MBA Education Path to Diversity Scholar Profile: Aaron Arechiga
(One in a recurring monthly series featuring efforts of the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee, part of MBA’s commitment to increase racial, gender, sexual orientation and ethnic diversity within the mortgage banking industry.)
Aaron Arechiga is a certified Project Manager with New American Funding, Tustin, Calif., specializing in Information Technology and Business Strategy Initiatives. He received his B.A. from California State University of Long Beach and his Project Management Certification from the University of California, Irvine, before eventually becoming a Retail Project Manager at Stearns Lending LLC in 2010.
After a seven-year career as a manager there, Arechiga joined New American Funding, where he accepted a position as a Corporate Project Manager in 2017 and was promoted to Assistant Vice President of Project Management in 2018. In addition to Program/Project Management, he is a regular contributor to the National MS Society, and is an avid fan of science fiction novels. He recently traveled to Uruguay and met with a friend and colleague, Frederick Martiné who was embarking on an ambassador program to form relations with the U.S. He currently resides in Huntington Beach with his husband Justin and their dog Mr. Big. He can be contacted at Aaron.Arechiga@nafinc.com.
MBA INSIGHTS: How did you hear about the Path to Diversity program?
AARON ARECHIGA: My coworker Kevin Ramirez, Director of Training with New American Funding, completed the MBA School of Mortgage Banking program and received his AMP designation in 2018. Kevin mentioned that he received a scholarship through the Path to Diversity program and suggested that I should apply. Based on his enthusiastic feedback on the program, I applied and completed SOMB I in 2018 and I am attending SOMB II in 2019.
INSIGHTS: What inspired you to get more involved?
ARECHIGA: My inspiration to attend was based on my company’s active involvement in the Mortgage Bankers Association. Rick and Patty Arvielo always share updates on the heavy hitting subjects that MBA is keeping at the forefront of congress to ensure that mortgage professionals and customers are considered for each and every law, that is passed or considered, pertaining to the mortgage industry.
INSIGHTS: Did you find the application process to be easy?
ARECHIGA: The application process was very straightforward and the response time from the MBA team was timely and efficient. Since I have received the scholarship, I have had several team members at my company apply for the program and I have been able to share with them my successful experience attending SOMB I.
INSIGHTS: Have you had a mentor or mentors who encouraged/supported you?
ARECHIGA: Yes, I have multiple mentors in my life that inspire me to always continue to improve and sharpen my skillsets. I have found my mentors throughout my educational and professional career. When I received the scholarship, I shared the news with my boss, Christy Bunce (COO), as well as Rick Arvielo (CEO), Patty Arvielo (President) and Jeannette Landrum (EVP Marketing), and they all congratulated me on the award which gave me a sense of accomplishment and commitment to succeeding in the program.
INSIGHTS: How has the Path to Diversity scholarship benefited you, personally and professionally?
ARECHIGA: The benefits of the scholarship have motivated me in my mortgage career. Attending the first course, I was surrounded by mortgage professionals from a variety of different backgrounds–sales, pperations etc.–from a number of different companies. I was able to learn from the instructors as well as the mortgage peers that attended the course. Since everyone came from different backgrounds, they shared individual points of view based on their experience in the mortgage industry, which I found interesting because they were different from my own. I connected on LinkedIn with almost all of my classmates and hope I run into them in the upcoming SOMB II in December. It was also personally satisfying coming back to work and sharing the information that I learned from the instructors as well as best practices that I learned from my classmates on what they were doing at their companies.
INSIGHTS: What have you been able to bring back to your company as a result of the Path to Diversity program?
ARECHIGA: The most important thing that I have been able to bring back to New American Funding, as a result of the Path to Diversity Program, is the knowledge that I am gaining from the SOMB I course. This knowledge expanded my understanding of the mortgage industry, which has led to increased understanding of the subject matter, which is leading to a broader/higher perspective of our company’s objectives as a whole. This higher level of understanding helps my initiatives by keeping the bigger picture of the mortgage industry in mind when we are coming up with ideas and solutions to our enterprise portfolio.
INSIGHTS: What would you say to someone considering applying for a Path to Diversity scholarship?
ARECHIGA: My advice to someone who is looking to apply for the Path to Diversity scholarship would be to look at the opportunity as an investment to your personal and professional goals. By applying for the scholarship, you will have the opportunity to receive a scholarship that you can apply to a multitude of courses/conferences that will open up your business networks and get to know exciting people in the mortgage industry that have a wealth of knowledge to share.
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The MBA Diversity and Inclusion Committee was formed in 2013 to provide leadership and guidance to help the real estate finance industry gain a competitive advantage by increasing diversity in leadership, workforce and suppliers.
MBA encourages its members to support these efforts and to recognize the competitive advantages of embracing a diverse and inclusive workforce and marketplace. For more information about the MBA Diversity and Inclusion Initiative, click https://www.mba.org/who-we-are/mbas-diversity-and-inclusion-initiative/about-mbas-diversity-and-inclusion-initiative.
