Our Hispanic Promise: Si Se Puede

I’ll never forget one of the first external events I attended as a new Community and Social Impact Director with American Family Insurance. It was the annual Latino Chamber of Commerce Gala in Madison, Wisconsin, held three years ago. An AmFam Latina colleague approached me from across the room and said, “I’m so glad to see you here.”

I smiled and replied to her lightheartedly, “I’m so glad to see you here, too!” And we celebrated and danced the night away in honor of the many contributions from our Hispanic-Latinx community.

It wasn’t until my first leadership conference at American Family that I finally understood why she said, “I’m so glad to see you here.” As I entered the room, I scanned the crowd, eager to make eye contact with someone I could approach to form a new work-friend relationship with. I met many wonderful people that day. Yet by the end of it, I realized that I had not met one other Latina leader among the hundreds of people who were present. Even amidst my excitement and enthusiasm to embark on this new career, my heart sank just a little bit as I wondered, once again, as I had through many life experiences:

Am I the “only one”?

Is this the right room?

Do I belong here?

To read the rest of Leana's story, see the ideas sharing site Medium. 

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About the American Family Insurance group
Based in Madison, Wisconsin, American Family Insurance has been serving customers since 1927. We inspire, protect and restore dreams through our insurance products, exceptional service from our agency owners and employees, community investment and creative partnerships to address societal challenges. We act on our belief in diversity and inclusion by constantly evolving to meet customer needs and preferences. American Family Insurance group is the nation’s 13th-largest property/casualty insurance group, ranking No. 232 on the Fortune 500 list. The group sells American Family-brand products, primarily through exclusive agency owners in 19 states. The American Family Insurance group also includes CONNECT, powered by American Family Insurance, The General, Homesite and Main Street America Insurance. Across these companies the group has more than 13,500 employees nationwide.