For Leticia Lopez, a current MBA student at Indiana University Northwest, education and her Hispanic heritage have always been dear to her heart. She’s currently on the path of merging those two things with her talent for data analysis to make a difference in the lives of less privileged individuals.
Lopez grew up in East Chicago. In her community, many kids didn’t aspire to go to college because they knew they could make a good living working at the steel mills and weren’t always encouraged to seek out more. Lopez’s family always pushed her, though.
Lopez’s grandfather, Roberto Hernandez instilled in her the drive to learn all she could and to find employment in a career in which she could make a positive impact. He spoke of their family’s Hispanic culture and how they needed to gain ownership of what was depicted of them. Lopez also had two aunts who were IU alumni. Both women inspired her to gain an education.
Lopez set off to find where she could be of service. Little did she know that her pursuit would soon pull her into the world of data analytics.
Lopez first fell in love with data analysis when she worked as a response to intervention (RTI) instructor at the East Chicago Urban Enterprise Academy. She worked with the lower 35th percentile of students and had to use analytics to understand their growth so that she could create customized lesson plans. Through her efforts, all of her students were able to improve their grades.
“That’s when I started to understand that there is power in data analysis. If you track these things and you see the progress, then you can see if things need to be tweaked or not. I also learned that it's not necessarily a failure if you don’t see progress--it just means that there's something else that needs to be addressed,” said Lopez
After working in several different industries and continuing to grow her knowledge of data analytics, Lopez eventually decided that she wanted to earn her MBA so she could gain an even deeper understanding of analytics and use that resource to improve the quality of life of others.
“I couldn't continue to preach to my daughter about wanting more for herself and wanting to be made to be equal in her day-to-day life without becoming that person myself and showing her we can change things,” said Lopez.
Lopez decided there was nowhere better to pursue her education than at IU Northwest. IU Northwest is the most diverse campus of all IU campuses--its undergraduate population is 28 percent Hispanic or Latine. IU Northwest is also the only public institution of higher education in Indiana to be named a Hispanic Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education, allow it to provide even more support to all of its students.
During her time at IU Northwest, Lopez has been able to grow immeasurably in her field and also develop an even deeper connection with her Hispanic heritage. She recently worked on a case study with one of her professors to learn more about the graduate level of Hispanics in the United States. She saw that the number of Hispanics who are graduating is increasing, but far too slowly. This knowledge has only fueled her passion for using data analytics to make a difference.
Through IU Northwest, Lopez was also able to go on a study-abroad trip to Barcelona. There she was able to dive even further into the history of Spanish heritage.
“It was a lot of fun to see all of the different traditions and how far they date back in Hispanic culture. It was a huge experience that I'll never forget. It was amazing,” said Lopez.
Now, Lopez only has three classes left in her capstone. She plans to graduate in May 2024 and already has several goals for the future. She currently works as a Director of Revenue Strategy in the hospitality industry; she hopes to move into human resources and use her analytic skills to improve employee experiences and empowerment in the workplace.
“The whole point is to be able to give people a good experience during the time they're employed by a company. For example, a large percentage of housekeepers are Hispanic women. If the hotel could offer something to them, such as English classes, they would have the opportunity to better themselves in more ways than just financially. That way when people do leave, they're leaving happily. They're leaving because they feel like they've learned some great skills and they've been empowered, and they want to move on to the next thing,” said Lopez.
Lopez would also eventually like to create a social program that teaches kids about the different opportunities they have available to them and encourages them to take their future into their own hands.
“I think a big part of the Hispanic community and Hispanic culture is being very passionate and very strong. I want to hone in on that passion and strength and help kids understand that they have the power to rewrite what defines them,” said Lopez.
Ultimately, Lopez’s time at IU Northwest and her growth in the field of data analytics has set her on the path to making an irrevocable difference in people’s lives, especially those in disadvantaged communities. She encourages everyone regardless of their background or upbringing to not let anyone or anything hold them back: everyone has the power to be whoever they want to be.
“No matter what happens to you in life or what you do, your reaction to it is what's going to make you special. You can either choose a path that's going to take you down a bad road filled with darkness, or you can choose to come out of it better on the other side,” said Lopez.
In her free time, Lopez likes to spend time with her young daughter, who is her biggest accomplishment in life. Her daughter’s father recently passed away, but her daughter has remained positive and has continued to do well in school. Lopez couldn’t be prouder of the young woman her daughter is becoming.
“She's someone that I look to for strength because at 10 years old, I don't know if I would have been able to have gone through the things that she's gone through and be able to come out as such a positive person,” said Lopez.
To learn more about Indiana University Northwest, visit northwest.iu.edu.
