my work because my mom is a breast cancer survivor, so I feel very connected to providing breast cancer services. I like to spend time with my children and be home with them because I spend so much time out for work. I bring my kids to community events so they can see the work I do, and my daughter is excited to start serving the community and follow in my footsteps.

Keep Exploring