Latinas On The Plaza Throwback

Throwback Time!

Ten years ago, Latinas On The Plaza was birthed as a pilot to see if Latina women needed leadership conferences. It was obvious to the founder that Latinas were missing at professional conferences, so she decided to find out if there was a gap in the marketplace that she could fill. During the first four years a full -day

leadership conference was held each year in which 100+ Latinas attended. Realizing that once a year was not enough to educate, equip, and empower Her, Latinas On The Plaza moved to cohort-based programs.

In 2016, our first cohort of ten women in our Influential Leadership & Philanthropy Program, (aka ArcHer Leadership) graduated. Since then,

we have completed 5 more cohorts. Over the years, we have continued to connect with these women.

In this newsletter we will present two alumni to find out where they are today with their leadership journey. Some of the accomplishments we have heard over the years amongst our alumni are: One of alumnus is pursuing her PH.D, another is a successful Mortgage Banker, finance manager, entrepreneurs, social worker, plant manager, insurance

agency owner, pastor, real estate agent, architect, in school to become a principal, regional director, lawyer, marketing director, and HR Professionals. We are so proud to have been an influencer for these women.

In 2016, our first 9 students graduated from our FUERTE/STRONG Leadership Program for young Latinas. The target age is 19-30 years old.

Since then, we have had 5 more cohorts. These young Latinas are now successful bankers,

entrepreneurs, HR Professionals, librarians, managers, healthcare professionals, entertainers/educators, artist, marketing professionals, store managers, and several have since completed a masters degrees. We believe we played a big part in these girls lives.

As you read our stories, think back to your Throwback Time! Where were you 10 years ago?

Whose life have you impacted? Where are they now? Maybe now is the time to reconnect

and find out where they are at today. You never know who you impacted in a positive way. We are excited that what began 10 years ago as a pilot has now blossomed into 4 program offerings each year starting with 4-year olds, teenagers, post college, and emerging leaders. We invite you to consider supporting Latinas On The Plaza as we are positioning our organization for growth by hiring staff to run our programs and maintain our mission to educate, equip, and empower Her.

In 2015, I felt I needed a change. I was married, with my two year old son and 24 year old daughter.

I worked full-time at The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) as a Business Services Specialist where I managed the financial operations of the National Library of Medicine, Greater Midwest Region located in the Library of

Health Sciences at UIC. On the weekend, I took sewing and jewelry making classes. I enjoyed making gifts for family and friends. Whenever I could, I would volunteer for The Make-A-Wish Foundation making dreams come true for children with life threatening illnesses. I often wondered if I should switch jobs, find a new

hobby, volunteer more often or go back to school as I often thought of doing. I had earned a Master in Business Administration in International Business and Entrepreneurship in 2004 and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing in 1997 from UIC, but something was still missing.

In February 2016, I decided to enroll in, The Latina Mastery Institute Leadership & Philanthropy Program.

It was an inaugural cohort and was excited on the

sessions and assessment we were going to take. I was hoping this program would help lead me to the next chapter in life. I shared the experience with six other Latinas from all walks of life. We laughed, we cried and most importantly we formed a sisterhood of acceptance, support and encouragement. This program really paved the way for everything else to fall in place.

In March 2016, I transitioned into a new role at UIC as a Sponsored Programs Specialist at the

Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, Office of Sponsored Programs where I support UIC faculty and staff in the preparation, submission, and negotiation of agreements to worldwide sub recipients funded by federal and non-federal sponsors.

In April 2016, I attended an open house for a doctoral program in the College of Education at Illinois State University (ISU). I immediately applied and was admitted starting fall 2016

semester. In 2018, I was one of eight ISU graduate students to be named Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois (DFI) Fellow. The fellowship is sponsored by the Illinois Board of Higher Education. I have been a fellow for four consecutive years and it has been a blessing to say the least.

The pandemic has certainly added stress to my personal and professional life especially losing my father to COVID. It is taking a day at a time, but I remain stern

in finishing this degree regardless of how long it takes. My research interests include epistemology, funds of knowledge and cultural wealth models in education. I am currently working on my dissertation proposal and hope to honor the narratives, funds of knowledge and presence of our ancestors with my research.

If I had to provide a piece of wisdom to my younger self, I would say: Do not look for your happiness in others. Happiness

depends on you and only you. You may feel alone, but God is always with you. It is fine if you fall, but do get up and keep moving forward.

Life may be hard, but do not let it control you. Take charge little one!

In 2015, I joined the FUERTE Program and formed part of the first cohort. At the time, I was 24 years of age and had graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign two years prior. I held a fulltime position as a patient navigator for a community based organization in

Humboldt Park, Chicago. I performed HIV testing and counseling in communities across the Chicagoland area and developed partnerships with community organizations to further optimize our services.

I understood early on that this sector of public health was my passion. It

was fulfilling to empower others to be advocates of their own sexual health.

As a young Latina, I had greater ambition that extended beyond community work. It was my goal to graduate with a Master of Public Health and it was my career aspiration to be a manager for a HIV/STI public health program. I had big dreams but I did not know how to navigate my way through. In comparison to many of my colleagues at that time, I had limited work experience and there

was a lot for me to learn as a professional. I reached out to my mother for guidance who introduced me to the FUERTE Program.

I enrolled into the program and the rest was history. I connected with inspiring and successful women across disciplines, learned to think quickly on my feet, gained grit and discovered my brand. I completed the FUERTE program feeling empowered and

prepared to navigate the workplace.

Fast forward to the present day, I am a Senior Manager for a national public health organization and hold a Master of Public Health degree. I am thankful for the FUERTE Program, the experience was invaluable and a stepping stone to get to where I am today. To fellow young Latinas, I advise you to never stop pursuing your dreams. Despite how difficult job hunting

can be and how discouraging rejection emails can make you feel. These moments are meant to challenge us and help us grow.

Remain authentic, always fight for your dreams and you will notice things will slowly start falling in place. Timing is the essence.

I started my career at a very early age and have dedicated my adult life to it. My motivation to become a Mortgage Banker came from having the opportunity to make a difference in peoples lives with homeownership. Little did I know it also required sales skills and a strong mental mindset

for rejection and economy as well as market changes. I had received my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration; unfortunately, these skills were not discussed in any course. As a result, I was committed to my personal development and building additional skills that allowed me to stand

out. Being that I was single with no children, I knew I had to take advantage of the time and begun attending multiple workshops, trainings, seminars, and retreats such as Mujeres de HACE, Pastoral Leadership, Tony Robbins IPW (Unleash the Power Within You), Todd Duncan Sales Mastery. To me these resources were food for my soul.

Early in the year of 2016, I was introduced to The Latina Mastery Institute's

Leadership & Philanthropy Program, currently known as ArcHER program. I was looking for an intimate group of women mentors. At that time, the program consisted of meeting once a month for a period of 12 months. The sessions were taking place in downtown Chicago, where my CIBC office was located. I liked the idea of being with likeminded women from all walks of life who I knew I could learn from; and perhaps we could share

the internal and external challenges one goes through. We discussed the imposter syndrome which happens to so many professional women and many do not recognize it. One of the ones I enjoyed the most was the GRIT topic. We had to revisit a time we had shown grit in the past and how this mindset impacts ones life.

This program transformed my life by setting new standards for myself. I also

realized many professional women, as myself, long to have a support system and this program offers it.

In 2016, Todays Inspired Latina Volume II book was launched in which I had the opportunity to participate as co-author.

The year 2017 was personally and professionally a wonderful and busy year.

In 2018, I went through a divorce. The topic grit came to mind and I was

grateful we had touched on this topic in the program since grit is what I needed during this time. I have realized Grit is what keeps me moving forward.

As the COVID-19 pandemic came about in 2020 and we were forced to stay and work from home, it became evident to me that I had been focused on my professional life and I

had not enjoyed the small things in life. Such as having coffee at home, going for a walk while taking a break, or even enjoying the comfortableness of being home. I had been on the go for many years. While I was used to meeting clients face to face and doing business in person, I learned a new way of doing business online. I was able to spend more time with myself, which I yearned to.

This led me to create My Journey Journal. It is a space and guide to start your day with intention and focus. I am excited to launch it this year 2022 and will be available in the next couple of weeks.

One piece of wisdom I would share with my younger self would be:

“You have a place in this world, own it. Quiet the voice that comes up with excuses;

and listen to the voice that creates vibration and sparks of light”.

The MORE Program -Career Readiness for Teen Girls Pilot Program ran for 2.5 days on June 22 - 24. We had 7 teen girls from all over the metro Chicago areas. Day One was all about Self Discovery using assessments and experiential learning.

The girls discovered their strengths via an

embodiment exercise that also created a camaraderie amongst their teammates. Day Two was about conquering fears and understanding their personality types. We presented the girls with some challenges that made them think outside the box and their comfort zones. We wrapped up Day Three with exercised that challenged their ability to think on their feet, and learn from repetition.