By Alexis Basaldu (’18)
I began my career in education-focused nonprofits dedicated to increasing diversity in higher education. As a full-time UCLA Anderson student, I continued my dedication to diversity and inclusion through my role on the board of Anderson Latino Management Association (ALMA). We have engaged the larger Anderson community in celebration of the American Latino experience. These cultural exchanges are supported by UCLA Anderson in recognition of the fact that strong leadership requires deep appreciation of all voices on campus and in the workplace.
UCLA Anderson’s Embracing Diversity Conference brought the conversation on diversity and inclusion beyond simply articulating the importance of D&I in the workplace to inspiring attendees to spearhead inclusion in their organizations.
Throughout the three-day event there were many opportunities to have candid conversations with current students and alumni, beginning with an invitation to our Anderson Afternoons, a Thursday happy hour tradition that brings together UCLA Anderson students from all our programs. Members of Out@Anderson and Black Business Students Association, as well as ALMA, gave conference attendees a taste of Anderson culture in a casual setting.
Friday brought in dedicated alumni and remarkable speakers who gave honest accounts of what it feels like to encounter bias in the workplace. They provided practical plans of action for how to confront it there.
Anderson’s Embracing Diversity Conference is an event designed to connect the Anderson community with prospective applicants. The camaraderie built among current and prospective students, who come from across the country with unique backgrounds and with different aspirations, will persist beyond the conference. Once I have graduated, I hope to return to find many of this year’s conference attendees leading events at Anderson to build on our work of empowering an increasingly diverse and inclusive community.
UCLA Anderson presents Embracing Diversity, a professional conference for prospective students to learn what diversity means at Anderson and what makes our full-time MBA and fully employed MBA (FEMBA) programs top choices for students. All participants connect with current Anderson MBAs and alumni from the Anderson Latino Management Association, Black Business Students Association and Out@Anderson, and walk away with a clearer picture of what an MBA at UCLA Anderson can look like.
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