Luz set the tempo for her work life

Here at ICF, we like to bring our whole, unique selves to work—our minds, interests, culture, and more. This inspires Survey Research Manager Luz Mercier to share her Puerto Rican roots with her peers in her own way—through music and movement.

Growing up in a military family, Luz and her brothers moved from their birthplace in Puerto Rico to various locations throughout the U.S. and Europe. As she adapted to the many environments she traveled and lived in, her family found ways to remain grounded and linked to their traditions.

“My fierce, independent, and adventurous mother instilled two core values in us: Pride for my Puerto Rican heritage and appreciation of our community—regardless of our location. And we stayed connected to our culture through our language spoken at home, food, traditions, and the music we listened to.”

After college, she felt more and more distant from these core values, so she turned to Latin dance to reignite those passions.

"I started performing in local groups and then eventually started teaching salsa in a professional setting. It's my own form of self-care and reconnects me with the music and dance I grew up loving."

When the Hispanic/Latinx Employee Community Network launched, Luz took this as an opportunity to bring this hobby to those around her at work. For the second year in a row, she celebrated National Hispanic Heritage Month by leading salsa dance lessons for her coworkers.

Employee community networks create a space for Luz and others at ICF to take a break from their daily tasks and work schedule to find belonging and share their customs and traditions.

"My experience has shaped me professionally in many ways: I have a heightened appreciation for diversity and inclusion. I've learned to be flexible and adapt to new environments, but I have also learned that I don't have to 'blend in.' It's okay to stand out."

Learn more about our diversity and inclusion initiatives by visiting www.icf.com/company/about . If this sounds like the employee experience you've been looking for, apply to our open roles today.?

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