Staff Spotlight: Alexandria Sánchez

Title:
VP of Administration
Alexandria has worked for 7 Elements for 3 years, assisting in program planning, administration and facilitating programs. She is passionate about sustainable development and youth empowerment.

What is your favorite travel memory?

My favorite travel memories are spending time with local community members in the Dominican Republic, going to local colmados or sitting on the porch and drinking coffee. Some of the best memories included nights where I was listening to people talk about their lives. The slow and intentional moments with people stand out to me the most.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

Working with 7 Elements has exposed me to amazing culture and new perspectives that I otherwise would not have. Your life and the way you see things has the power to change vastly when you are put in new and situations. Travel abroad to developing countries has taught me that context matters and there isn't always a black and white answer. That is why it is so important to meet people where they are and see from their lens.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

The coolest stories I hear from return students are about the awesome organizations and initiatives they spearhead when they go home. I think that is the most important and coolest part of service learning. You learn that you are capable and have the tools to make impact wherever you live. You are empowered to be the change you want to see.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I would love to travel to Peru and work with the Yanesha community. The country is beautiful and I would love to learn more about this indigenous tribe in Peru that is trying to preserve their culture. Our program also teaches about local coffee production and other economic sources. I am a huge coffee fan, so I would love to learn more about Peruvian coffee!

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

7 Elements is unique because we approach student immersion and community relationships as holistically as we can, from start to finish. No project or initiative is started until our community engagement process is completed, which allows our community partners to be a huge part of the process from the beginning to the end. We bring students and include them in this process to learn what community engagement looks like. We focus on reciprocal relationships that hold community wants to the same regard as our students. We pair our excellent projects with a carefully designed curriculum to reinforce and drive home further the development and Human Security concepts students are interfacing with on our programs.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

A successful company needs team buy in and a mission/vision that all team members stand behind. That is the core of the output and what a company is able to do for their customers. Our team believes in ethics behind development and the importance of engaging young, brilliant minds with these concepts. I think it is these factors that makes our programs excellent.