Born in Guatemala, Rodrigo De Leon came to the United States with his family when he was just 10 years old. “When the time came to consider higher education, I was very unsure of where I could turn to find financial aid,” Rodrigo explained. “My mom and I talked, and we started wondering if this was it – maybe this was where it stopped making sense to stay in the country.” 

Fortunately, in his senior year, Rodrigo was admitted to Pomona College through the National College Match. “When I moved [to Pomona], having the QuestBridge Scholars Network (QSN) from the start was huge,” Rodrigo shared. “That made it all not as intimidating as I would have thought.” During his four years at Pomona, Rodrigo discovered an interest in economics, maintained two part-time jobs, and participated in Pomona’s Chicano Latino Student Affairs Office.

After graduating in 2017, Rodrigo connected his background in economics to a growing passion for education. He accepted a Teach for America position in Memphis, Tennessee, first as a mathematics teacher and then as an ESL coordinator. He stayed on after his original two-year commitment after he received an invitation to help found a new school. After five years, Rodrigo was ready to chart a new course outside the classroom. 

“In time, I realized that while [teaching] was a very fulfilling job, I still wanted something even closer to my college major in economics. I also wanted to make sure that I could support my mom through her retirement,” Rodrigo said. “It was at that point that I received an email from QuestBridge about the Graduate School Match: MBA. Up until then, I had not thought it was possible – I couldn’t afford it out of pocket. QuestBridge’s email was the sign for me to apply.”

Later that year, Rodrigo was thrilled to learn he was admitted to the Stanford Graduate School of Business through Round 1: “[The Stanford Graduate School of Business] felt like a natural continuation of Pomona. I would be going back to a similar environment on the West Coast where I could focus on my leadership skills right in the middle of Silicon Valley.”

Returning to California for his MBA, he felt challenged to grow in ways he had never experienced before. Outside of the classroom, he was active in several clubs, secured a summer internship with McKinsey & Company, and trained to serve as an Arbuckle Leadership Fellow in his second year so that he could mentor and coach the next incoming class of first-year MBA students. 

Rodrigo graduated from the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 2024. Reflecting on his MBA journey, he highlighted the invaluable focus on soft skills and leadership development. “I learned so much about how I communicate, how to be a coach, how to manage my emotions, how to speak up and believe in myself more,” he shared. “I didn't think these would be my main takeaways from a business program, but I'm glad and thankful to be so pleasantly surprised.”

Connections with people also marked his time at Stanford. “The environment was so welcoming,” he shared. “It was easy to find people to deeply connect with, either during a walk on campus or when traveling on the other side of the globe, which was a first for me! I'm certain several of these friendships will be lifelong.” Following graduation, Rodrigo will complete a marketing internship at a luxury textiles company in India before returning to McKinsey & Company as a Consultant. 

Looking forward, Rodrigo describes his career path as hopefully following that of Laszlo Bock, the former Senior Vice President of People Operations at Google. “He went into consulting after his MBA and then headed to Google, where he created the culture they are known for today. What Teach for America and Stanford have shown me is that people must always be at the core of wherever I go. My goal now is to become an expert in people in the workplace.” Rodrigo had the opportunity to be mentored by Mr. Bock after meeting him at Stanford. “I became Co-President of the Future of Work Club my second year [at Stanford] and invited Laszlo to campus. He graciously accepted the invite, so we met, and he gave me tailored career advice. It was one of my highlights from business school.” 

When asked about the most important lessons learned throughout his QuestBridge journey, Rodrigo offered three pieces of advice to those who may one day be in his shoes: “Dare to be yourself; be ambitious; and know it’s going to be alright.” He also had insights for fellow QuestBridge Alumni considering an MBA: “Believing in yourself is an everyday skill, so hone it continuously. Even the smallest gesture or action impacts the people you interact with,  particularly those you lead. … Be purposeful and have a goal you're working toward, but don't let uncertainty keep you from taking a chance.”