ALPFA Professional Spotlight – Raquel Sanchez

Tell us about your background/upbringing. 
First and foremost, I am the daughter of two brave, strong, loving Dominicans, who left their country, their family, and their native language, to the unapologetic neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY. They left with the hope that their four children would be afforded an opportunity to create their own path and achieve any bold dreams we dared to have. What they sacrificed for us created a deep sense of responsibility for me not just to achieve, but to live my life fully. As a middle child, I was constantly positioned as a mediator between my siblings which developed my ability to empathize, understand differing perspectives, and finding a way for everyone to feel heard, which would serve as a critical skill set throughout my personal and professional life. Growing up in a family that was figuring it out as we went as first generation English speakers, college students, and then professionals in the fastest-paced city in the world, forced us to be unapologetically us.

Who was your most important mentor?
I honestly can’t point to a single mentor, but instead many strong individuals throughout my life showed me different ways to approach challenges, to question disparity, to show up as my authentic self, to challenge norms, and to create my own path. My high school physics teacher who taught me energy can only be changed, not created nor destroyed, which led to realizations of how we can create energy shifts in any environment, from the dinner table to the boardroom. My daughter acknowledging she was ‘so many things’, which helped solidify my acceptance that none of the many different roles I hold alone define me. My son’s declaration that my biggest fault was not fully accepting how amazing I am, which helped me humbly see through his eyes. My husband’s constant supportive but challenging push to embrace my full potential. And the many women in my life, from my mother, my sisters, my friends, my bosses, and my coaches, that have been the ultimate examples of the many ways to define success. I am truly grateful for each of them.

Tell us about your role at Fred Hutch
In my role, I have the opportunity to identify common challenges across scientific and administrative programs and departments. It is a role that allows me to combine my nearly twenty years of navigating the cancer care and research environment, working with clinicians running their clinics, translating for Spanish-speaking patients in need of someone that understood and cared, to engaging cross-disciplinary researchers to come together to submit competitive grants that would allow for the exploration of new approaches to long-standing incurable disease. I am fortunate to have a role with the flexibility to partner with a broad range of departments to elevate their voices. This has materialized into new initiatives that bring together employees and empower them to engage with leadership and take ownership of their success. I am also consistently involved in diversity efforts that create spaces for belonging and take a personal approach to ensuring that communities of color are engaged to fill open positions. I am especially interested in raising the awareness of the many non-scientific roles that exist for those interested in working for a mission-driven organization like Fred Hutch.