How an Immigrant Veteran Inspired a Wage and Hour Manager

Cynthia Ramos has been with the Wage and Hour Division for 26 years and is the director of the agency’s office in San Antonio, Texas. She recently talked about her career, as well as the inspiration she finds in her personal and professional life.?

Who inspired you to pursue the career you have today????

I have to give credit to my father. Not only did he inspire me to pursue my career with the Wage and Hour Division, but he always instilled in me the desire to go to college and have a better job than he did.?

How so??

During the 1930s and 1940s, he grew up in South Texas as a migrant worker, experiencing inequality and discrimination. He lost his father at the age of five, and later he quit school to help his mother care for a family of eight and help make ends meet. My father later went on to serve in the 美国军队 , a proud Korean War Veteran who later worked hard as an auto mechanic receiving earnings based on commission.?Although my family lived from paycheck to paycheck, my parents always made ends meet, providing my brother and I with all he could. He was always my strongest supporter, and taught me that education was important so I could stand on my own two feet, be successful and help others. He instilled in me the importance of education and responsibility.?????

What’s the best advice you can give to someone who just started their career at the Wage and Hour Division????

Never give up. There are many new concepts you will learn in the beginning, such as laws you will have to enforce, the ability to negotiate difficult matters and at times the delivery of bad news. All these qualities require specific skill. The better you become at them, the more successful you will be at your job. In time these skills will develop naturally, and you will become an expert successfully securing the unpaid wages for workers who are at higher risk of exploration. And at the end of the day, knowing that the work you did helped workers gain back wages that should have already been theirs to begin with is very satisfying.?

In terms of successes, which accomplishments are you most proud of????

Many years ago, I uprooted my family and moved about two and a half hours from my hometown of Corpus Christi to San Antonio, Texas, leaving our families and friends behind. I never thought in my wildest dreams that one day I would have the job of the district director, but here I am today leading the BEST staff in the department. I am proud to work alongside them, serving working people and ensuring that their rights are protected. Leading an office of 20, including myself, is a great accomplishment.???

Who are some of your biggest inspirations within the agency????

My biggest inspirations within the agency are my former supervisors, who are now regional administrators in the Southeast and Southwest. They have both directly supervised me at different points in my career, and they always encouraged me and challenged me to excel.? They both exhibit positive attitudes and see the good in situations where others might not.

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