“This was the very first page, not where the storyline ends.”
Growing up with immigrant parents, I have had the heavy pressure of achieving success. Getting good grades, going to a nice college, and having a stable job for the future were all steps that that both my parents hoped for. As I made the choice to pick a major at DePaul, I knew that I wanted to do accounting because of the stable job opportunities. What I didn’t know was how intellectually isolating it would be to get a business degree. I consider myself an activist, and despite being interested in making societal change with a political science degree, I look in the mirror and see myself fueling capitalism and assimilating to the standards of corporate America. Being among the few Latinas in these big spaces, I believed that I would merely become a cog in the wheel.
My Latinidad is something that has set me apart from other people in business and has been a guiding theme as I continue making career strides. In participating in events with Mission and Ministry, I have had the opportunity to help my community and to learn about how to continually integrate Vincentian values in other aspects of my life.
My DCSA Journey
I started my freshman year of college with an understanding that I didn’t want to change any of my high school interests, and that I wanted to leverage as many opportunities as possible. As a commuter student, this took a toll on my body. I was working a 20-hour part time job at Panda Express, volunteering weekly as a musician at my local church choir, attending accounting networking events weekly and participating in business competitions, and managing relationships from high school. Many people say that freshman year was their easiest, but I had a difficult time managing my schedule.
It was at this point in my busy freshman year that my older sister invited me to attend ESL tutoring with her on Tuesday nights. I didn’t really know much, and I knew that we would commute back home at the same time, so I decided to do this and see if I could meet any friends. That first year, I attended ESL tutoring with the Achieving Immigrant Rights and Equality (AIRE) group at Erie Neighborhood House in West Town. It was through this opportunity that I began my Vincentians in Action (VIA) journey. Meeting new students at Erie and having conversations with them, I was getting the opportunity to learn about people who are much like my parents: Hispanic immigrants who prioritized the potential of their children’s happiness rather than their own. Going each week, I was able to meet a variety of different people who all shared the same hope of having a better future.
Whenever I went to service, I would forget about my responsibilities and about writing up my next assignment. There wasn’t internet access at Erie, and almost every week there was at least one student who came to have conversations with us. Time at service meant time off for me where I could learn about other people’s lives rather than focus on my own busy schedule.
I enjoyed going to service with my leaders Alicia and Jess, so much so, that I decided to continue my VIA journey not simply as a volunteer at Erie, but as a Service Coordinator to lead these spaces. Though I still didn’t know the theory behind VIA or the specifics of the Vincentian mission, I knew that dignity and respect were important considerations, and that creating community was essential for weekly service. I started this role my sophomore year in a virtual environment, but I have continued until it was back to in-person service for my senior year.
My VHT Experience
The Vincentian Heritage Tour was my first time going abroad. Prior to summer 2022, I had never even been on a plane before, and now nearly eight months after getting on my first plane ride, I was given the opportunity to get on an eight-hour plane ride to Paris.
In the class leading up to this trip, I was able to learn more about Sr. Rosalie Rendu, who is a Vincentian figure that has helped me understand what it means to contribute business skills in efforts to build on the Vincentian mission. Rosalie was an expert networker who leveraged her connections to build charitable services to help those who were poverty stricken. Rosalie was an organizer, and visiting Montparnasse cemetery where she was buried was a key moment where I was able to understand how her efforts helped the poor. In doing research on Mouffetard District and actually visiting it, I could make comparisons on how the connotations of that district has changed since the time that Rosalie was alive.
Earlier my freshman year, I had trouble envisioning how my career could be applied to social justice efforts, but now I realize that there are several transferable skills and life-long values that I can apply. Just like Rosalie did in creating a vast number of charitable services, there is an opportunity to help society, especially by utilizing business skills. Using my expertise in financial matters, I can get involved on the board of non-profit organizations like Erie Neighborhood House that aim to help Hispanic communities in Chicago. I can also gain leadership positions at my office job and work to instill better diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives that foster personal holistic development.
When meeting new people, I often tell them to guess my major.
I do this because it’s always fun to see what people guess, and because most of the time when people meet me, they expect me to be studying the humanities, or to be in education. Yes- I am a business student, but I’m much more than that.
I am graduating this June, but I have had amazing, lifechanging opportunities that have shaped me into a Latina Vincentian. As I start a career in corporate America, I will continue to maintain the mindset that there is power in organization and there are opportunities to help my community.
