Liliana Sánchez, One-Year MBA ’21 alumna, has been driving a not-for-profit project to help Alfonso Medina Jr. High School in her hometown of Zacatecas, Mexico. The focus of the project is to transform an empty classroom into a computer lab for students to access. The process includes setting up the classroom with tables and chairs, installing proper electric wiring for the computers, and supplying the school with Spanish-language keyboards, mousepads, paper, ink headphones and other equipment for the lab to run smoothly. We spoke with Liliana to hear more about the inspiration behind this venture and the steps it has taken to get there so far.
- What made you want to start this fundraiser?
Back in November, my youngest brother who attends Alfonso Medina Jr. High asked me if I could help his teachers raise funds to bring computers to the school. He then connected me to his teacher (Rodrigo Ortega), and we began talking about the project.
After listening to Rodrigo’s ideas, I felt compelled to help. I have seen students working on homework on their cell phones, not by choice, but because they don’t have access to any other device. Education is important to me, and I want to help my brother and his peers have access to technology so they can be excited about continuing their education.
This project really inspired me, and I knew that I could help bring awareness and hopefully encourage others to help as well. Throughout the pandemic, I saw how people were supporting one another through the power of crowdfunding, so I immediately thought to begin fundraising.
2. How did you begin the process of working with the school and creating this vision?
I planned to visit my hometown right after completing the MBA program, and it was during that time that I had the opportunity to visit the school and meet with the teachers in person. Prior to that, we chatted online so I could see videos of the school and the state of the classrooms. Rodrigo had the vision to transform an empty classroom into a computer lab, and I loved it so much that I instantly came on board to make it a reality. Our goal is to incorporate a computer class into the curriculum and expose students to different devices and operating systems.
My role is to be the voice for this project and get the word out there through friends, family and people in the community. To get started, we created a Facebook page for the school to connect with the community and with members of the community that now live in the U.S.
I began posting about the school, its activities and about the project to bring awareness to our mission. Since the beginning, the project was well received and supported by the parents and community.
3. What are you working on supplying to the school and students?
I am working to supply the school with 20 computers including desktops and laptops, a few printers, routers, Wi-Fi boosters, headphones, tables and chairs. All of this is necessary to equip the computer lab classroom.
4. How has earning your MBA at NIU impacted your career so far, and how has it helped you in the fundraising process?
Earning my MBA at NIU has impacted my career in many ways so far, and I know that I will continue to see the benefits in the future. One important aspect is the ability to change career paths from an operations/sales background to management consulting (I am currently in the process of making that change).
I’ve grown my network which now includes my peers from the program, and the outstanding NIU professors and staff. Overall, I believe that I’m a more confident business professional and leader because of the experiences I gained in the classroom and through the various projects we worked on throughout the year.
My MBA helped me enhance my networking abilities and build support for this project through donations and words of encouragement. I was able to network with the cofounder of a startup during my capstone consulting project and receive his support, as well as partner with The Computer Connection Ministry.
To learn how you can make an impact or contribute, you can contact Liliana through the Alfonso Medina Jr. High School Facebook page or her LinkedIn profile.
by Michaela Dudek, digital marketing major and graduate assistant in the MBA Office, NIU College of Business.
