Erick Padilla — BBA & MBA, PLNU | Supply Chain Planner, Northrop Grumman
Erick Padilla grew up first-generation Mexican-American, watching his father work two or three jobs while his mother kept the family grounded. His father made him dream big. His mother kept his feet on the ground. That balance shaped everything that followed.
After balancing full-time coursework, a part-time job, fraternity involvement, and an internship became unsustainable, Erick stepped away from college and gained leadership experience at Dick’s Sporting Goods. In 2019, he returned to community college with renewed purpose, eventually earning admission to PLNU and beginning his journey toward a BBA.
At PLNU Erick found professors who knew his name and pushed him to grow. For the first time, he actually enjoyed being in school. Before his graduation ceremony he gathered his family and told them: "From here on out, we're going to get used to winning." He earned his BBA as the first in his family to hold a bachelor's degree, then started his MBA one week later.
Career advisor Nick Wolf helped him land a supply chain role in the spirits industry three months after graduation. He worked hard, stayed late, and took feedback seriously. In June 2023 the company lost a major contract, the culture shifted, and he was laid off. He thanked his director in the exit interview and turned his focus to finishing his MBA.
On his father's advice, he started applying to large companies before graduating. He interviewed with Northrop Grumman during finals week, got a call offering him a role on a Tuesday morning at 8 a.m. the day of his first final, and said yes before they finished the sentence. He walked at his MBA ceremony already employed, the first in his family to earn a master's degree.
He was promoted to Supply Chain Planner at Northrop Grumman in 2025. He felt honored to contribute to a large company and gain experience and skills. In high school he had written down four goals: get a bachelor's degree, a master's degree, a job at a major company, a trip to Europe for his parents, and a home of his own. The goals he strived towards had been achieved. Erick’s hard work, strong support system, and desire to achieve big things drove his success. He continues to climb higher and has “gotten used to winning”.