Alumna Carlita Lett-Blades on career, mentorship and paving the path for Harbert students

From her office at Google’s Atlanta campus, Carlita Lett-Blades is creating strategies for leadership and advancement, both for her co-workers in Google's Privacy, Safety and Security group and for students coming up through Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business.

The two-time alumna of Harbert College has served on the Young Alumni Council since 2022 and recently established an endowed scholarship. 

“Nothing is too small to make an impact. Whether it’s time, finances, energy . . . whatever you can commit is helpful,” said Lett-Blades. “Think of what you got from Harbert. There are students still in need of those things. Let’s help them.”

Budding business professional

Lett-Blades said she got a jumpstart on her education while still at Harbert. Ambitious and savvy, she navigated her bachelor’s in marketing ’12 and MBA-Business analytics ’13 degrees while applying for and taking advantage of opportunities to build her work experience.

“The Office of Professional and Career Development publicized and provided events designed to help us build our resumes. I took so many different internships while I was in school to figure out what I liked and what I didn't like,” Lett-Blades said. “When I came into the corporate world, I had a good understanding of what to expect because I was able to work, practice mock interviews and learn from the guest lecturers Harbert brought to campus.”

After earning her MBA, Lett-Blades was recruited by Ernst & Young to work in IT risk and assurance. She joined Google four years ago and currently works in the company’s Privacy, Safety and Security group where she and her team focus on keeping Google's internal systems data safe from external threats. She is also responsible for education around privacy and security. 

“I lead strategic engagements, both internal and external; most recently, I was responsible for a four-day summit that brought about 300 of our managers and leaders from across the globe together for four days of learning and development strategy and community building,” Lett-Blades said. 

Legacy of engagement and representation

In working with leaders from around the world, Lett-Blades realized how much representation and engagement matter. She joined the Young Alumni Council at Harbert in 2022.

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“I wanted to give back to Harbert because of how much the college gave to me. One piece of why I donate my time to Harbert is representation. I want to see other people who look like me represented on boards, faculty and in the student population for the Harbert College of Business. I want them to ask the tough questions and bring a perspective that maybe other people don't have.”

Carlita Lett-Blades

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The other piece is to give back financially to students following in her footsteps. Though she earned a full-ride scholarship, it did not cover everything. 

“I applied for and received additional scholarships directly through Harbert that really changed my life,” she said. “I was able to build a relationship with one of the donors.”

The donor, Frances Holk-Jones (marketing '78), made a point to get to know Lett-Blades and other scholarship recipients, inviting them to football tailgates and taking an interest in their studies and lives.

“She was an entrepreneur and always open to connecting with us,” she said. “It was super inspiring. Even now, 10 years later, I still remember her and how she gave to us in memory of her daughter. That legacy lives in me and so many others who benefited from the scholarship.”

Continuing the legacy is important to Lett-Blades. She recently established the Delmarshra Rigsby Memorial Scholarship, which is named after her cousin who passed away in 2020 from pancreatic cancer. 

“She was like a mother to me and made sure I applied to Auburn and believed I could succeed as a business professional,” Lett-Blades said. “She was my person. I wanted to provide some legacy for her, and for the students who may not have a person telling them that they are built for professional success.”

The joy of giving back

Lett-Blades hopes the gift to establish the endowed scholarship will inspire other young Auburn alumni to give back whether it’s through their time, helping students network and get interviews, or financially, through gifts to the scholarship endowment. She leverages her gift with a company match and is drumming up a community to help support the endowment by discussing it with friends, alumni and her professional network. 

“This is really about helping the next generation get the mentorship and financial help they need for successful business careers,” Lett-Blades said. “Regardless of whether it’s time, finances or energy, commit something. It is a joy to know you can be the person to provide something for students in need.”

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Learn more about giving opportunities with Harbert College.