Meet Brian Ysasaga, Student at MSU Denver
Brian Ysasaga is a GlobalMindED non-tradition First Gen leader who left a career in the health professions to pursue his passion in Aerospace at Metro State University. He is working this summer with Joe Rice at Lockheed Martin, learning first hand how a major company like that works from leaders who mentor and guide him. He served on the What’s Cool About Aerospace panel, representing the student voice and the emerging leaders who will join this crucial profession.
Brian’s GlobalMindED mentor is 40 year career veteran from Lockheed Martin, Blake Davis. Blake has been meeting in person with Brian all spring and was instrumental in his onboarding to make the most out of his summer internship and his time at the GlobalMindED 2022 conference.
What is your personal narrative? What challenges and major life moments have led you to where you are?
I have had to overcome many challenges in life, but the one that shaped my life most was my childhood. (Or lack thereof.) Growing up, my parents were addicted to drugs, forcing us to move from place to place. Because of this, most of my childhood was spent in a rundown hotel. I rarely made it to school due to living so far, which led to me behind held back two years in school due to missing so many days. At some point, the things I saw began to seem normal, so I headed down the road I was used to and would find myself in trouble constantly. I eventually learned that education would be my way out of the place I hated and the key to breaking the cycle I was all too familiar with. I began working with counselors to increase my chances of graduating on time and ended up graduating high school a year and a half early. This gave me the courage to move from Texas to Colorado by myself to obtain my Aerospace Systems Engineering degree.
What dreams and goals do you have for your future?
My goals are to build extraordinary spacecraft/satellites or scientific equipment and even be able to command them from mission control here. Ultimately in my career, I’d like to focus on the reusability and removal of space junk/debris. My goal before retirement would be to invent something that makes this world that much safer and to leave knowing that I helped make the planet a better place.
How has being a part of the GlobalMindED community impacted you? How do you hope to continue growing and learning from this inclusive community?
The GlobalMindED community has helped to further my knowledge in an industry that is primarily individuals of the trade, which makes it extremely difficult for a first-generation student. It was through the organization that I made the connections I needed to be able to feel comfortable in my future as a student and a young professional entering the industry. I plan to stay in touch with the many people I met during the conference to help both empower them and vice versa. At the Metro Politian State University of Denver, I work with other first generation students to help make them aware of organizations such as this to help them find their true passion, as well as with mentorship to keep the persistence and perseverance to pursue their degree or choice.
What do you need from your community to be supported and transition into an inclusive professional?
I ask for patience and guidance from my community while I learn this new chapter of my life. This is an exciting time in my life but also a terrifying time as well. I would love to be able to enter a leadership role in the future in hopes of inspiring the future workforce and building the diverse and inclusive workforce we desperately need, especially in a field such as the aerospace engineering field.
I’d like to thank the speakers at the conference and everyone at GlobalMindED for helping me to learn that I don’t have to be ashamed of my story and for allowing me to discover my actual value, which helped my imposter syndrome.
What were the biggest personal and professional benefits of attending GlobalMindED 2022?
My most significant professional benefit from the GlobalMindED event was that I got to learn more about my panel leader, which just so happens to be who I work for at Lockheed Martin Space. My most significant personal benefit in attending the conference was the networking aspect of everything. Not only could I make connections with CEOs, but I could also make connections with other like-minded individuals.
What is the greatest risk you took at the event?
The most significant risk I took at the event was putting myself out there to be able to experience everything in its entirety. This meant putting myself WAY outside my comfort zone, which helped me grow and experience all the lessons and advice being offered.
How will your life be different as a result of this experience?
I have learned to embrace my past and to not be ashamed of where I came from or who I came from. My life after this conference has forever been changed in that I am more confident in not only myself but also in my future and what it holds.
How can you take your leadership experience back to campus ( or your professional life, if grad) to open doors for other students while creating a more inclusive college-going expertise on your campus?
I will work with the First Generation student organization on campus to ensure that future students know of all the available resources, including GlobalMindED and the fantastic community they offer. I can also take the lessons and advice I’ve learned to this point to ensure they are armed with all the arsenal that I know in the hopes of helping them to go further than they ever expected.
Are there any other thoughts you would like to share with our readers?
As cliché as this sounds, don’t ever give up and don’t ever let anyone tell you who to be or who to become! I live by my favorite quote in that destiny is not a matter of chance, it’s a matter of choice. Life gets hard but we must never give up and always believe in ourselves to achieve our dreams!
How else can the GlobalMindED inclusive community continue to support your growth and leadership?
Continue to have events like this to help further our foundation of who we are and our power as first generation students. This event was such a great way to learn about who I am and the things I am truly capable of.
