Marcela Sanchez

I am the first in my family to go to college. First, I'm an immigrant. I came to this country very young, at the age of 8. Like I said, the first one in my family to attend college, get a master's degree, go to an Ivy League university, the first one to serve in the military in my entire family. I think I'm the first at a lot of things, for sure. But I had younger siblings that looked up to me, so I needed to set the tone for what I hope to see them do one day. That responsibility to be a role model for my family has driven me to achieve these milestones.

I would say, rely on one another. I feel like women tend to undercut each other for positions, and it doesn't necessarily bring the best out in them, so try to support others and be a ladder for other women to climb up. I see that in the private sector, public sector, and in the military, so I can speak to those three areas, and I see it everywhere. These are male-dominated fields, also, so it's even more important that we support each other rather than compete against one another.

I value integrity, determination - I feel people tend to give up way too quickly. Sometimes, you know, they're right there on the verge of a new discovery or achieving something, and I just see people give up too quickly. Another thing that I value is people who speak well about themselves, people who don't put themselves down. I value people with confidence. I don't think it's arrogance, I think it's important to have that self-belief. That's what gets you to the finish line. It's, you know, not having a defeatist attitude. When I walk in a room, I don't think about my gender. I know I'm trained, I am qualified, I am educated, I'm prepared. I always make sure to have a great team by my side, or behind the scenes, so I feel supported and confident.