A Child of Immigrants to Honors Student and Cum Laude Graduate: First-Gen Alex Alcantar's Journey

GlobalMindED actively invests in the growth and success of students.?Offering internship programs is a key part of this commitment as internships provide students with valuable real-world experience that complements their classroom learning. Interns develop professional skills, explore career paths, and build their network. Interns gain experience in areas like communication, teamwork,?and problem-solving.?

This year, GlobalMindED partnered with the Ronald Reagan Institute as they sponsored 35+ students to intern in D.C. this summer.?Some of the students had virtual internships while they met and were exposed to policy makers and leaders on both sides of the political aisle.?They learned to unify, uplift and inspire as leaders in addition to the business skills and know-how that comes with an internship. These are core values of GlobalMindED and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute .?

Meet GlobalMindED intern Alexandra Alcantar :

What is your personal/professional story?

My personal story revolves around my identity as a first-generation Mexican American. I was born the second of three children of Mexican immigrants who came to the United States to search for a better life and have been persistent in ensuring their children have a better life than they did. My parents have worked in factories, hotels, and commercial kitchens and their experiences with labor-intensive work environments have led me to pursue higher education. I have studied at Northern Illinois University for four years, and am incredibly proud to say that I graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in political science and minors in computer science and Latino and Latin American studies, and with full university honors from the Honors Program in May 2024.

While I have yet to enter the professional work environment completely, my professional story revolves around leadership opportunities at NIU including being President of DreamAction, Director of DEI of the Student Government Association, a Newman Civic Fellow as part of Campus Compact , and a mentor for the Latino Resource Center . These experiences allowed me to surround myself with like-minded individuals and to become confident as a student leader. My internships include this summer at GlobalMindED, and previously at the U.S. House of Representatives , and The Chicago Bar Association / Illinois Justice Corps, providing experience with non-profits, the government, and public service.

What key moments in your life led you to where you are today?

Attending college changed my life as I became more independent and was able to explore who I wanted to become. I joined student advocacy groups and worked on get-out-the-vote initiatives. I learned that it is okay to ask for help. As a first-gen college student navigating college on my own, asking for help and advice from faculty and staff made my university experience more enjoyable and manageable.

At commencement, I received recognition for my involvement on campus. I also won the Emerging Leader Award from the ILLINOIS LATINO COUNCIL ON HIGHER EDUCATION for my contributions to improving access and equity for Latinos in higher education. These recognitions have given me confidence, especially as I reflect on how shy I was as a freshman in college.

What have you learned from your virtual internship with GlobalMindED that will help you with your professional life ahead?

As a First-Gen Impact Project intern with GlobalMindED, I am learning how to effectively manage tasks, efficiently adapt to new technologies, and use my experience as a first-generation college student to help other students that GlobalMindED serves. This work environment will help me bring different ideas to my future career endeavors. Likewise, I have been broadening my perspectives and understanding of higher education.

How can GlobalMindED help you reach your goals?

GlobalMindED has opened my eyes to the importance of first-gen network connections and how meaningful these experiences can be for students. I believe in GlobalMindED's mission of helping college students, as much of my life revolves around wanting to further my community at home and on campus.

GlobalMindED Conference 2024:

Thank you to all of the students, partners, sponsors, speakers and attendees who made our 10 Year Anniversary conference such a success!

More than 300 students from over 60 community colleges and universities were able to learn from 400 speakers, hundreds of attendees, and each other. Please see photos from the Inclusive Leader Awards dinner, First Gen Leadership Program, main stage sessions and breakouts.

Join us in 2025 June 16-18 at the 喜来登萨尔茨堡酒店 .