My Ascend Story – Coach Luis Garzon-Negreiros

By Luis Manuel Garzon-Negreiros, 2017 MBA Professional Development Fellow, MLT Ascend Coach

The blessings I have received as an MBA Prep Fellow and as a current MLT Professional Development Fellow have inspired me to give back to the community. For me, giving back through mentoring is life coming full circle. This fall, I will enter the full-time MBA program at Georgetown McDonough School of Business. As I look back at my own journey over the last few years, it’s hard for me to imagine progress happening without someone, or a group of people, supporting me along the way. This is what motivated me to become an Ascend Coach.

I am so proud of my Ascend Scholar Rolando Cantu, a sophomore at American University from San Antonio, Texas. He is studying International Politics and Information Technology. During his freshman year, Rolando managed to earn enough credits to gain sophomore status during his second semester! He’s one of the few people I know who embraces an interdisciplinary approach to his academic studies. Rolando has mastered several coding languages, has been a leader in a cyber security competition and has an abiding interest in international politics.

I have learned that my most important role as a coach is to guide Rolando towards developing the mental framework and habits that will help him make good decisions throughout his college career and beyond. It’s not to focus on my beliefs on what I think he should do.

If I can help Rolando grow his confidence, while also helping him take a thoughtful approach to building a network that will give him access to opportunities and information, I will have done my job.

Join Luis and pay it forward. Become an Ascend Coach.