Staff Spotlight: Diana Lopez
For Make-A-Wish staff member Diana, making a difference in her community has always been front of mind. She manages to do so in both her personal and professional life, all while juggling a family of four. But surprisingly, she didn’t set out to work in a nonprofit initially.
As a first-generation American, Diana remembers vividly what expectations her parents had of her.
“For me growing up, it was like, you have to be a lawyer or a doctor. So, I went to law school thinking that would be my success route,” she said.
She quickly realized that her passion for volunteering and her pending law degree would allow her to become the strong professional woman that she is today.
“I think for me, being a strong woman professionally is really about prioritizing how you want to spend your time and having goals for yourself,” Diana said. “So, if my goal is to spend more time with my family, then what are some things that I should be doing to create that? If my goal is to get a certain position in the future, then what am I doing now to get there? Or if my goal is to make a difference in my community, then what am I doing to get there?”
She remembers not having peers to network with in the early stages of her career and wants to combat that for young professionals moving forward.
We’re incredibly grateful for everything Diana has done thus far for our mission and beyond, but we know that with her level of passion and determination the sky is truly the limit.
From working in disaster relief to volunteering in after-school programs (and of course, granting wishes), Diana’s practice of high goal setting has allowed her to grow exponentially. Though when the pandemic hit, she quickly realized how much was on her plate. In retrospect, she said, “That's something that has made me better at saying no, because there are a million opportunities in the world. And if we fill up our time with things that we’re not passionate about, then we're not leaving room for better opportunities.”
Making time for what she loves has led to her most recent success—joining an advisory council of nonprofit leaders at Adelphi University. Networking with like-minded peers is just another way she continues to keep setting new goals.
“I’m proud that this opportunity not only gives me the chance to learn from other people, but also to be a role model to others,” she said.