Rising Stars: Meet Diana Sanchez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Diana Sanchez.

Diana, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Most people are surprised when I share that I was voted shyest in middle school, but all my childhood friends can attest to it.

When I graduated high school, I decided to attend Cal State Long Beach. It was more affordable than a University of California school and I would not have to transfer from a Junior College which for someone who was shy would have been hard to meet new people. I struggled a bit at first, going from a high school class of over 400 students to a school with over 32,000 students. I decided I had to find a way to make it work because going to college was instilled in me, something I expected of myself.

I joined organizations on campus which created a support system and study partners. A few years later, I found myself running for student body president. When I graduated, I started working for a marketing company, then another until a friend introduced me to the City of Los Angeles. I love working for the city and Los Angeles World Airports. Currently, I am based at Van Nuys Airport.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
At the risk of sounding cliché, I think the journey to overcome adversity has made me stronger. Not to mention having the love and support of wonderful people for which I am grateful.

Like most people, I have had my share of ups and downs. I was born with asthma and was constantly in and out of hospitals. As a child, I couldn’t attend sleepovers like most kids for fear of having an asthma attack. I remember I did once with my Blue Bird troop and sure enough, my parents had to pick me up in the middle of the night. This may have led to my shyness.

I visited numerous doctors until one day Dr. C Thomas Hartman read my medical chart and began treating me. I loved sports but we were afraid of me having an asthma attack. My doctor said I probably would get sick but that is why he is there. That changed my life. I was able to join a synchronized swim team, my fifth-grade teacher introduced me to soccer. It was then that I started to play all sports including softball, cross country and track. The freedom of knowing I could do what I wanted was inspiring. I did things most asthmatics would not dream of doing and I LOVED it. I even went to camp and became a lifeguard.

Learning to overcome my fears showed me how determination made all the difference. I wanted to break out of my shell which took a lot of effort and it meant putting myself in uncomfortable situations. Like running for student body president in college (and winning), landing a job with a marketing company and to where I am today, the Public & Community Relations Director for Van Nuys Airport. I feel blessed because with the support of family and friends to live out my dreams, the seeds of hope have been instrumental.

Fast forward to 2019 and 2020 which were exceptionally hard on me. I lost my wife in October 2019 and my mother eleven months later in September of 2020. I had not recovered from losing one of the most important people in my life before I lost another. Just this year, I also lost my loving godmother and one of my oldest friends Becky. Jill was my biggest cheerleader and my support. My mother and I were so close we talked multiple times a day and if you saw her phone, you would see I sent her a million text messages to get her opinion on my latest outfit, home decorations or any other topics. To say I was devastated with these losses is an understatement. Again, through the love and support of my family, friends and even strangers, I realized I had two choices. I could go on a downward spiral and seclude myself or I could embrace the love that was given to me and do everything in my power to make a difference. Thankfully I chose the latter and have made it my mission to help others and work to find a cure for cancer.

Cancer comes in many forms and is endless, but I will continue to work to spread awareness and do my part. I am pleased to say that with numerous people’s help, we were able to fund research in my mother’s name for Non-Hodkinson Lymphoma through the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. We have also donated numerous books and toys to the Mid Valley YMCA and soon a bench in honor of my late wife Jill Kaelin. She loved teaching and literally gave the jacket off her back for her students.

Along this journey, I have discovered that as important as treatment is so is early detection and prevention. Early detection can make all the difference in the prognosis. Prevention, which is a lot easier than most people think, is key to winning the battle against a world of cancer. It is all about the connection between mind and body, eating health and having less stress. It also helps with other health issues even ones I have battled recently. I am currently working with a few friends to create a non-profit, “Life, Finance and Wellness” in order to help spread the word about this correlation.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am the Public and Community Relations Director for Van Nuys Airport. I love creating programs to bring the airport to the community and the community to the airport. I believe that communities prosper when local businesses are involved. It creates a sense of pride and community. I am also working with friends to create the non-profit I mentioned earlier. Using food to stay healthy is the greatest prevention.

What I am most proud of is creating programs that have withstood the test of time such as Team LAWA, our employee volunteer organization. I am also proud that I can do things in honor of my loved ones, I am proud to be a part of my family and proud to have wonderful friendships. I am proud to be Chair of the Mid Valley YMCA and to be part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to help find cures for cancer.

What sets me apart? Funny that you ask this question. I was speaking to a friend the other day and she said to me what sets me apart is that I genuinely care. Not that other people don’t but it is easy to get caught up in our daily lives and not make time. It is about having a passion to help others. It is about the drive to not give up and the desire to make a difference. For this, I credit the values my parents instilled in me and the people I met along the way.

I believe this is why I was awarded Woman of the Year in 2018 by Senator Robert Hertzberg, 2021 Woman of the Year for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Gold Coast Chapter and most recently The Fernando Award, a recognition for lifetime volunteerism, by the San Fernando Valley Fernando Foundation.

Through a lot of adversity, I also have a lot of blessings.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I don’t own a business so I am not really sure of how I was nominated for this article, but I am happy to share how grateful I am for friendships and the importance of giving back. It is not about donating money, it is about giving of yourself to people and the causes you believe are worthwhile.

Contact Info:

• Email: dsanchez@lawa.org
• Website: iflyvny.com
• Instagram: activelife50
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lifefinanceandwellness