Representation and Sacrifice: A conversation with Ulises Iván Sánchez, CLR/LALS External Advisor

Interview Conducted by Gigi Lara

Ulises Iván Sánchez is a Human Resources Officer with the U.S. Department of State. He holds a BA in Leadership and Human Resources Management (2015) and an MS in Human Resources (2016), both from DePaul University. With a strong academic foundation and expertise in HR, he plays a key role in supporting and managing personnel within the U.S. embassies abroad. With a global expertise, Ulises has been stationed in the United States, Colombia, and Germany, and is currently based in Thailand.

I'm a first-generation immigrant. I grew up in Chicago, and I was undocumented growing up I spent about 14 years undocumented. So, these days, I would be called a Dreamer. In those days, the language wasn't as friendly. I was very lucky. My immigration status was able to change, and I wound up getting the opportunity to go into the Marine Corps. It put my whole life on a different trajectory. Now, I've been working for about 20 years, 15 of which focused on an HR practice. I've had roles in the private sphere and the government sphere. I get to have this job with the State Department where I can go almost essentially anywhere the flag flies as a Human Resources Officer, and my family gets to tag along. My wife and I are high school sweethearts, and we have two amazing little kids. They are incredibly sweet, funny, and smart kids who happen to be autistic and have ADHD. My wife has ADHD, and I am autistic as well, so that's us in a nutshell.

What led you to join the Marines after you graduated high school?

Growing up undocumented in Chicago, I felt relatively safe. There was always this threat that I could be deported if I had a police interaction, if I had to go to the hospital, or if something came up at school. But for the most part, I felt pretty safe. When I got to high school, I needed a Social Security Number for everything, like a driver's permit. All the kids were starting to fill out their college applications by junior year. At that point, I had hit my cap, and it didn't seem like I had a future.

Somehow, I got lucky, and my immigration status changed. I was able to get my green card. I had spent all these years really struggling and not having any positive outlook on what my future looked like. I picked one of the hardest things I could do. I had this sense that people would always question whether or not I was American. For the majority of my teen and adult life, the United States had been at war. I wanted to serve and prevent people from being able to say, “You're not American.” I'm 5”4 and was 132 lbs in those years, and I knew it wasn't going to be easy. So, I knew if I could get through that and have success there [the Marines], I'd pretty much be able to do anything that I wanted to do.

What was your experience as a non-traditional first-generation Latine student at DePaul? How did DePaul, and more specifically the Latine community here, support you in your transition from the Marines to undergraduate and then graduate school?

I had a really great experience, and the Latine community at DePaul was great. One of the things I appreciated was the representation. At the time, Professor Marisa Alicea was the Dean of my college. Growing up, I didn't see a lot of Latines on TV, in the papers, or in leadership positions, either in the private sphere or in government. Just knowing that she was at the helm of the ship felt really positive and encouraging. My colleagues and classmates created a warm, welcoming, and engaging community.

By that point, I had already spent several years abroad and in Germany. Coming from an environment where the few times I saw another Mexicano, I was ready to hug him and cry, being at DePaul where I could code switch and have that cultural familiarity was helpful Not being the only adult learner was also really encouraging. There's a lot of us. We have similar stories and similar backgrounds. We've faced similar challenges, gone through them together, and had academic success together.

Throughout your career, you have been stationed in the US, Colombia, and Germany, and you are currently working in Thailand. How would you say that DePaul prepared you to work outside of the United States and advance the field of Human Resources?

When I was a paralegal with the Marine Corps, one of the things the Marines are big on is that you have to do some kind of job outside of your field. They call that your b-billet. Because a lot of the paralegals have cleaner backgrounds, it's very common for them to go into the Marine Security Guard field. So, when I was a very young Marine, that's the first time the idea sparked for me that I would love to work in an embassy someday.

DePaul's programs, when it comes to interpersonal skills, communication skills, and their inclusive and accessible focus, are miles ahead of a lot of other programs. I worked with a lot of folks that come from top-tier MBA programs. I was one of the HR managers at the University of Chicago, and when it comes to reading profit and loss statements, they're fantastic. But, asking an employee to show up on time or having a difficult conversation with somebody, that skill set wasn't there. That’s something that DePaul did very well. The way they build the management focus with an understanding that you need those communication and interpersonal skills to give you concrete frameworks, and you have a lot of tools in your toolkit by the time you hit the workforce.

Ulises Iván Sánchez

DePaul's Vincentian mission centers on service leadership and the question, “What must be done?” How has your idea of service been shaped by your professional and personal journey?

I come from underrepresented, historically disenfranchised communities. It’s always been a large part of my focus to look out for the little guy. In HR, I can express that employee resource and affinity groups matter. The student committees at universities matter I got to be the President of the Student Veterans Union and the President of DePaul's Society for Human Resource Management chapter. All of those things matter. But what I enjoy about Human Resources is that when I'm writing policy with the stroke of a pen, I can make impactful, positive, long-lasting changes for our employees when they're members of these underrepresented groups. Can I ensure that a policy is thinking about the impacts of those who are typically left out of the conversation? Can I make sure that a policy or funding is going to translate to programs that are truly equitable and accessible? I absolutely love that. It’s really one of my core values – how can we look out for the little guy in everything that we do?

There's a lot of us. We have similar stories and similar backgrounds. We've faced similar challenges, gone through them together, and had academic success together.

Since you have graduated, the Latine student population at DePaul has increased significantly; 24.4% of all undergraduate students identify as Latine, per the fall 2024 census. What continual steps do you think the institution needs to take towards becoming an HSI? How do you anticipate it will support Latine students moving forward?

Representation matters a lot. I love the fact that the more I look at DePaul, there's more and more Latine representation across the board. That is going to be an important factor in whether it achieves and sustains its HSI status. Along with that, it has to be about how we support those students as much as possible through good internship opportunities, paid internships whenever possible. Those communities typically cannot afford to work for free. Also, scholarships –how can we make sure that you have the funding to get through undergrad and get through graduate school? Nowadays, most people need some kind of grad school to be competitive in the job market.

In terms of challenges, there's a new administration coming into power in January. It's fair to say that they are going to try and change or erode a lot of the legal protections [for students]. Title IX, for example, in the academic space. All Institutions and organizations do things because they have to, legally. DePaul is going to have a really interesting opportunity and challenge to say, “Okay, as fewer things are legally required, what do we continue to do because it's the right thing to do, not because we're required to do it.” The leadership at DePaul is going to have an opportunity to prove their values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. My job, as somebody on the board, is to continue to advocate for that and remind folks that we are here to do the right thing, not the easy thing or the bare minimum.

What advice would you give to first-generation and Latine students seeking higher education?

We have to realize, as first or second-generation immigrants, what a sacrifice it was for our parents to give us that opportunity. My mom had me 16. You have to imagine that she got to the United States with no family or friends of her own. She abandoned her culture and her language to give me an opportunity. So, you have to honor that sacrifice. My parents would tell me stories about when they first got to Chicago, sometimes dinner was tortillas and Kool-Aid.

When I got to Germany as a Marine in my early 20s, I had to find a bathroom, and I couldn't do it because the signs were in German. It dawned on me at that moment, “You're in your 20s. You’re a Marine. You have money in your pocket. You can make a call, and the command will help you out. What did your 16-year-old parents do in that situation?”

So, get through undergrad. Once you start, don't stop. Even if you don't love your major, don't continue to rack up debt and change it to this and that. Pick a versatile undergrad major that you can do a lot with at the graduate level.

The older I get, the more I realize what an extraordinary job my single mother did with two kids, undocumented, with no network in Chicago. You’ve got to find a way to pay that back. Achieving academic success is one of the easiest ways to go back to your parents and say thank you for what you left behind and for all the ways you struggled. Don't stop. Keep attacking. Find a way to honor that sacrifice.

The views expressed are those of the interviewee and do not reflect the official policy or position of the U.S. Department of State or the U.S. Government.