Eager to make a difference through her career, after graduation Nancy Vang entered the field of education. In her role as an enrollment specialist, she served first-generation college students and students of color so that they could thrive both in academia at the University of Minnesota and abroad. Nancy was also driven to enter the political arena, bringing her passion for community support to her role as a marketing director. In that position, she worked for a candidate on St. Paul, Minnesota’s East Side — an often “forgotten and marginalized” and chronically underfunded community. However, as equity-focused as her career had been, Nancy still felt that she could use her skillset to expand her work even further. Now she is one of Change Matrix’s (CM) newest change consultants. We caught up with Nancy to learn more about what drew her to CM, about her new role, and her unique lens on CM’s equity work.
What drew you to CM?
When I was looking at the mission and the work that CM was doing, it really just aligned with what I was doing at that point in my personal and professional journey. I felt like I was at a place in my life — just being done with my master’s in education — where I wanted to find an organization and a community that would align with my values like equity, diversity, and inclusion. And [I wanted to] work with individuals and communities who also really care about this work. What also drew me, too, was the people. I saw how amazing and how diverse [the staff’s backgrounds are.] Also, too, when I looked at the story of Change Matrix and it being founded by women, and not just women but minority women, it made me feel even more affirmed that this was the place that I wanted to be.
What is your role at CM?
I’m a project coordinator at Change Matrix. I currently work on the Expanding the Bench® (ETB) team and a project still in development working with university grantees who will be developing plans to support researchers who have been historically excluded to pursue research topics and institutional advancement. I am still, to be honest, learning about my role a little bit more, but a lot of it is going to be project support, whether that’s around technical assistance, logistical support, or [ensuring] that every step of a project is happening and meeting stated timelines or goals.
Why did an equity-focused role call to you?
During my time in education, particularly higher education, so much of my work was to support college students and find opportunities that would help them excel in college and beyond. I think what I continued seeing being a staff member of color in a predominantly white institution and working with minority and marginalized student populations, was that there were still so many gaps in not only higher-education systems but systems as a whole on so many different levels. I continued to see that despite my direct work being dedicated to improving that for students. And so, I think at the point I was in my career working in the study abroad office at the University of Minnesota, I just felt like my values and my organization’s values became more mismatched over the years.
What unique skill do you think sets you apart from others?
Not only my organizational leadership but collaboration. Whether I was working in education or politics, I found other allies who also cared deeply about equity work. When I was working with the East Side St. Paul community that really cared about making a change in the community, collaboration was a really huge underlying piece for me in all of the work. I know I can’t do it alone and it’s so important to find the community to be able to support one another and to be able to do this together. And so, I think that is the underlying skill I have and thrive on and want to continue striving for especially in equity work, because it takes people power to do this work.
Which project or assignment are you most excited about?
I am really excited to learn more about the university grantees project. It really excites and intrigues me. And potentially it is because I do have that higher-ed background and lens that I can bring into some of the work that this is aiming for. I’ve only had one formal meeting with the team and there’s still a lot for me to learn about something that is starting up with new staff and new members coming into this space. In my early days working with students and families, the words weren’t there for me [to describe the equity work I’m doing], but while I’m working with other folks on this, it’s a deep passion of mine. I’m trying to incorporate it in all facets of life and even in my own personal interests and hobbies like photography and house planting.
