Purpose

My Purpose Statement

I became a leader organically. I grew up in a highly challenging environment in Mexico. My parents abandoned my siblings and me, leaving us alone and homeless. My story is the American dream, where people hope to escape the toxic society of a third-world country and come to America to be free and to have an opportunity to live a better life. The core of my leadership is resiliency, and the source is my courage. I grew up in a lot of poverty and an unsafe environment. I was fortunate many churches were proselytizing in Mexico back then, and my family joined the LDS church. After my parents abandoned us, an LDS American family adopted my older sister, and she moved to the USA, became a citizen, and eventually sponsored each of my siblings to come to America until I got my turn. Growing up, I had very low self-esteem. Coming from Catholic and Mormon religious backgrounds, feelings of shame and guilt ruled my life. I always felt so inadequate.

However, I always dreamed of coming to America. I imagined I would speak English, live in a decent house, drive a car, and be happy–something that in Mexico would be impossible for a child like me. So, I felt very blessed when I had the opportunity to come to America. Of course, I have worked very hard since I moved here. Life happens, and 15 years ago, I became a single mother of four wonderful children. I worked two jobs to meet my children's basic needs. I wanted a better life for myself and my children, so I participated in as many community education events as possible. I also learned English and started helping other Spanish speakers communicate. I volunteered in schools and took mini-courses. I became an advocate and educator. Eventually, I earned a Community Health Worker Certification and attended college to obtain my Bachelor’s in Public Health. Now, I am in the process of earning a master's degree. I have been very fortunate to live in this country I love, and I firmly believe it is the best country in the world.

I was able to finish school while working and raising my children. It certainly has not been easy, but it has been possible, something I have never imagined achieving back in my country of origin. I had a dream and vision of how to change my life for the better. Of course, I needed to be willing to pay the price. I needed discipline, a good work ethic, humility to ask for help, trust in myself and others, the willingness to fail many times, and take risks. I took time away from my kids, friends, and social events. However, my vision and goal were and still are very important. I showed my kids if I can get a good education, they can do it too. I want them to know that they can achieve what they want if they are willing to make sacrifices and work consistently. I often feel tired and frustrated, but I refresh my core by considering how far I have come and how much I have already achieved, and the desire to continue comes back to me.

What makes me come alive is seeing firsthand how I have helped positively change people's lives. And of course, people positively change my life as well. This fact also makes me feel alive and satisfied. The best thing is I can pass this legacy on to my children. As an athlete, I also like sports, challenges, and competition. I like analyzing and creating strategies to beat my opponents. I also enjoy the challenge of guessing the competition’s strategy and bringing an innovative alternative to our team.

I love leadership practices such as brainstorming, data interpretation, talent, skills, competencies, training, and structures that allow the growth of the team members individually and the team as a whole.

My core values are integrity, perseverance, and discipline. Integrity is my most important core value. We need to be honest with ourselves and others about our intentions. Having integrity can be challenging because we must be willing to be vulnerable and admit when we are wrong. We must be open to criticism and look out for the well-being of ourselves and others. We must also be willing to lead and be led. Integrity also demands we see the best in each team member and apply the best ethics practices in our systems and decisions.

Perseverance is a necessary—but not sufficient—part of success. We need tenacity to be consistent and maintain progress. We must take action every day, remain diligent, and face any problems that may arise head-on. Perseverance goes beyond mere initial motivation. There must also be a true, lasting commitment. Motivation comes and goes, but commitment is unwavering. Commitment prevents the mind from filling with self-doubt or considering anything less than the successful achievement of one’s goals.

I became a leader organically. I grew up in a highly challenging environment in Mexico. My parents abandoned my siblings and me, leaving us alone and homeless. My story is the American dream, where people hope to escape the toxic society of a third-world country and come to America to be free and to have an opportunity to live a better life. The core of my leadership is resiliency, and the source is my courage. I grew up in a lot of poverty and an unsafe environment. I was fortunate many churches were proselytizing in Mexico back then, and my family joined the LDS church. After my parents abandoned us, an LDS American family adopted my older sister, and she moved to the USA, became a citizen, and eventually sponsored each of my siblings to come to America until I got my turn. Growing up, I had very low self-esteem. Coming from Catholic and Mormon religious backgrounds, feelings of shame and guilt ruled my life. I always felt so inadequate.

However, I always dreamed of coming to America. I imagined I would speak English, live in a decent house, drive a car, and be happy–something that in Mexico would be impossible for a child like me. So, I felt very blessed when I had the opportunity to come to America. Of course, I have worked very hard since I moved here. Life happens, and 15 years ago, I became a single mother of four wonderful children. I worked two jobs to meet my children's basic needs. I wanted a better life for myself and my children, so I participated in as many community education events as possible. I also learned English and started helping other Spanish speakers communicate. I volunteered in schools and took mini-courses. I became an advocate and educator. Eventually, I earned a Community Health Worker Certification and attended college to obtain my Bachelor’s in Public Health. Now, I am in the process of earning a master's degree. I have been very fortunate to live in this country I love, and I firmly believe it is the best country in the world.

In practice, commitment is transformed into discipline. First, there is the emotional discipline which is needed to keep going. And then there is the mental discipline necessary to create, execute, and evaluate action plans. I keep a disciplined schedule to achieve everything I need and want to as an employee, mother, and student. I also make time to practice self-care. Experience has taught me how to structure my schedule. However, it has also taught me how to revise my schedule as needed to attend to urgent matters and prioritize what is more important and when is more important.

Vision:

My vision is to create an organization that educates and prepares Latinos to thrive in America. By highlighting values such as a strong work ethic, I can help people avoid adopting the victim mentality so many minorities seem to have.

I currently am a strategist and leader in organizations that prepare people in fields like education, sports, politics, and others. In the future, I envision myself as a speaker, director, or even politician who advocates for the well-being of the people of this country. I am looking for the opportunity to help people work with all types of leaders, regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, political views, or any other affiliations, to find the common good and achieve the best outcome for the people we serve. I want to influence and inspire others to be good leaders.

I have already started working toward this future by creating a podcast & radio show on Minnesota Latin Radio entitled "Enterate Minnesota" (Get Informed, Minnesota). On my show, Latino leaders and other professionals share their stories, viewpoints, and news that impact the Latino community in the Twin Cities. My show also provides education on various topics presented by subject matter experts. I also challenge my guests and audience to ask difficult questions and offer their unique perspectives. My show provides a safe space for thoughtful conversation, analysis, and debate. It is a useful platform for individuals and organizations wanting to contact the Latino Community. For example, Minnesota’s Secretary of State, Steve Simons, appeared on an episode where he provided information about voter registration and safe housing. The audience was deeply engaged in the conversation–asking questions over the phone and in the chat. In the episode, we discussed diverse topics, such as artificial intelligence and pool safety. It was a fantastic way for the state to reach the Latino community in a safe and educational format. Mr. Simons asked me to invite him again to talk more about the importance of voting – especially this election year, so he is returning soon.

Practice:

Leading with compassion, wisdom, and charisma is the best way to make a real positive impact as a leader. Years of hardship have taught me to be more empathetic and connect with people. I had to learn through all stages and experiences, even when I had less education and did not speak English. Real-life experience has given me more wisdom than any other school. However, many great leaders have a balance of life experience and formal education.

I reward people with recognition and other ways, such as bonuses, vacations, promotions, and others. These rewards show respect and acknowledge the importance of collaboration. When people feel appreciated, they usually perform better, are happier, and are willing to help in the future. For my podcast, I send thank-you cards to each guest, and I say “Thank you!” to my audience after every episode. Also, I send out birthday or holiday cards. I make phone calls or send emails to strengthen relationships. I want to collaborate with other organizations and businesses by maintaining my reputation and strengthening my network.

Enterate Minnesota has a long way to go, but it is a good start. I plan to improve the show by hosting more guests and increasing community engagement with incentives like prizes and free event tickets. I also plan to involve celebrities and create sponsorship opportunities. I am proceeding slowly because, for now, all the work I do for my podcast is as a volunteer. But this project is just the beginning of a poor and naive girl in Mexico many years ago. I dream of being a good leader and example in the Latino community and the world, as well as a great American, but I want my children to be proud of their mother.