Tamayo-Calabrese took an unconventional route to her professional position. Owing only to her racial and gender identity, she had to overcome harassment, bias, barriers to entry, and outsized expectations on order to succeed. Determination and patience were important for her success, but so was her foresight and creativity to cultivate skills that empowered her to succeed in multiple fields.
“(Tamayo-Calabrese's) transferable skills in law, international diplomacy, not-for-profit, and leadership gave her leverage to change careers successfully throughout her life, especially beneficial when she decided to find a more flexible career and focus on her family,” Sanchez said.
In addition to presenting her own story, Tamayo-Calabrese counseled students on strategies for navigating the professional sphere. She stressed self-respect and self-belief, encouraging her audience to pursue career opportunities with conviction and strive for leadership. She also advocated for creative problem-solving and networking as tools for finding careers and getting ahead professionally.
Sanchez was gratified that Tamayo-Calabrese gave of her time to share her message with students and hoped there would be much for them to remember and use on their personal journeys.
“I hope students gained a sense of empowerment by learning about the importance of intercultural communication, community engagement, and thinking-outside-the box,” Sanchez said. “I encourage our students to remember (Tamayo-Calabrese's) message, ‘Be the author of your own story, not a character in someone else's.’”
Watch the video of Tamayo-Calabrese's presentation:
