Iris Ortega is the inspirational Community Engagement Manager at Live & Learn. She is also a thriving alumna of the Live & Learn program who is paving a path for women of color in leadership.
Ortega is 1 of 2 Arizona inductees into the 2022 Bank of America Emerging Leader Program. During her time in the program, she will spend 6-months enhancing her leadership skills with Bank of America.
The Bank of America Emerging Leader Program is designed for potential candidates with 3-6 years of leadership experience.The Program “will offer access to a wealth of leadership development content, practical tools and exercises, professional coaching, peer learning, and much more,” to Emerging Leaders like Ortega.
Live & Learn with Alumna Iris Ortega
Ortega is an alumna of Live & Learn and began her journey in 2012, but her affiliation with Live & Learn did not end when she graduated from Live & Learn’s program in 2013.
When she began Live & Learn’s program, Ortega was seventeen years old with a little boy and in an abusive relationship. Ortega has the will and drive to succeed, but she needed a push to see her full potential and flourish. Live & Learn provided that push.
After attending an information session presented by Live & Learn, Ortega signed up for the program, which at the time was focused on providing support to women as they earned a teaching certificate.
Ortega spent 6-months in the Live & Learn program, working, going to school, and caring for her young children. Her experience in Live & Learn gave her the confidence to keep going.
“It was not until I earned the certification that I learned I can do it,”
Ortega said.
It was because of Live & Learn that Ortega was able to develop and meet goals that she created for herself.
“Even after getting my first certification, I never left Live & Learn,” Ortega said.
Live & Learn had instilled in Ortega a desire for continuing her higher education.
Even though Ortega wanted to pursue a bachelor’s degree, she was not sure how to pay for her education. Fortunately, Live & Learn assisted Oretega in battling financial barriers.
As the application process was coming to a close for a full-ride scholarship, Live & Learn pointed Ortega into the direction of success. Live & Learn wrote Ortega a recommendation letter and encouraged Ortega to write her scholarship essay. A few hours before the application closed, Ortega was in the queue.
Live & Learn provides unconditional inspiration to the women who are in the program, and because of that Ortega was provided a full-ride scholarship to receive her B.S. in Family and Human Development from Arizona State University.
Becoming a Leader
After completing the certification and obtaining her degree, Ortega began her professional career supporting the community through various roles at Live & Learn. Her journey has continued to with multiple different job opportunities. She has worked as a Live & Learn Client Coordinator, Development Coordinator, and Community Engagement Manager.
“I know I wasn’t going to be here if I didn’t have Stephanie or Kristin [Live & Learn staff],” Ortega said. “I want to do for others what they did for me.”
And that is exactly what Ortega did.
As Community Engagement Manager, she works with individuals, corporations, and local businesses in the community who are also passionate about the Live & Learn mission to empower women to break the cycle of generational poverty.
Ortega’s most recent project was Live & Learn’s first annual Hope Blooms fundraiser. Over a three month period, Ortega coordinated with various connections and in result, the event sold out and raised over $6,000 in donations.
As Ortega continues thriving at Live & Learn, she wishes women in the program new and old to “trust and try. This process can really change your life if you trust in Live & Learn.”
Bank of America Emerging Leader
Ortega leads and continues to grow at Live & Learn; she is prepared to begin her emerging leader program at Bank of America. She is able to bring firsthand experience as an alumna and her experiences working at Live & Learn. Ortega grew to be detail oriented and an excellent problem solver, desirable qualities for an exceptional leader.
While at Live & Learn Ortega has launched a volunteer mentorship program, built new partnerships with nonprofit agencies in the community, and given presentations to an array of local business and corporate groups.
Ortega is a hardworking mom, leader and advocate, who is a worthy Bank of America inductee.
Bank of America is focused on elevating people of color to lead the organizations on the front lines of addressing systemic inequalities. The program believes in the importance of elevating people of color and people with lived experiences, like Ortega, to be in leadership positions at organizations like Live & Learn that are addressing critical issues like economic inequality and social justice.
“Live & Learn has provided me the opportunity to change my life. Now as an emerging leader I get the opportunity to continue growing as a leader. Bank of America’s Emerging Leaders Training will give me the tools needed to make an impact in our community so I can help women like myself thrive.”
About the author:
Izabella is a student at Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. She is studying journalism with an emphasis in photojournalism. She is dedicating her journalism career to giving a voice to vulnerable populations and marginalized communities.
You can see more of Ms. Zola’s work at Photography. She can be reached at izhernan@asu.edu.
