Confidence Beyond the Classroom: Senior Destiny Velez Shares the Story of her Professional Evolution with FORGE
Destiny Velez (far left) helped manage the Venture Valley Tournament with FORGE student staff
The feeling of anticipation approaches as University of Arizona seniors prepare to graduate this fall. After years of dedication, this is the next step to the rest of their lives. FORGE is proud to recognize the graduating seniors among our student staff and congratulate them on their incredible achievement.
Student Venture Pathway Assistant Destiny Velez is a senior majoring in Business Management at Eller College of Business. Originally from Long Island, New York, Velez spent her freshman year at Arizona State University before transferring over to the University of Arizona. As the semester winds down, Velez reflected on what it was like to leave home to find her footing in Tucson.
“University of Arizona has this sense of community and care for the academics that really mattered to me,” said Velez. “It also helped that there wasn’t snow and gloomy weather like in New York.”
Taking the leap to the University of Arizona also led her to connect with FORGE where she took on a role with the Student Venture Pathway’s staff.
“I became an SVP assistant to help connect students, faculty and staff with resources meant for them,” explained Velez. “I found the job on Handshake, and I didn’t know it would change my life the way it did.”
The word 'entrepreneur' can be an intimidating one. Often students picture “entrepreneurs” as founders of billion-dollar startups and not people like themselves. However, through FORGE students learn what being an entrepreneur really means and the importance of developing an entrepreneurial mindset.
“I’ve become more confident professionally,” said Velez. “I now understand what I’m capable of handling on my own. Prior to working with FORGE, I was very unsure of myself and ability to handle myself professionally, and now I have confidence that I can do the things I seek out to do.”
Velez used her skills to go beyond her academics and into communities all over Arizona. She became a mentor for girl scouts and earned entrepreneurship badges by helping educate people in the community.
“This really allowed me to connect with young individuals who have brilliant ideas, and need their ventures to come to life,” said Velez.
Left to right: Student Venture Pathway Assistants Destiny Velez, Ximena Leon and Victoria Mendoza working downtown at the FORGE at Roy Place location.
For Velez, an "entrepreneurial mindset" is the ability to think critically and find new and easy ways to do things.
“Before FORGE, I associated entrepreneurship with opening a business but now I see it as something I partake in everyday – it makes me more strategic.”
After graduation, she plans to move to Phoenix and work full-time at American Express, as a requirement for the company’s rotational program for project analysts. With her graduation on the horizon, Velez says the best is yet to come.
“Trust the process, what’s meant for you will come,” says Velez. “Your process is yours, and we fall short if we compare ourselves to what everyone else is doing – don’t get into your head.”