Sandra Mancilla Romero’s journey with GRID started in 2015. She worked out of the Los Angeles office and prior to that was doing some political campaign work.
“I stumbled across a job listing for the GRID Alternatives Inland Empire (GRID IE) branch through Craigs List and applied for the Workforce and Volunteer Assistant position, which later changed to Volunteer and Training Coordinator. I held that title for almost three years and worked alongside a SolarCorps Job Training fellow. As time evolved, I became the lead for all job training and volunteer,” explained Sandra. She now serves as GRID IE's Workforce and Volunteer Program Specialist.
Sandra shared that some of her responsibilities have evolved due to COVID. “I help with some job recruitment for potential candidates, job placement prep work and assisting with on-boarding, as well as support for solar job trainees, volunteers, and new staff members.”
She said although she wasn’t sure about her career goals or what specific industry she aspired to work in when she graduated from college, she knew her desire was to work in an environment that helps people. She always had an awareness about the impact of the environment, and the importance of taking care of the planet. GRID Alternatives mission was a perfect fit for Sandra.
Sandra grew up in Los Angeles County near the Hacienda Heights area, then moved back to Mexico where she lived from the age of 3 to 7-years-old. Her and her family returned to the U.S. when she was 7-years-old. She lived in Ontario, California and now resides in Chino. She graduated from Bates College, a private institution located in Lewiston, Maine. Her major was history with a double-minor in Anthropology and East Asian studies.
When asked what top three things she enjoys about working here at GRID she said, “ 1) Helping others, whether its homeowners, staff or volunteers 2) The impact we have on people, both long-term and short-term; and 3) GRID’s stance on Equity, Inclusion & Diversity and how it plays a part in the work that we do here at GRID.”
The advice she would give to someone interested in a solar career is, “Do your research about the various jobs available in the solar industry. There are a lot of potential positions, so be willing to start at the bottom or in an entry level position and work your way up.”