How We Succeed: Chrissy Vasquez, MBA’07
You keep getting back up, no matter how many times you’ve been knocked down. You go against the naysayers, and you do things that you want to do, that you thought were never possible.
Take advantage of opportunities. Don’t question what it’s going to do for you, but know that it’s going to be an opportunity to grow and change. That’s certainly what I learned at Kelley Indianapolis. Don’t do things because you’re looking at the endgame; do things because you know it’s going to make the community a better place. That’s exactly what I've done as a volunteer and former VP at Back on My Feet.
Operating in 12 major cities coast-to-coast, Back on My Feet uses running and community to motivate and support individuals every step of the way from homelessness to independence. I’ve always been passionate about helping others. It is an organization that pulls in everything I’m passionate about as a runner.
There have been countless lives changed because of Back on My Feet. I see it every day. I see confidence going up—in the same way I gained confidence from running triathlons. I see people feeling good about themselves and feeling like they add value back to the community.
Being a student at Kelley Indianapolis built my confidence. When I first got into the Evening MBA Program, I thought, “I’m way in over my head; I don’t have the same skills that my classmates do.” But as I started working with groups of students, I realized that I brought skills to the table that others didn’t. I realized that my skill set is equally as valuable.
I was already volunteering with Back on My Feet Indianapolis when I became that chapter’s executive director in 2013. I knew from my own running I had the skills necessary to relate to our members, to make their lives better. But I also had momentum from the skills that I learned at Kelley Indianapolis to make a change in the organization.
It’s OK to admit that you don’t know everything, and it’s OK to ask other people for help. You’ll come across situations in life where your skills will complement somebody else’s. My motto for triathlons and work is “don’t stop.” As long as you keep moving, you’ll always get through it. The moment you stop is when you lose your momentum.
I am Chrissy Vasquez, and I learned that succeeding together is a greater achievement than going it alone with the Kelley Evening MBA Program.