Fitting My Own Mold

Hispanic Heritage Month is a way to celebrate my roots and be proud of where I come from. I was born and raised in a small town in Ecuador and immigrated to the United States when I was 11 years old. I grew up in Connecticut where I was taught by my family and teachers to assimilate in order to be successful. I remember being the only Hispanic person in my honors classes and not having many classmates that looked like me. As I went into college, I realized that I was hiding who I really was including my culture, flavor, and authentic self. When I started my career at The Hartford, I tried to be the “cookie cutter professional” who didn’t really talk about their personal life at work.

Then, one day I met a new manager who happened to be Black and in our first one-on-one meeting opened up to me about his life! I was so surprised by his candidness and authenticity because we had just met. This meeting showed me that people of color can be a leader and still be themselves while being professional at work. I appreciated his ability to connect, be human and be honest. Since then, I slowly began to bring my authentic self into work. I understood that I must lead by example; embrace my differences, my passion, and my accent in order to create an inclusive environment at work.???

Now, as I grow in my career, I take advantage of all opportunities to celebrate my culture and my roots. I am honored to be part of the Hispanic Leadership Network Employee Resource Group where our mission is to showcase, promote and improve our Hispanic communities!?

Viva la Herencia Hispana!