Kenneth Sandoval, 25, grew up in a far different environment than the D.C. beltway where he has worked the past few years.
"I grew up on a farm, so getting up in the morning and feeding the cows before school was the norm," said Sandoval of his childhood in rural New Mexico. "You were sort of making sure everything ran on time."
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In a way, that very scheduled, organized background prepared him for his current position in the West Wing, where he serves as executive assistant to two deputy assistants to the president and deputy counsels.
"What I do is manage their day to day, I manage their schedules … I try to make sure they're on time, try to keep the trains running, so to say," said Sandoval.
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Sandoval came out as gay at age 13. One of his most cherished memories is being in the White House when the Supreme Court decision on marriage equality was announced.
"When they handed the decision down, the entire building erupted in just thunderous applause, people were hugging each other and crying. And you just heard people just so excited," said Sandoval. "To know that you work in a building where the president works, and to work around people who are so heavily involved and are so excited for something that impacted me personally, was just incredible."
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As a young person who grew up in a single-parent household in rural America, he is grateful for his career path so far.
"Walking in these gates, every day I am awed and blessed and excited," said Sandoval. "But as for what comes next, I think the sky's the limit."
