Since completing the CCI Program, Andres David Erazo Paz (Colombia, Houston Community College, Business Administration, 2016-17) has become an advocate for social change in his profession. In July 2022, he began his career as a location analyst for McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm headquartered in New York City. As an analyst, Andres’ day is never the same; it’s a role that allows Andres to work with teams of experts to solve the most difficult problems of companies in his region. He hopes to continue to learn from multiple sectors and contribute to social projects for his firm, specifically on topics such as health, education, and economic development. He is currently participating in the McKinsey Black Network, a space to continue strengthening the importance of diversity and opening the way for other Afro-Colombians. He is also a mentor to Embassy scholars who are studying English in the Colombo Americano, a program that aids students in leadership skills, vocational guidance, and comprehensive support.
Andres’ motivation to open doors for Afro-Colombians didn’t begin at McKinsey, however. He recognized a need for change at an early age and took on leadership roles while attending university. Upon returning home in 2017, he began studying economics and international business at Icesi University, which is currently a top university in Colombia. Andres managed to hold a scholarship and the highest rank of student representation as a young black man, challenging the system with important results for the entire community. He also became vice president of the student group of economics and business students at the university and expanded the participation of the group in leadership spaces, encouraging social contribution in vulnerable areas of Cali, Colombia. Towards the end of 2019, he ran for popular elections to be part of the university student council and became treasurer. In addition to contributing to a budget increase for the group, he also began collecting money from students for food and transportation scholarships for low-income students.
In March 2020, the pandemic arrived in Colombia, creating great challenges for students on his campus. Many students did not have a laptop at home, much less internet. As part of student council, Andres and his fellow members articulated efforts between representatives and the university to send students computers and internet SIM cards so they could connect to classes. This alleviated the difficulties of many families who were left without jobs and at risk of losing educational opportunities. Furthermore, he led a proposal that aided students who required financial aid during the pandemic; his initiative impacted about 10% of the student population. In addition, he managed a mobile covid testing station for students when they returned to class, hiring university students to be at the mobile stations with an application created by the university to prevent and detect the spread of COVID-19 on campus. Under the initiative, 80% of Andres’ team were women who, in addition to being in the organization, led other teams within the university. Following this, Andres completed a student internship at Tecnoquimicas, the top pharmaceutical company in Colombia, leading a sales force commercial system project with a focus on digitalization as a productivity tool.
By 2022, once his internship was finished, Andres started working at McKinsey Colombia as one of the first black members of the firm. Within the firm, he has worked in industries such as banking and insurance for over a year, and he is part of the public and social sector practice, which focuses on solving the most complex problems of NGOs and governments in the region.
Andres has achieved an incredible number of goals over the past six years. He said the CCI Program contributed greatly to the person that he is today. It provided him with opportunities to interact with student ambassadors from around the globe, to know their cultures and their problems, but also what drives their lives and those in their communities. At just 18 years old, living in an unknown country, speaking a difficult language, and studying at an American community college, Andres recognized that his challenges eventually became opportunities. The program allowed him to live through failure and learn through constructive criticism. He came to understand the meaning of resilience, of doing things with fear even though he didn’t know what the outcome would be. Risk allowed him to reach places he never imagined and achieve things he thought impossible. His risks opened doors for others; Andres completed his internship at the consulate general of Colombia in Houston, an internship that not only paved the way for him, but for fellow Colombians participating in the program. After completing his internship, the consulate formed an interinstitutional agreement with Houston Community College so that more Colombians could intern at the consulate.
Looking back on his program year, Andres recalled his favorite moments in the program. “My favorite times were the little parties that we had in our apartments, listening to the music of each of the countries and learning how to dance. A space of learning, of union and fun. These are the real moments in which unknown countries and individuals create lifelong ties regardless of religion, culture, and geographical distance.”
Six years later, with multiple achievements under his belt, Andres is able to offer advice to those just starting out: “Have the goal clear and be aware of the different opportunities that come to your life. All work will bring you closer to that goal as long as you are clear on where you want to go. Failure is also part of success and progress. We can be good students, but sometimes things don’t go the way we want to, but that’s not the end, it’s the beginning to learn and not repeat what went wrong again. Failure scared me; now I try to make mistakes as soon as possible at the lowest possible cost. Never stop learning.”
Written by Holly Calhoun, Alumni Relations and Communications Coordinator