A few months ago, I traveled to two cities I had never visited before, Seattle and Atlanta, surrounded by hundreds of MBA students preparing to begin a new chapter. We came from different backgrounds, universities, and parts of the country, but we were connected by the same purpose: we were about to begin our MBA journeys.
I remember looking around and thinking, How did I end up here? How did going from a small school in El Salvador to standing in a room filled with future business leaders become my reality? When did I grow up?
Coming to the United States from El Salvador as a teenager, attending the University of Wisconsin – Madison, building a career in human resources, and now continuing my education in Wisconsin as an MBA student was a journey I could not have imagined years ago. UW Madison gave me the wings to pursue opportunities I once only dreamed about. Consortium and Forté helped me understand how to use those wings in this next chapter.
Finding Belonging in My Immigrant and Latina Identity
The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management is a nonprofit organization that works to expand access to graduate business education and develop diverse business leaders. Its Orientation Program, known as OP, brings incoming MBA students together before they begin their programs.
This year’s OP was held in Seattle. I met incoming MBA students, alumni, and business leaders who openly shared their experiences and career journeys. Despite our different backgrounds, there was an immediate sense of connection. One moment stayed with me. During the conference, Consortium CEO Eric Allen reminded us that we belong here and deserve to be here. Hearing those words in a room filled with accomplished people was powerful. Before my MBA had even started, I was confronting something I had carried with me for years: imposter syndrome.
As a Latina, I have sometimes wondered whether my background might make it harder to navigate spaces where people with experiences like mine are less represented. Consortium helped me see my immigrant and Latina identity differently. My background was not something I needed to overcome to succeed. It was part of the perspective I brought with me. Instead of wondering whether I was qualified enough to be there, I wanted to recognize that my experiences had earned me a place at the table.
Seeing My Identity as a Woman Through Forté
A few weeks later, I traveled to Atlanta for the Forté conference. Forté is an organization dedicated to advancing women in business and increasing opportunities for women pursuing business education and leadership careers. If Consortium helped me better understand my immigrant and Latina identity, Forté gave me an opportunity to reflect on my identity as a woman.
Throughout the conference, I was surrounded by inspiring women and heard stories about leadership, career transitions, challenges, and opportunities. Seeing so many successful women in one room made me think about my own aspirations and where I come from. Growing up in El Salvador, I was aware of inequalities women can face, and I did not always see women represented in leadership positions. Standing in that room felt meaningful because I was seeing possibilities I had not always been exposed to.
Forté encouraged me to think more intentionally about what kind of woman and leader I want to become. It reminded me that representation matters and that I want to contribute to spaces where women can see leadership as possible for them, too.
Bringing It With Me to Wisconsin
It was not until I began my MBA that I fully connected these experiences. In MHR 706: Leading and Working in Teams with Professor Nancy Greenen, we recently completed an identity circle exercise. We reflected on how different aspects of our identities can influence our experiences, biases, privileges, and barriers.
As I looked at my own identity circle, I thought back to Seattle and Atlanta. I realized that two identities I carry with me every day, immigrant and woman, can influence how I experience the world and how others may perceive me. At the same time, they have shaped my resilience, perspective, and understanding of belonging.
This feels especially important as I pursue a career in human resources. HR professionals work with people who bring their own identities and experiences into the workplace. Understanding our own identities can help us recognize our assumptions and create environments where different perspectives are valued.
From Seattle and Atlanta to Grainger Hall
Looking back, I initially thought Consortium and Forté were preparing me for the practical side of starting an MBA. They certainly did that, but their impact was deeper. Consortium helped me embrace my immigrant and Latina identity. Forté helped me embrace my identity as a woman in business. MHR 706 helped me understand that these parts of my identity do not exist separately. They intersect and influence how I experience teams, leadership, and the workplace.
Now, two weeks into my MBA, I am beginning to put those lessons into practice. I walk into my classrooms knowing that I do not have to leave parts of myself at the door. I can bring my immigrant experience, Salvadoran and Latina roots, experience as a woman, and background in human resources into the conversations and teams I am now part of.
I am still at the beginning of this journey, and I know there will be moments when I question myself. But when that happens, I will remember what I heard in Seattle: I belong here.
Consortium and Forté served different purposes, but together they helped me arrive at Wisconsin with a stronger understanding of who I am and what I bring to the table. They prepared me to show up as myself and think about how, as a future HR leader, I can help create workplaces where others can do the same.