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[ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 ] Everybody, she says, should always be learning and growing to hit new goals— including her. At the companies she’s overseen, she’s instituted special retreats designed to get all kinds of staff members working together to solve problems—and understand the talents each of them bring to the table. “I absolutely believe I am fortunate. I’m even more fortunate to have some amazingly talented people work for me,” she said. At all stages of her career, Gagnon has also sought to give back with her expertise— and her mentorship. In fact, Gagnon is the co-chair of the Mentoring Committee for Global Gaming Women. The organization seeks to help women in the industry network and tap into educational and leadership opportunities. With her committee, Gagnon has worked to bring women from across the industry and across the country together to help them “lean in” and take their careers to the next level. She’s also volunteered her time to much younger leaders-to-be, helping launch a mentoring program for girls at the Choctaw Tribal Schools. Gagnon also has taught at the university level, and has kept in touch with many of her former students. From 2008 to 2010, Gagnon actually took a break from the gaming industry to lecture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management. She loved teaching casino curriculum so much that her students asked her, “Why don’t you go back?” She took their advice—and says she’s happy she did. She said the gaming industry isn’t just dynamic and fast-paced, it’s analytical — like her. Her advice to young executives is to understand that good leadership isn’t one size fits all, but does share characteristics. “Define the kind of leader you want to be and try to be that every day,” she told Native Business. Gagnon added that she wouldn’t have gotten as far as she has without lots of support. She’s grateful to her colleagues, her friends and her family. She said they’ve helped her get through tough times and emerge successful. “I think the one thing I would absolutely tell people is: you may have tough times, but the resilience that it builds in an individual really tees you up for success,” she said. “Those people who push through adversity, those are skills employers want. You really appreciate what it takes, and you do have more empathy as a leader.”
Student Named to Most Promising Multicultural Class of 2020 CHAMINADE COMMUNICATION SENIOR SOFIA VELA JETTED OFF TO NEW YORK IN FEBRUARY FOR A FOUR-DAY CONFERENCE OF THE AMERICAN ADVERTISING FEDERATION’S MOST PROMISING MULTICULTURAL CLASS OF 2020.
Vela was among just 50 students from around the country selected for the class, a prestigious honor that recognized her portfolio of work and academic accomplishments. A panel of industry representatives from across a host of big-name companies selected the honorees. The federation launched the Most Promising Multicultural Student program in 1997 to link the advertising industry with top multicultural students from around the country, setting up sit-downs with mentors and recruiters in a bid to create a more inclusive and diverse workforce. Those selected this year traveled to New York from February 10 to 13 for a packed agenda—with workshops, “industry immersion” opportunities, and the Building Bridges for our Future luncheon. The students were also treated to a Broadway show: “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical.” Vela said she couldn’t contain her excitement when she’d found out she was selected for the honor. And the New York City conference didn’t disappoint. “I had no idea that this trip would be so life-changing,” Vela said. “Each MPM student was hard-working and driven. Together, we lifted each other up and created an energy that continues to motivate me, even after returning home.” All the honorees in the class are minorities and 43 are women. The diversity left Vela inspired. “We were all there for a similar, unspoken reason: to redefine the norm,” she said. “The time to increase populations of multicultural men and women in the workplace is now.” Vela said she’s now ready to take on just about anything after college. Whatever her next steps, she knows she’ll have some new peers to share them with. “I made some lifelong friends on the trip,” Vela said. “The students on this trip were all absolutely wonderful.”
