Student Directors

Ethan Gates is a senior in the College of Business majoring in Marketing with a concentration in Professional Selling. He plans to graduate in May 2025 to launch a career in B2B sales while pursuing his passion for motivational speaking. Currently, Ethan serves as PLP’s President for the semester, as well as a Resident Assistant at Clark Hall. His admiration for PLP began during his membership in Fall 2024, when he was inspired by the program’s commitment to professionalism and camaraderie. As President, Ethan is dedicated to fostering a stronger sense of connection and collaboration among PLP members and student directors. In his free time, Ethan enjoys playing video games, expanding his professional network, and seeking public speaking opportunities to connect with and inspire others.

Anaia Dickson, Technical Communications student in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, is a senior student and aspiring grant-writer. Anaia enjoys long walks on the beach, caring for animals, and reading books on social psychology. In her free time, Anaia works as a Resident Assistant, serving as a student Ambassador, participating in the honors college, and hopes to leverage her experience as a Student Director using her leadership to influence others. The Professional Leadership Program enabled Anaia to strengthen her professional network. Anaia looks forward to meeting you this semester!

My name is Brianna Sandoval, I am a Student Director for PLP. I am a Junior student graduating in May 2026 with a BA in Political Science and a minor in Real Estate. I will be applying for law school in the year 2025, hoping to pursue law within the real estate and immigration field. The Professional Leadership Program is important because it has equipped me to pursue my passions further by utilizing and practicing my skills through mock interviews, networking, and public speaking. Some of my hobbies include playing Wordle, chess, and reading.

I am a senior graduating this spring from the College of Health and Public Service, majoring in Public Health with a minor in Business Computers and Information Systems. As a Houston native, I enjoy the vibrant ambiance of city life. Currently, I am interning with the Department of State Health Services, where I work on the 340B Drug Pricing Program, as well as working part-time as a student technician for classroom support. Post-graduation, my goals include securing a fellowship to further develop my leadership skills within the health information sector. Additionally, I plan to pursue a master’s degree in Health Data Analytics to deepen my expertise in this field. Outside of academics and work, I enjoy spending my free time reading, exercising outdoors, traveling, and connecting with friends and family. I was inspired to become a student director because I admire how the program empowers students to become the best versions of themselves, encouraging them to excel in all areas of life in whatever they decide to do.

Lilly is one of this semester's Student Directors. She is a senior in the college of liberal arts and social sciences majoring in Psychology with a minor in management and is hoping to pursue a career in human resources after she graduates in December of 2025. This will be her second semester in the professional leadership program. PLP has allowed her to network with influential industry leaders. She has been able to learn more about a career in human resources through the mentor whom she was connected with through PLP. Lilly has a passion for connecting with people, and hopes to continue to strengthen the community being built in PLP.

Olivia is a Senior in the College of Business majoring in Business Analytics. She is a Pre-Law student and planning on attending law school after graduating in May of 2025. Olivia is this semester’s Social Coordinator/Community Engagement Student Director. This is her second semester of PLP. She is also a Housing Ambassador for UNT’s Housing and Residence Life department. Olivia loves PLP because of how it creates a notable difference in students’ abilities and confidence throughout the semester. During her PLP experience, her mentors and peers have had a great impact on her. She also enjoys helping current PLP members develop the skills they need to work towards achieving their goals. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, spending time with her friends, listening to music, reading fantasy novels, and writing.

Diego Yanes is a Junior on the Pre-Law track here at UNT. He is double majoring in Philosophy, Psychology, and pursuing a certificate in legal studies. Diego is set to graduate May 2026 in which afterwards he will continue his educational pursuits at law school. He is a member of the Thomistic institute on campus and enjoys playing piano whenever he can get his hands on one. PLP has provided Diego with the ability to network with well-established professionals and helped create a new community within his peers. Throughout his time at PLP Diego has cultivated his public speaking ability, resume writing ability, and interview strategies. Furthermore, being surrounded by driven individuals has been essential in motivating Diego to strive for excellence in his studies. Diego has also been an intern at Southland Holdings LLC throughout last summer and gained experience in litigation, depositions, and the discovery process. Additionally, Diego has been a part of researching the drug Amantadine and its effects on Idiopathic Hypersomnia in Bonn, Germany; with the European Sleep Research Society under Dr. Ulf Kallweit, Head of the Center of Hypersomnias & Division of Clinical Sleep and Neuroimmunology.  Diego has consistently been a listening ear for any friend or acquaintance and thrives on being able to help them in whatever way he can. For this upcoming semester Diego plans on continuing his guitar learning journey along with learning basic Mandarin to prepare for his upcoming study program in Beijing, China with Dr. Wang.

Alex is a Sophomore at the College of Business majoring in finance. In addition to being a student director for PLP, Alex is the president of the Financial Management Association, and a Business Ambassador. The Professional Leadership Program gave him the skills he needed to be comfortable in a professional environment and develop fundamental skills such as public speaking and networking. When he graduates in Spring of 2025 he hopes to work in corporate finance. In his free time you can probably find Alex working out, cooking, or playing disc golf.

Gigi is a Junior in the College of Business majoring in Human Resource Management. She is one of the facilitator liaisons for this semester and will be her second semester in PLP. She is planning to start an internship with Amazon this summer, which she greatly emphasizes the interview skills she learned in PLP helped her achieve. Going into her first year as a transfer student at UNT, PLP has provided her with a supportive community and an abundance of opportunities to develop professionally. Gigi's current goals for this semester are to foster an inclusive environment and grow closer with her peers. During her free time, she enjoys playing video games and traveling.