Home Region
Houston, TX
Undergrad Education
University of Notre Dame, 2016
Previous Experience
Exxon Mobil Corp.
“Seeing my section mates proudly share where they’re from made me immensely grateful to have such a diverse class.”
Coming to HBS is like...
Going to the world’s greatest amusement park with some of the most amazing, talented, and diverse people. As you enter the park, your eyes are wide open with all the possibilities available to you. Some experiences are quite familiar, yet others, like the dreaded cold call, can feel a bit scary. Others, like recruiting for that dream job or going on that trek to another country, are experiences that you never thought would be available to you. While you only get to “ride the rides” for two years, the learnings and friendships from the experience last a lifetime after graduation.
What is your most memorable classroom moment?
Flag day. Seeing my section mates proudly share where they’re from made me immensely grateful to have such a diverse class. Personally, unfurling the Honduran and Mexican flags was an incredibly moving experience as I thought about all the hard work and decisions my parents undertook when immigrating to the U.S. to make that moment a reality for me.
What is your favorite childhood memory?
One summer in grade school, my friends and I built a treehouse in a forest by our houses. We spent all summer scavenging scrap wood and carrying it to our tree. By the end of the summer, we had built a two-story treehouse about 20 feet up a large oak tree. The thing was a safety nightmare (sorry, Mom and Dad), but the experience inspired me to become an engineer and continue building things.
What is the best thing about your home town?
The best thing about Houston is definitely the food. Houston is an incredibly diverse city, and this shows up in the cuisine. Within a 15-minute drive, you can get mouth-watering barbecue, delicious pho, and unforgettable Tex-Mex, all served with good ole southern hospitality.
What has changed about your understanding of leadership?
Leadership is not a noun but an action. Effective leadership requires leaders to actively listen with inquiry, build support systems, and establish trust so that the team can grow and achieve above perceived limits even after the leader leaves.