Finding community across borders
For Fernando M. and Angelica R., community has played an important role at different moments in their Vanguard journeys. One found an opportunity to help others after moving to a new country. The other discovered a community that helped change the direction of her career.
Through Vanguard’s Hispanic/Latinx Organization for Leadership and Advocacy (HOLA) Crew Resource Group (CRG), both found ways to connect their experiences with opportunities to support others, grow professionally, and build relationships across cultures.
Building connections across cultures at work
When Fernando moved from Mexico to Canada in 2019, he encountered cultural differences as he adjusted to his new surroundings. The experience also sparked a desire to support others.
“There was this feeling inside me that I wanted to help in a way,” said Fernando.
That instinct eventually led him to co-lead HOLA in Toronto. With support from allies, Fernando uses that group to connect with colleagues from Latin America and help others as they navigate their own transitions.
Those experiences have also influenced the way Fernando approaches his role as a senior product manager. His team in Canada supports products offered by Vanguard in Latin America and collaborates closely with colleagues around the world. For Fernando, understanding different perspectives has become an important part of working effectively across regions.
“Understanding how people think and what’s in it for them has helped me quite a lot in this role,” he said.
Looking ahead, Fernando believes the ability to work across differences will only become more important.
“I only see more integration between different regions. That is going to continue,” he said. “I believe leaders who can embrace cultural differences, be empathetic, and collaborate with people from different backgrounds is a powerful ability.”
Finding community and career growth at Vanguard
For Angelica, the connection to HOLA started before her Vanguard career did.
As a college student, Angelica was considering pursuing a career in the nonprofit sector when she met someone who was a member of HOLA at a career fair.
“I was planning for a career in the nonprofit space, but I met someone from HOLA, and I switched and decided to apply [to Vanguard],” said Angelica.
Seven years later, Angelica works as a project manager in Vanguard’s Education Savings Group. Her involvement with HOLA has grown along with her career, taking her from group member to an Arizona Site Lead.
Driven by a desire to give back to her community, Angelica has participated in mentoring, event planning, and new initiatives through HOLA. Along the way, those experiences have given her opportunities to strengthen her leadership skills while creating opportunities for others.
Her story has come full circle: A connection with HOLA once helped Angelica see a potential future for herself at Vanguard. Today, she helps create those connections for others.
