In this episode of TUN TV, Dr. Crystal Rose interviews Gilbert Mendivil, president of Connect-In-Place.
Dr. Rose: Welcome to The University Network TV, where we scan the globe to give students,
their families, educators, and employers, the very best tips for student success. I’m your host today, Dr. Crystal Rose. And on today’s show, we’re featuring our series “How We Show Up?” These are human bios, the stories behind our bios. These are the stories that make us human – not always easy, not always straightforward. They’re the stories from which we may take inspiration, learn from and grow.
Today, you’ll meet Gilbert Mendivil who is the current president of Connect-In-Place. It’s a registered non-profit organization that offers virtual learning opportunities for high school and middle school students. In addition to spearheading branding communications and instructor development processes within CIP, Gilbert also has spent eight years in the education sector
as a tutor and virtual course instructor specializing in English language and Literature.
Gilbert is a graduate of California State University, Long Beach with a Bachelor’s in Rhetoric and Composition and minor concentrations in technical writing and editing, educational technology, and teaching pedagogy.
Gilbert, welcome.
Mendivil: Hello, my name is Gilbert Mendivil and I am the current president of Connect-In-Place or CIP as we commonly call it. I grew up in very simple terms to where I’m at. I couldn’t be happier, leading a very successful, very proud and growing organization.
But we always have to remember where we came from. I grew up in really simple terms. I came from a household that was very loving and very caring. They always took me into consideration first. I didn’t grow up in the wealthiest of a house. I grew up in a single-parent household with my dad. We lived in an apartment for like 14 years together and we’ve had our ups and downs. But family always came first, and I always have fond memories of us just spending time together.
One of our stories of us triumphing through hard times was, we would always go to Disneyland on the weekends. For someone in our income level, it was difficult doing that at first. But we always shared the same dinner. My mom and dad would split the same dinner together and they would eat whatever I couldn’t finish.
We lived really simply and just to see where I’m at now – a college graduate or the first generation college student on my father’s side – that I was able to follow in my mom’s footsteps and graduate from college and really find my clique.
I started working at CIP during the COVID pandemic which was very tough for a lot of people. I’ve struggled with my mental health in the past. I’ve struggled with depression for a little bit, but finding my clique and finding what I was happy doing and what I had purpose doing, I felt really fulfilled.
So, my key advice to anybody ,if you’re watching this now or whenever you’re looking at this, finding your purpose is key. Everybody was put on earth for a reason and we’ll find out what that purpose is. Find your purpose. Find what you’re happy with doing. What makes you fulfilled? What makes you feel happy?
Also, find people who are your support system – friends, family, co-workers, and whoever you feel comfortable talking to. Have a support system. Don’t go in it alone. Life shouldn’t be lived in a lonely path. Always have someone to talk to. When you have that support system, you have a purpose, everything feels good and that’s what I always encourage people. Have a support system. Have a purpose. Find that purpose.
If you’re in a position right now – you’re in a job, you’re in an internship, you’re in whatever – and you feel that your purpose is not being fulfilled, I always encourage you to step away from it. Kindly step away from it and find what makes you happy. No one finds that thing at first. It’s a one-shot effort.
I wanted to teach. I would never figure that one day, I would get into business management or marketing. I never thought that I would do that. So, life has its encouraging ways of finding your path. Once you find that, it’s always about experiencing things. So, go out. Experience life. See new things. Meet new people. It’s always about the experiences in life because it doesn’t last forever.
One of my key pieces of advice and leadership is, always understand yourself and always be kind to other people. You never know what they’re experiencing. Everybody has different trials and experiences in life. Sometimes being nice to somebody might change their life. It might make their day. But as a leader and as a college student, as a graduate, my advice to you is live life to the fullest and have fun doing so because it doesn’t last forever. Yeah, that’s how I feel, I guess.
Dr. Rose: Thank you to our audience for joining us on this episode of The University Network TV. I’m your host, Dr. Crystal Rose. Until next time.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
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