Oscar Rodriguez credits the Management Leadership for Tomorrow program for successfully obtaining his MBA. (Photo by Oscar Rodriguez)
For some young immigrants coming to the United States, achieving the American dream means securing a steady job, making few hundred dollars a week and sending it back home to family members in another country thousands of miles away. However, thanks to an MBA-prep and career development program specifically targeted towards minorities, young people may be able to raise their expectations for what they consider “making it” in America.
The Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) program gives opportunities to young Latinos and other minorities with untapped potential who may not have had the same educational or entrepreneurial connections as their peers, NBC Latino reported.
According to the MLT website, although 30 percent of the U.S. population consists of minorities, they only make up three percent of corporate, non-profit and entrepreneurial senior leaders.
This lack of minority leadership in America casts a shadow of doubt over the potential for professional success in the current generation of immigrants and minorities.
Oscar Rodriguez, a 20-year-old originally from Colombia, said that he felt that doubt after he graduated from Borough Manhattan Community College. “I think this kind of doubt is common among first generation immigrants. We perceive there is no way we could ever get in to an ivy league or top business school, so we don’t even try,” he said.
Luckily, a co-worker told Rodriguez about the MLT program. After being accepted, he went on to attend a top business school and graduated with his MBA. Rodriguez is now a Business Strategist for Quality Operations at Google.
The MLT program prepares students for the rigors of obtaining an MBA from top colleges and universities by using personalized coaching and seminars held by top leaders from companies like Goldman Sachs, Procter & Gamble and the Walt Disney company.
Applying to the program is similar to applying to business school and requires candidates to write an essay, provide letters of recommendation, and go through an interview process.
For Rodriguez, and many other minorities who have benefited from MLT, the program has made “all the difference” in raising the bar for the American dream.