Interview is edited for length and clarity.
Why did you choose to study at Simmons?
"I grew up middle class in Puerto Rico, but I have parents who believed in education. When the time came for me to graduate from high school and go to college, they couldn't afford to send me away that year. I spent my first year at the University of Puerto Rico.
During that year, I came up to Boston to visit my dear childhood friend, Annie. Annie went to Simmons, and I spent a weekend with her on campus. I loved the student life that I wasn't having in Puerto Rico. I decided I would come to the States, and I applied to a number of schools. But what really got me to Simmons is that it was the only school that felt small, but was in a big city, and that combo was unbeatable."
What impact did attending a women’s-centered institution have on you?
"I started appreciating this later in life. I'll use an analogy. Simmons was to me like the gym. If you're going to run a marathon, you run with men and women. You compete out there in the corporate world and it's men and women.
If I was going to run a marathon, which I felt like I did in my career, Simmons gave me the benefit of being in a gym that had trainers and equipment and resources and an environment that helped me get my muscles really strong before I went and ran that race with everybody else. At Simmons, you get a chance to find your voice before it is pushed down by the gender differences that exist, certainly in corporate America."
What made you choose to study marketing communications?
"Simmons offered a marketing communications combined major so I could do marketing and I could do communications. It was a fabulous experience, and that launched my career.
When I was a kid in Puerto Rico, I’d be watching TV, and I would say to myself, 'I want to do the ads. I want to do commercials.' I was one of those kids who go to school knowing what they want to do. I was focused. I knew what I wanted to learn."
What is a favorite memory you have from Simmons?
"I think my fondest memories were being part of the Dix chicks, living in Dix Hall. Those years were just wonderful.
Another special memory I have was receiving the honorary degree from Simmons in 2004. Getting that recognition from the university was quite touching for me."
What piece of advice would you give Ifill students?
"Take advantage of Simmons as a place that will teach you critical thinking. Use that brain. Be curious. Ask the next question. Don't take things at face value. Explore. You know, deep dive. Take a chance. These are the years where your brain is going to get the real first opportunity to develop critical thinking skills, which are key in life, both in your career and in your personal life.
My other piece of advice is to live within your means. On the professional side of my life, that always meant for me that I was happy in my job and was with a company that was good, healthy, ethical, professional — because the day I felt unhappy, I wanted to feel that I could always walk out that door, that I wasn’t trapped in the entrapments of a job, a salary, a platform. On the personal side, I can’t tell you how many people I’ve met throughout my life who have really jumped the shark and lived way above their means, or way below their means. Neither are healthy. You’ve got to enjoy life and you’ve got to live life."