By Jocelyn Ramirez
Dominican alumni Cristal Sanchez and Bianca Leon Garcia have found success in their own career paths. Sanchez, who navigated her education with undiagnosed ADHD, now excels in e-commerce for a Fortune 500 company. Meanwhile, Garcia, who was undocumented at the time of her graduation, has carved out a post-graduate internship on Capitol Hill.
Dominican’s comprehensive approach to career preparation played a role in both alumni’s career choice. Through programs like the Executive in Residence and extensive alumni networks, the university provides support that students can take advantage of despite personal challenges.
Cristal Sanchez, who graduated in 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, is now an ecommerce allocator at Levi Strauss & Co., but faced an unexpected hurdle when she was diagnosed with ADHD at age 25.
“It’s okay to take a step back for yourself and figure out what’s going on before putting yourself down,” she said.
Sanchez said that hearing other people’s stories, especially those of Latinas in the corporate world, helps others who are going through similar struggles. Her goal is to continue to grow her knowledge and share her expertise with other people.
Bianca Leon Garcia, who graduated in 2024, now works on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C.
Garcia is a Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI) Global Leader Intern for Moline Congressman Eric Sorensen, D-Illinois. She made her way there while initially being undocumented, which gave her a fierce urgency to seize every opportunity.
“I’ve been told by so many people, like my freshman year, to slow down,” she said. “As somebody who’s undocumented, you don’t have enough time [and] you have to make every moment of your life count. You have to take on those opportunities and networks.”
Mike Kiyosaki, an executive in residence at Dominican, brings global executive experience on leading organizations to help students prepare for their careers.
“The most common challenge is helping students articulate what skills and talents they bring to the table,” Kiyosaki said. “Students [often] underestimate themselves, but by talking through their experiences, we can then help them with their ‘elevator’ pitch.”
Sanchez also discussed how Kiyosaki encouraged her to network and introduced her to initiatives like the DU Launch Pad.
“This is another great way that executives in residence can benefit students and also meeting people that are in the C suite level,” Sanchez said.
Garcia also took advantage of the program.
“Pat Lau helped me craft my cover letter. The executive in residence helped me with the interview prep,” she said. “Throughout my four years, I’ve always been going to the career office for any help.”
Sanchez said she credits Dominican’s small class sizes and encouraging environment for her success.
“A lot of my classes tried to push me out of my comfort zone in the best way possible,” she explained. “Dominican was definitely a great place to do that because they really encouraged those real-world connections.”
Garcia found her passion for international relations and policy through Dominican’s diverse offerings.
“I really loved the political science classes,” she said. “Shout out to Professor Homan and Professor Dolence! They really gave me cool insights on regional topics.”
Her involvement in campus activities included Ministry, Model UN, and writing fellowships. These helped her develop valuable skills in communication, customer service, and event planning, which became essential to her current role on Capitol Hill.
On Capitol Hill, she monitors news mentions of Congressman Eric Sorensen, manages projects, and conducts Capitol tours.
Both alumnae had advice for current Dominican students.
“Don’t let inexperience push you away from applying to something,” Sanchez said. “Everything that you experience whether that is your job at your fast-food place or at a retail store is going to be so useful for any job.”
Garcia emphasized the importance of going where the power is.
“I think for international relations and political science majors in general, you must [go to] D.C. at one point in your life,” she said. “That experience is very critical because D.C. is the home for everything.”
Garcia and Sanchez are just two examples of success among Dominican’s 33,000 alumni worldwide, who demonstarte how the university’s support can help students overcome diverse challenges and achieve their career goals.
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