- [Sandy] I think I would be
an almond milk latte [laughs].
I think it's just because
I wanna be healthy
and delicious at the same time.
My name is Sandy Zimmermann,
and I'm a first-generation
college graduate.
At Starbucks, I am currently an analyst,
so I manage data for about 8000 stores.
So in high school, I lived in a motel room
with my mom and my dad,
and later on, my sister.
So it was crowded [laughs].
A day in my life was really
just living moment to moment,
and scrounging up
whatever money you could,
and finding ways to make it work.
Before I had a laptop, I would
go to the hotel next door
and just ask an employee
if I could use their business center.
Sometimes they'd let me,
sometimes they wouldn't.
I did that a lot [laughs].
Sometimes I did that to get homework done.
Humans are extremely adaptable
and no matter what you're going through,
you'll usually find a way to make it work.
Connections that I got through Starbucks
was through informational interviews
and was through fostering
those relationships.
An informational interview
is a very casual conversation
just asking about somebody's position,
getting to know what
someone does for a living.
So you can ask them,
"What's a day like in your line of work?"
"What are the challenges?
"What are the things you love?"
I was gung-ho in my
classrooms, heads down,
paying super close attention,
never straying and talking to friends.
I wanted to absorb
everything like a sponge.
Ivy Cutting is like a pre-graduation.
It's a tradition that SPU does.
I really remember my parents being there
and their faces.
I mean, they were in
complete awe and wonder.
I think what makes me proud
to be a first-generation college student
is the way that they feel about everything
that I've accomplished.
My parents never wanted
anything less for me.
And they are very proud
of where I've gotten to.
(music)
