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Growing up in the Mt. Hope neighborhood of San Diego, Mexican immigrant son Miguel Lopez, 30, has grown to a middle position at the San Diego Foundation where he’s driven by the opportunities that have helped him and his family along the way – and where there were gaps.
Lopez recalls that his parents were a powerful source of inspiration his entire life. His mother was more present in his childhood years and they still have a strong relationship. Their values of honesty, responsibility and friendliness are reflected in Lopez today.
His father worked long hours and made countless sacrifices to ensure that the family could meet their basic needs. Lopez reflects his father’s work ethic, determination, and generosity.
His mother took ESL and yoga classes at the local Sherman Heights Community Center, and Lopez pondered the importance of such services to families like his. Growing up, Lopez navigated his school days as a “queer, brown person in a predominantly white, heterogeneous” school and shared the impact of not being reflected in his surroundings.
Lopez’s path to his current position as Research Analyst at the San Diego Foundation has not been a linear one. Rather, it was one with various turning points – along with opportunities to build a network of executives and colleagues, which ultimately led him to be part of a job that lived up to his values.
“Chance was such a big part of my journey, but it’s wisdom, hard work and strength that help us create these happy opportunities for life changing moments,” shared Lopez.
After graduating from Cal State Northridge with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Lopez spent several years in sales at a biotech company. During this time, although outwardly successful, Lopez was unfulfilled and felt lost.
He began pursuing other options and ended up with the San Diego Foundation in 2016. And the nonprofit nonprofit organization has been a transformative part of his journey.
“The foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life in our region that is in line with my own mission and values,” said Lopez.
In his role, he has the opportunity to meet regularly with Mark Stuart, the Foundation’s CEO, and other senior executives. As they learn more about the San Diego Foundation, it becomes clear that Lopez and his colleagues have the opportunity to be heard and cared for.
“The San Diego Foundation is a place of opportunity for both the community and its employees,” said Lopez.
Lopez also credits his networks for contributing to his success. Attending the Young Professionals Council at the LGBT Center in 2019 was another important part of his journey. Lopez recalls that it enabled him to see the power in “our queer intersectional identities” and to see the importance of authentic living and working.
He is also the chair of the emerging leaders of the local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. In this role, Lopez hopes to inspire Latinx and LGBTQ + people to enter the fundraising and development profession that has traditionally not been as diverse.
Lopez is just getting started. He often ponders what would have been possible if his family had been given more accessible resources by the time he was growing up – to deal with mental health, college degrees, health, and more.
His vision is to become the Executive Director of a nonprofit that serves either the Latinx or the LGBTQ + community. He wants to connect the community with important resources.
“Communities can find solutions themselves. You just need resources and a bridge to them. I want to be that bridge. “
At the moment, Lopez hopes to inspire others to see that “they have a voice, can express their needs and deserve to be heard”. And that they can live uncompromisingly and drive change.
About this series
Dana Toppel is the Chief Operating Officer of the Jewish Family Service of San Diego and a member of the UT Community Advisory Board.
Someone San Diego Should Know is a weekly column written by members of the UT’s Community Advisory Board about local people who are interesting and noteworthy because of their experience, accomplishments, creativity, or references.
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