My Power of Identity

The best description of what drives my decisions in my daily tasks, including my #LifeAtVanguard, is to achieve Hozho. Hozho is said to be the most important word in the Navajo language and is loosely translated as being at peace, having balance, seeing beauty, and being in harmony. Holistic may be the closest English word, but not quite! When you are in Hozho, you are at one with the world, while still being a part of the world that surrounds you.

At Vanguard, I have the opportunity to grow and develop in that state of HOZHO, by being in a role that offers a platform to share my heritage, to embrace my indigenous culture, and showcase my power of identity. As a Sr. Talent Acquisition Analyst in the Emerging Talent & Diversity Recruiting Strategy Team, I lead our early talent sourcing strategies across the U.S. I support engagements that are aligned to attracting efforts with Indigenous communities. I partner with key universities to manage relationships and network with students through career fairs, holding workshops, providing 1:1 mentoring, and giving presentations. In my role, I am truly encouraged to celebrate my individuality, which ultimately allows me to be transparent in sharing my personal commitment to break psychological, cultural, and emotional barriers.

Embracing my culture

As a child, I was raised by my traditional healer grandfather and my strong, loving grandmother who taught the importance of embracing our culture and respecting all humans. I loved hearing my grandfather sing traditional songs, create ceremonial sandpainting’s, and reverently offering service to our community. I enjoyed helping my grandmother with her Navajo rug weaving, assisting as she cared for her animals, and listening to her wisdom of having an open viewpoint, placing importance on attaining knowledge and holding strong to our native traditions.

Vanguard helps me embrace the same values by aligning its mission of taking a stand for ALL investors by doing the right thing. Just as I was taught to give service with respect, to care for others, and to have a Hozho mindset, Vanguard offers balance in my personal development and career journey. I find through my role, I am becoming more aware of Vanguard’s DEI initiatives, which allows me to effectively build deep connections with others and respect all cultures in an inclusive environment.

My identity as a Navajo, first-gen woman, gives me a rare viewpoint to encourage authenticity and develop meaningful relationships with those I meet. At Vanguard, my Hozho journey is embracing my identity and harnessing the power of culture to create deep connections and thrive as ONE with my Emerging Talent and Diversity Recruiting Strategy team.

— Fedora H.

Each year, Hispanic/Latinx Organization for Leadership and Advancement (HOLA), Vanguard’s crew (employee) resource group, brings crew together during Hispanic Heritage Month to learn about and share their culture.

This year’s Hispanic Heritage Month theme is “Unidos: Uniting all Vanguard crew through a celebration of Latinx and Hispanic heritage and culture.” The theme recognizes the voices that have shaped the Latinx community and paved the way for inclusion. As Latinx members and allies, there is a wealth of knowledge, culture, languages, backgrounds, and experiences that unite us all.

In this blog, we hear from crew who share what Unidos and Hispanic Heritage Month means to them:

For me, “Unidos” is an everyday state of mind. Maybe it’s rooted in our culture, but in Mexico, we try to do everything together. The community we have when we interact with each other, either in the workspace or during a meal, is really strong. For example, a lunch meeting with clients, family, or friends always features “sobremesa,” which means the time you stay chatting and exchanging ideas. A good “sobremesa” can last for hours and can be a time for real bonding among the participants.
– Mayolo O.

When I moved to Charlotte from Georgia not too long ago, I looked toward my favorite hobby of volleyball for pastime and exercise. Through volleyball, I met families and friends who are Peruanos, Venezolanos, Puertorriquenos, and more. They invited me into their events and dinners, knowing that I was establishing a new life here on my own. That is what Unidos means to me. We are a community of individuals from many places and backgrounds, yet we still value and know the bonds that bring us together.
– Chris M.

Unidos for me means sharing our Latinx heritage and culture with everyone on our Washington, DC team. Whether that’s highlighting Latinx figures who’ve made significant contributions to society, or sharing traditions my family celebrates, Unidos is all about inclusion and welcoming everyone into the Latinx family.
– Chris R.

Hispanic Heritage Month, Unidos, and HOLA are important to me as they bring light to the warm cultures of dozens of countries across the globe that are represented by those living in the US. As an ally who double majored in Spanish, my participation in HOLA has proven to be a valuable aspect of my career in Finance. Not only does the crew resource group cultivate a new network of support, but it also provides the opportunity to make an impact in an area about which I’m passionate. HHM is a great celebration of independence and heritage. It enables us to break stigmas and highlight growth opportunities in our multicultural markets.
– Julia H.

Unidos for me means not only getting together with friends and family but being together as a community. As Latinx people, others often think we have a lot in common, and while we do, there are also a lot of cultural differences amongst Latinx people. So, when the theme came up, my first thought was about really uniting people, learning from the different cultures within the Hispanic and Latinx communities and celebrating both the things we have in common and the differences, while in a safe space provided by our Vanguard familia.
– Angel S-R.

When her sister was interested in Nintendo, Barbies, and other toys as a child, Investment Management Group Principal and Global Head of ETF Capital Markets and Broker & Index Relations Janel Jackson was drawn to numbers. “My dad had Value Line binders full of individual securities, pricing, and recommendations on stocks that intrigued me,” Janel said. “My sister quizzed me on math problems before she let me join her in playing video games!” Janel’s passion for figures and finance helped her advance through college, graduate school, and her career and earned her a seat on the Women in ETFs U.S. board.

Women in ETFs (WE) is a global nonprofit open to everyone in the ETF industry, with a mission of developing talent, honoring the achievements of women in the industry, and investing in the ETF community. Vanguard is a gold sponsor and has an internal steering committee focused on maximizing our engagements and benefits from WE, as well as helping to create a sense of community among crew who are members.

Janel attributes her achievement to a long-term focus on the investment industry as well as on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion. One of her goals as a board member is to widen the scale of possibilities for WE members.

“I enjoy helping people discover ways to develop themselves and broaden their networks,” Janel said. Throughout her Vanguard career, she has prioritized helping new and tenured crew members broaden and deepen their ties with one another.

Vanguard is a strong supporter of this organization and its mission. Membership among Vanguard employees has grown to almost 600.

The value of a first impression
When Janel was pursuing a career with investment management companies, committing to one that sustains a diverse culture was a priority for her. She vividly remembers one career fair where Vanguard stood out.

“I met Vanguard’s Chief Investment Officer Greg Davis and, at the time, he was running the U.S. bond index desk,” Janel said. “I hadn’t seen a lot of African Americans in money management, and to see him in the role knowing the mission and values of this organization, I was automatically attracted to working here.

“You hear firms talking about diversity and inclusion, and then you see a room of white males. Does this company really care about diversity and inclusion? When I met Greg, I thought, ‘Wow, they’re serious. I want to be a part of that.’”

Connecting and growing
Janel became involved with Women in ETFs in 2017. After getting to know other women in the group and then attending a conference a few years later, she was inspired to build her ETF knowledge and broaden her network.

“Hearing female speakers at the conference talk about their tenure and path sounded very similar to mine, and many of them were around since the inception of ETFs,” Janel said. “Even though they were working at different firms, seeing how connected they were and the knowledge around the ETF vehicle made me want to get even more involved.”

Janel will continue to advocate for a diverse mindset, equity in opportunities for everyone, and inclusivity. “There’s always going to be more than we can do,” she said. “We should all be getting ahead together.”

Vanguard was a proud Gold Sponsor for the Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA) Out Women in Business (OWIB) Conference. The Out Women in Business Conference brought the LGBTQIA+ community together to educate, inspire, and connect future generations of women in business. For many of the attendees, it was the first chance to come together in-person after more than two years of being virtual. A celebration of visible community and representation, OWIB featured speakers from a number of companies, including Vanguard’s own Kate Pope, Senior Manager in the Office of the General Counsel, and Kim-An Hernandez, Principal in the Finance division.

In this blog, we wanted to capture the perspectives of our crew who were able to attend. We asked them a few questions about their experience and were thrilled with the positive feedback we received. Here is what they had to say:

“Romba’s OWIB event provided an incredible opportunity to connect, network, and share what #LifeAtVanguard means to me. Attending alongside our Out Professional Engagement Network (OPEN) colleagues was the highlight, as it was my first time meeting many of them in person versus on a screen. It also provided deeper connections and sense of community.”
– Krista D.

“I love the networking aspect of meeting people from other organizations. This is extremely helpful for recruiting and getting the Vanguard story out there, as well as learning from peers in other companies, industries and regions so we can continually raise the bar in both the work we do at Vanguard and our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) journey.”
– Jill O.

“The energy, diversity, and passion in the room created such a refreshing sense of belonging and connection. I especially loved hearing stories from all these talented and courageous women from different backgrounds. Hearing each person’s “hustle” or goal they’re working toward was most impactful to me. It was energizing being surrounded by a community of like-minded people. I’m so proud to be part of a company that values this community and works to lift up these voices.”
– Mary O.

Vanguard crew gathered at recruiting booth at Out Women in Business 2022 event.

As a developer, I find myself thinking about web sites and application design a lot. One aspect of development is accessibility, or making sure that all users have equal access to resources found on the web, and can accurately perceive, operate and understand all content. Accessibility is not as simple as testing with a screen reader and calling it a day, true web accessibility means ensuring that those with challenges to visual, hearing, motor, cognitive, and color perception abilities can use the applications successfully and with minimal frustration.

My exposure to accessibility technology started much earlier than most. My father’s cousin used a wheelchair for her adult life and had limited control from her neck down; she was able to move one finger. She was one of the most intelligent women I knew, a college professor with degrees in Criminal Science, and a fantastic taste in movies!

My father was her unofficial tech support, so I was always aware of how important her computer and other tools were for her to go about her daily life. I thought watching her speed through Dragon Naturally Speaking, a speech recognition software that allowed her to move her mouse around on the screen and interact with her computer via her voice, was so cool! In fact, I referenced that experience in my college application essays. So, from a time pre-dating my career, I have associated technology with helping to improve lives.

While in college, I was introduced to Vanguard through my College to Corporate summer internship. Even though my role through that program had nothing to do with software development (which I was majoring in) or accessibility, it was still a lot of fun! I learned so much about Vanguard’s corporate culture, including the firm’s client-first mentality, how caring colleagues are, how supportive managers are on finding balance between work and life, and encouragement to take advantage of Vanguard’s many amenities. I was amazed to learn that one of my coworkers had recruited her son to come work at the same company when adults I knew spent so much time complaining about work; the contrast was vast.

Given the welcoming culture I experienced, returning was a no brainer. When I eventually found my way to a developer role at Vanguard, I attended an internal course for one week that provided a broad overview of the many systems, tools and technologies, and programs that we need to be aware of. I spent a half day learning about what was a relatively new program at Vanguard, their Accessibility Office. I was fascinated by the idea. My manager at the time suggested that I reach out to them and become an ambassador.

Since that time, the Accessibility Office, and its ambassador (now champion) program, has continued to expand, and I have enjoyed being along for the ride. Along with trainings, I have also attended events for Global Accessibility Awareness Day and other accessibility related concepts. Just this year, I have signed up to become certified through International Association of Accessibility Professionals. For me, accessibility closely aligns to Vanguard’s mission – to take a stand for all investors (among other things). It’s important we make sure that all our tools are accessible to everyone.

In addition to my participation in the Accessibility Office, my role as an ambassador has offered me opportunities in my day-to-day job to introduce others on my team and beyond to accessibility concepts and help them integrate accessible implementations. We started small, with reviews of various applications, and the creation of prioritized backlogs to ensure that we could continuously improve our client experience. One occasion that stands out is when we adjusted the color contrast on pie charts on our pages. Upon implementation, one of my colleagues expressed gratitude for our work, as they personally are color blind. This was unexpected and truly demonstrates the positive impact we are having on the lives of others.

As I became more experienced with accessibility, I started to act as a subject matter expert for not just my team, but other teams in my product family and program as well. I am always happy to help when my fellow crew members reach out to me and ask for the best way to make an input, table, or chart more accessible, because I truly believe that every little bit helps! In the last few years, I have started giving overviews to my department about what accessibility is and how to implement it in their daily lives. I have received countless, positive feedback from participants, who were excited to jump in and start making their applications accessible to everyone.

The latest step in my accessibility journey took place in early January of this year when I accepted a role in the Accessibility Office. So, not only has accessibility shaped my childhood and early career, but it continues to shape the future of my work. Vanguard’s accessibility journey is far from finished, and I am looking forward to helping Vanguard continue to strive to give ALL investors the best chance for investment success.

-Noel K.

Vanguard’s Total Rewards Package aims to provide a benefits program that supports all crew and focuses on life’s most important moments by providing the tools, resources, and programs they need in their life stage. Over the past year, with the introduction of some new benefits, including those focused on well-being, we’ve encouraged crew more than ever to choose the benefits that matter most to them now and in the future.

“Every crew member is in a different place when it comes to their needs, wants, and thoughts on how their employer should support them from a benefits perspective. To navigate these differences, we think through our crew members’ own journeys on an individual level to truly understand how they experience our benefits program, which helps us identify where we might – or might not – be meeting their needs today.” -Amy W., Benefits Manager

Benefits and Well-Being

Healthcare

• A medical program that leads the market in both design and cost subsidy. Medical costs are subsidized significantly above competitive benchmark.
• Long-term savings opportunities with access to a Health Savings Account (HSA), allowing crew to take advantage of tax efficiencies now and investment opportunities for the future. For those enrolled in an HSA-qualified medical plan, Vanguard provides a seed contribution as well as a 1.5x company match—both of which will benefit from compound growth over time.
• Coverage and enhanced advocacy support for fertility services that supports all families (same-sex, opposite sex, transgender, and single-by-choice families), including crew wishing to delay pregnancy.
• Enhanced coverage for transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals, which aligns with the World Profession Association of Transgender Health (WPATH) Standards of Care in 2021.

Financial

• Competitive pay that aligns with market practices, and rewards crew contributions through annual incentives that align client outcomes with crew and company performance.
• Vanguard’s Retirement and Savings Plan (RSP) remains one of the premier defined contribution arrangements with a benchmark participation rate (97%), high average balance (3x national average) and diversified investment offerings. Our crew in the United States are immediately eligible to participate and Vanguard provides a generous match program to ensure our crew are retirement ready.
• Tuition assistance for student loan repayment and an academic assistance program for crew fostering growth inside and outside the office.

Wellbeing/Lifestyle

• FlexFund, a $1,500 taxable annual stipend that allows crew to choose the benefits that matter most to them. Crew can choose from several expense categories like physical and emotional well-being, family and pet services, lifestyle and conveniences, technology and mobility, and financial well-being.
• Generous vacation and volunteer time off, with a flexible work week for many positions.
• Parental benefits that include paid time for birth parents and non-birth parents, as well as financial support for adoption and surrogacy.
• Wellness centers with on-site health clinics and fitness centers in our Malvern, Charlotte and Scottsdale locations. In response to COVID-19, these services have shifted to virtual platforms so crew can take advantage of them in our remote environment.
• Digital platform and therapy solution to provide care for emotional and mental health—how, when, and where it’s needed, at no cost.
• A program that offers personalized support to help caregivers tackle the often complex logistical and administrative tasks associated with caring for a loved one. A dependent care FSA and paid family care leave are also provided.

“Helping our diverse crew members thrive means that our benefits strategy needs to be an evolution to meet changing needs and preferences. The program is built on a strong foundation of core benefits like health care, time off and retirement, but also includes many other value-based benefits like education assistance, enhanced mental health support, and solutions to aid caregivers. Our intention is to ensure each program aligns to one of our guiding principles – whether it’s offering a specific digital tool to improve user experience, or simply because it’s the right thing to do for our crew. Crew feedback is an important part of this process as it helps us shape our benefits program, now and into the future.” -Amy W., Benefits Manager

I have over 20 years of experience in sales, business development and change management. After spending much of my tenure in the technology field, I decided to pursue a career with Vanguard. I started out in a project management position, supporting our Retail business. While I enjoyed the challenging work and am glad for the skills I developed, I decided I wanted to explore another passion of mine: to help others on their talent journey. Regardless of the “talent” role I landed, I was determined to aid others in reaching their potential by playing a more active role in driving Vanguard’s recruitment strategy. Further, I was looking for an opportunity that had direct ties to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Lucky for me, I was offered what I like to call the perfect position, a role as a Diversity Recruiting Lead on Vanguard’s Diversity Recruiting Strategy (DRS) team.

DRS and our investment in the DEI space

As a Diversity Recruiting Lead, I’ve focused on three major goals:

1. Increase Vanguard brand awareness in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Ecosystem
2. Support alleviating inequity gaps in the HBCU Ecosystem
3. Grow the diversity in Vanguard’s talent pipeline

In an effort to support these goals, the DRS team strives to deliver programming to students that is unlike others. And that is where the strategy evolves. I try to think like college students, understanding how to meet them where they are, and empathize with their college to corporate journey. Vanguard programs like HBCU EXPLORE, a three-day event that provides an enriching experience for students and our HBCU partners, gives students direct access to our recruiters so they have an idea of what to look for when exploring internships and full-time opportunities. Further, HBCU EXPLORE offers students the space to ask questions related to the personal journeys of those who have recently graduated and accepted roles at Vanguard and to learn ways in which they can maximize their college experiences and pursue jobs they may not have previously considered.

Along with reimagining programs like HBCU EXPLORE, we also partner with major organizations like Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), launching Vanguard scholars programming to help alleviate financial burdens for students working hard to ace their grades. Additionally, the team works with several HBCUs to partner on how best to support classroom curriculum, sharing the technical skills and information to help set students up for success in the financial services industry.

Lastly, we recently introduced a new program in collaboration with Howard University: the Howard University Sales Management Fellowship Program. For almost a year, I’ve had the honor of working closely with the Chair of Marketing and a Marketing/Sales Professor at Howard University to help develop this fellowship program for under-represented talent in the financial services industry. As the sole corporate partner, Vanguard will help debunk myths about what sales is, introduce Howard University students to sales leaders, and provide an experience where they will gain insight into sales at Vanguard. In continuing to seek ways to lean into our HBCU partnerships, we hope to add value to both the students and faculty experiences at Howard University.

A new opportunity

As for what comes next, I’m excited to share that I’ve accepted an opportunity to manage the program for the Howard University Sales Management Fellowship full-time. I feel like things have come full circle as I’m back where I started, working closely with Vanguard Sales domains, helping to increase the diversity in our sales pipeline, while amplifying Vanguard’s broader DEI commitment.

-Kristy P.

Vanguard is being recognized for its pro bono contributions in the Philadelphia area over the past two years by Philadelphia VIP, a nonprofit organization that offers free legal services to the city’s residents, small businesses, and nonprofits with civil matters.

Philadelphia VIP awarded Vanguard with this year’s Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. Award, which honors the volunteer or practice setting that had the biggest increase in volunteer participation or number of cases represented over the past two years. Vanguard volunteers were honored at Philadelphia VIP’s virtual Awards Night held on Tuesday, October 12.

“As a life-long Philadelphian, it meant a lot to me to help individuals in need of legal services in the community through Vanguard’s Pro Bono Program,” said Robin H., who led the Financial Institution Pro Bono Day event, which was the project cited for the award. “The clients were in such dire need for legal assistance.”

A sense of purpose and community

Vanguard joined other financial institutions from across the U.S. on January 14, 2021, to provide pro bono virtual legal services to vulnerable communities. Fourteen volunteers from Office of the General Counsel’s (OGC) Pro Bono Committee assisted clients, mostly nonprofit social service agencies struggling with tax filings related to their incorporation.

Committee Lead Carrie S. shared, “Being a part of the Pro Bono Committee for the last two years has provided not only the opportunity to help underserved people and organizations, but also a sense of purpose and community during a time when we couldn’t gather in person. I’m really proud of what we’ve created and sustained as a committee and a broader OGC community.”

Enthusiasm for serving

Vanguard pro bono volunteers have had diverse opportunities to provide legal services to the community throughout the year, including:

• Assisting the PA Innocence Project in screening cases for potential exoneration.
• Assisting immigrants with asylum applications.
• Advocating for students with educational challenges.
• Filing legal name change documents for low-income transgender individuals.

“The Pro Bono Committee has created new and expanded opportunities where all within OGC have the ability to serve the community. It has galvanized the division and generated enthusiasm for serving,” said Committee Sponsor Keri M. “I am so proud of the committee and all who participated, especially now—when service during the pandemic had to move to virtual and everyone carries the weight of community and personal stressors.”

It’s not just a day when you’re a member of the LGBTQIA+ family. Coming out is never a once and done like, “Phew, I made it through that! Now let’s just move on with my life.” It’s every day. It’s ongoing for the rest of our lives. I’ve had to come out over and over and over again in a variety of different scenarios.

Starting a new job?
As a new crew member at Vanguard, I’ve had to come out to all my new colleagues over the past few months during introductions as topics of family and who we spend time with over the weekend has come up in casual conversations. It can be very awkward and anxiety-ridden, depending on how questions are posed. For example, I’ve been asked “What’s your husband’s name?” more times than I can count over the lifetime of my career.

Moving to a new location?
I relocated from Chicago, IL to Reading, PA when I accepted my new role at Vanguard. I’ve had to come out to new neighbors and new social circles. There’s a risk of not feeling comfortable or welcome in your own neighborhood, depending on the beliefs of these strangers you now share a side lawn with or sit next to at book club. Going out to meet new people? You take your LGBTQIA+ status with you everywhere you go.

Meeting new friends
At some point they will ask if your husband stayed home with the kids for girl’s night, too. Coming out is exhausting because it carries a heavy emotional tax. Oh, you thought it would be easy to come out after having lived as an out and proud lesbian for over 20 years? That’s a myth. I still have anxiety about it every single time. I’m often asked questions that I’ve never heard asked of straight colleagues or friends.

When introducing my wife, I’ve been asked, “Are you two legally married?” Pause a moment. Let that sink in. If you are married or have married friends who fit the hetero-normative profile, have you ever observed anyone ask the legal status of their union? That’s an example of a microaggression that doesn’t even cross the mind of the person who is asking, I’m sure. We can all play a role in making coming out an inclusive and supported experience.

On the occasion of NCOD, well frankly every day, here are the top 3 things to consider as you support the LGBTQIA+ community:

1. Listen. Coming out is about letting someone tell their own story. You don’t have to take any action or say anything profound. Supporting the person is the most important part of their coming out to you.
2. Don’t out others- even your own children/family members. If a colleague has shared their personal story with you, that’s great that they trusted you with that information. It doesn’t mean they trust you to share it with others. It’s never your story to tell.
3. It’s ok to ask questions. Don’t make assumptions. Don’t assume everyone you meet is straight/cis-gendered/just like you. Be mindful that your questions, if they are not invasive or inappropriate, are preferred over assuming. Consider how to frame your questions more inclusively. Instead of asking what a woman’s husband’s name is, ask what their spouse’s name is. Lead with “my pronouns are she/her” to make someone else comfortable to share their pronouns, whatever they may be.

I look forward to the time when coming out is not such a big thing. Until then, I’ll keep coming out so that I’m visible. As a leader in an industry that is still moving diversity initiatives forward, that’s important to me. Vanguard’s people culture is the most resounding positive aspect of the corporate profile that I read about prior to joining, have heard about from industry peers along the way, and have experienced first-hand from current crew members after joining the organization. I feel empowered to show up to work at Vanguard as my authentic self every day, and that’s a great feeling!

Thank you to those of you who continue to make coming out less of a thing.

Hispanic Heritage Month or ‘el Mes de la Herencia Hispana’ has arrived. Vanguard’s crew resource group, Hispanic/LatinX Organization for Leadership and Advancement (HOLA), has selected a theme for the celebration: “De corazón a corazón, we are a family together.” In an effort to capture this theme through design, HOLA held a logo competition earlier this year. In this blog, we hear from the winner, Jamie H., about the experience and what ultimately inspired her design.

It is an honor to have my design selected to represent HOLA for Hispanic Heritage Month. I currently serve as an Instructional Designer in Vanguard’s Retail Investor Group and have been with the organization for a little over three years. My background is in illustration and graphic design, so when I saw the opportunity to create a unique logo for HOLA, I was very excited to contribute a piece of my own!

Inspiration for this logo came from a few different places. The phrase “De corazón a corazón, we are a family together,” really resonated with me. I wanted to develop an image that showcased how we support and lift each other up by connecting and sharing with one another. One of my favorite aspects of working at Vanguard is the genuine enthusiasm among crew to learn about different histories, cultures, and experiences. We don’t shy away from difficult conversations and we embrace the chance to grow together. Each encounter I’ve had at Vanguard, both big and small, where I hear about others’ experiences has been important to me. Everything from crew opening up about their holiday traditions, to frank discussions about inequities and injustice, to spotlights on individuals and their success, I’m continually inspired to learn more and support others whenever I can. I wanted to capture that feeling of sharing and support in this logo.

Lastly, my family, friends, and coworkers are all a source of inspiration to me. I’m always blown away by their kindness and willingness to teach and open up with me. I look forward to celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with them, as well as HOLA and the broader Vanguard organization.

During the month-long event, HOLA invites crew to celebrate and generate awareness of the Hispanic and LatinX heritage, identities, achievements, and barriers. Key events include a fireside chat with CEO, Tim Buckley and HOLA leaders, an educational series focused on Hispanic culture, small group discussions centered on diversity within LatinX, a virtual cooking class, and lastly a closing signature event with external speaker, Paola Ramos. Paola is a host and correspondent for VICE and VICE News, as well as a contributor to Telemundo News and MSNBC.