Alexia Valdez is in her fifth year at CSU Pueblo as a participant of the Hasan School of Business (HSB) 3+2 MBA program. In May 2024, she will graduate with her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a Marketing emphasis, and minors in Media & Entertainment and Nonprofit Administration, as well as her Master of Business Administration degree. She is a recipient of the CSU Pueblo President’s Scholarship: American Furniture Warehouse, and the Helen M. McLoraine scholarship.
Helen Myers McLoraine (1918–2003) was the founder of The Pioneer Fund, a philanthropic organization “with a focus on figure skating, higher education assistance and medical research”. She was a private investor in the gas and oil industry since the 1950s and became an early female figure in business leadership. It’s only fitting that Valdez is already a strong, female leader on campus and in the business community.Born and raised in Pueblo, and the daughter of a single-parent household, Valdez grew up surrounded by a tribe of strong women: her mom, grandma, auntie, and a very close family friend, who, together, are a very close-knit, supportive family. “My mom is my best friend. I don’t know where I’d be without her.” As a child, she struggled with a speech impediment, but after a short time in speech therapy, she overcame the obstacle and excelled in school from then on.
Growing up in Pueblo’s Belmont neighborhood, she had become very familiar with CSU Pueblo at a young age, but her decision to become a Thunderwolf was solidified during a Discover Day visit when she was a senior in high school. After turning up absent for the event due to a soccer commitment, a CSU Pueblo University Tracks Center employee personally called her and encouraged her to stop by when she had time.
It was at this Discover Day that she received a campus tour from a student ambassador and learned more about the AACSB-accredited Hasan School of Business.
“It oddly felt like home and staying [in Pueblo for college] has been the best decision.”
Valdez enjoyed her campus tour so much that she became inspired to become a student ambassador herself – a bubbly person who is rarely seen without a smile, and loves talking and interacting with others, she has given approximately 200 tours over the past five years. “I love being able to interact with prospective students because I was one of them at one point, and there is nothing more rewarding than having those students recognize me years later and say, ‘Hey! You gave me a tour!’” In addition to this role, while juggling an 18 credit hour course load, Valdez is also a New Student Orientation Leader, Associated Students’ Government (ASG) Speaker of the House Pro Tempore (previously Senator at Large for HSB and Parliamentarian), a student member of the HSB Dean’s Advisory Council, and most recently in May 2023 acquired her first “big girl job” as Special Events Coordinator at the Latino Chamber of Commerce of Pueblo, Inc. where she is one of a small team of five who are all either CSU Pueblo alumni or soon-to-be graduates. In this role, she manages everything event related including marketing and communications, securing venues and sponsorships, RSVPs and food selection just to name a few, and also hosts event planning workshops for the community.
When asked if she lives by any philosophies, she said, “Everything happens for a reason.” After receiving the disappointing news that she did not get a promotion for a previous role, she later came to realize this disappointment allowed her to become more involved in ASG, meet new friends, and test her limits more, specifically with helping to coordinate CSU Pueblo’s annual Winter Wonderland, an event for the campus and the Pueblo community to gather and celebrate the holiday season. This event ultimately showcased her event planning skills and connected her with her current boss at the Latino Chamber which led her to where she is now in her professional life.
As for life after graduation, she plans to stay at the Latino Chamber as long as possible, but has a heartfelt, future goal of creating a nonprofit organization in Denver to assist the homeless population in securing jobs. “There are so many different obstacles to getting a job that most people don’t think about because they’ve never had to worry about it before,” Valdez said, referring to haircuts, the job acquisition process, mock interviews, transportation, and even having a physical address. “I want to help provide everything they need to succeed.”
Reflecting on her time at CSU Pueblo, she said she enjoys the sense of community, both in the individual departments and the campus as a whole, and appreciates the work the campus is doing to become more connected with the Pueblo community. Additionally, her professors know her name, but so do University staff members, academic advisors and Wellness Center counselors. “It’s the little things that have made a huge difference that I don’t think I would have found at a bigger school.”
In the little free time she has, Valdez enjoys spending time with her family as much as possible, watching Gilmore Girls, reading, and listening to music, her favorite song being “Put Your Records On” by Corinne Bailey Rae.
