On Thursday, May 30th, Molloy’s Spanish Club hosted a Hispanic Career Panel! Panelists included: Mr. Michael Peña, a Marketing and Video Production Manager at Microsoft; Dr. Jackie Nunez, a forensic pathologist working for the medical examiners of NYC and Connecticut; Ms. Amanda Amore, the Regional Distribution Manager for Nespresso; and Ms. Sondra Seecharan, the Retail Marketing Manager for Nespresso.
Panelists answered questions from students regarding what they studied in college, what their career paths looked like, what their day-to-day work is like, how they take care of their mental health, and how being Hispanic has benefited them in the workplace. Jackie told those in attendance, “In your struggles, you learn your strengths,” and Amanda said, “If you don’t know what you want to do right away, that’s okay, because you will eventually find your passion.” Sondra and Michael agreed that it was important for people with diverse backgrounds have representation in their fields, because “there are opportunities for us to have a voice, and we need to take them.” Jackie elaborated by saying that she was grateful she could use her knowledge of Spanish to communicate with Hispanic families when others in her field could not, and Michael said that he appreciates being able to pitch ideas that are representative of his culture.
Dr. Alice Prince shares, “One of the things I admire most is that we held the Hispanic Heritage Panel outside of Hispanic Heritage Month. It is crucial for our community to amplify voices year-round. No single month can define and encapsulate such rich heritages.” Thank you to all who put the panel together, the Stanners who asked poignant questions, and our panelists for taking time out of their schedules to talk to our students!