Colleague Spotlight: Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, recognized every year from September 15 to October 15, I spoke to three fellow Hispanic colleagues to learn more about their culture and what this month means to them.
Vanessa Hernandez
Director, Business Operations
What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?
It is a time to celebrate the places we come from and those things that make us unique. It is a great time to support our local Hispanic community!
How has the influence of your culture helped you excel in your career?
My Hispanic culture has taught me the importance of hard work and family. Keeping those things in the forefront helps me excel, especially in those moments when things have proven challenging or even impossible. It has helped me connect with people to make strong and lasting relationships.
If you could share your culture with others, what would you share?
I would share the sense of family. Knowing that we all make mistakes but there is someone on the other side, looking out for you, and guiding you down the right path. This could be your boss, a colleague, mentor, really anyone within the organization.
What do you plan to accomplish in the next five years?
Further my education and travel more with the hopes of expanding my knowledge and views!
Ernesto Martinez Figueredo
Team Lead, Vendor Solutions Strategist
What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?
I grew up in Cuba and moved to the United States as a first-generation immigrant so for me, Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to sit back and reflect on how much the Hispanic community has grown and contributed to the overall growth and economic development of the United States. For example, I’m inspired by Orlando Bravo, who was born in Puerto Rico and is a Founder and Managing Partner of Thoma Bravo.
How has the influence of your culture helped you excel in your career?
Growing up, I faced a lot of adversity. My family came from humble beginnings, which taught me perseverance and created a mentality of being resourceful. This has helped me get to where I am in my career, and I'm not stopping.
If you could share your culture with others, what would you share?
Hispanic culture is synonymous with strong family bonds. Our family is our anchor, and food brings everyone together.
What do you plan to accomplish in the next five years?
My plan is to continue to grow my career at ConnectWise. I think of ConnectWise as a family that has given me the opportunity to grow and support my family at home. Before working at ConnectWise, I never had the opportunity to invest in the success of my company. I'm very thankful for that, which then in turn makes me want to continue to push myself forward even more—whether that’s moving into a different part of the business or into a leadership role.
Claudia Rojas
Consulting Operations Coordinator
What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?
In addition to being a time when I celebrate an important part of who I am, Hispanic Heritage Month is a big reminder of my commitment to the Hispanic and Latino community, as one of the America’s Latino Professionals. I was born and raised in Venezuela, and I always bring with me my background, my culture, and a lot of arepas (you should try them if you haven’t already)
How has the influence of your culture helped you excel in your career?
Being a Latina immigrant has had a huge influence on my career. Moving to a different country is never easy and it’s even more challenging if you need to learn a new language. However, that has helped me to develop many skills. An important one was how to be comfortable with not being comfortable. That has pushed me to get out of my comfort zone and say YES to new challenges.
If you could share your culture with others, what would you share?
I would share my gratitude, which is a core value of my culture (and arepas. Seriously, please try them).
What do you plan to accomplish in the next five years?
I would like to continue to be an ally of the Hispanic community inside and outside of ConnectWise. I would like to continue representing my community in the technology industry by participating in larger and impactful initiatives.