Episode 29
A CONVERSATION WITH ASTRID TUMINEZ
Show Notes:
Recently I had the opportunity to interview Astrid S. Tuminez, current president of Utah Valley University, on my podcast.
Just listen to her insane story:
ASTRID S. TUMINEZ...
...was born as one of 7 kids in the Phillipines, and when she was very young her family moved from the rice fields to the big city slums, in hopes of finding more opportunity. Catholic Nuns found their struggling family and brought them to a free Catholic boarding school, and there Astrid learned how to read and write and discovered her love of learning.
Later on she met missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and eventually became a member. She was then accepted to the University of the Phillipines, and then after that BYU, and then Harvard, and then MIT.
“So the origin story if you will... is one of an immigrant, one of a dreamer,
one of a person who just believed...that life could be magical.”
During her academic education Astrid had done an incredible amount of research on Russia and the Soviet Union, and had the opportunity to do a lot of work between the US and Russia during the collapse of the Soviet Union. She saw had difficult it was for a nation to grow it’s markets again, which prompted her to go learn about finance on Wall Street.
She then worked in investment banking on Wall Street for a few years, even going back to some schools to audit classes so she could be knowledgable in her field. After Wall Street, she was then approached by Google, but ultimately decided to take a job at Microsoft.
Dr. Tuminez is now the first female president of UVU, and is making incredible things happen at that university. Her life is a shining example of determination, hard work, and proof that you can do anything you set your mind to if you never give up.
“I think one of the things that is so important is to
admit what we don’t know, I think we get in trouble when we pretend we know something but don’t really know.”
TOP 4 INSIGHTS
Here are four insights I gleaned from her incredible story of going from an impoverished family in the Phillipines, to current president of Utah Valley University:
01.
“What are the stories you will tell yourself?” We all have stories in our head about who we are and why we do things, and the amazing thing if we can change those stories if we work on them. So be intentional about the stories you listen to.
02.
“If you’re not willing to make a fool of yourself, you’re not going to succeed.” Learning a new skill or habit is hard, and it’s easy to feel embarrassed when you’re a beginner. But if you can push past the uncomfortable and keep trying, you will ultimately succeed.
03.
“If you’ve made a decision, stick with it for at least 6 months.” When starting something new, it can be easy to second-guess yourself. Forcing yourself to stick with it can often help you overcome that uneasiness and have a more clear idea of how to move forward in the future.
04.
“Know who you are, and play to your strengths.” Don’t try and be something you’re not—just be you. This is crucial as a business, an organizaiton, a family, or even as individuals.