To celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, Enterprise is highlighting employees within the Latinx community throughout September and October. Hear from Clara M., Franchise Support Specialist for Latin America and the Caribbean, on why her Brazilian heritage helps her feel connected to a broader Hispanic community.

What is your Hispanic heritage?

I’m Brazilian, which sometimes may not be considered Hispanic, but as its part of Latin America and with a similar culture I consider myself Hispanic.

What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?

I believe that Hispanic Heritage Month is an extremely important month for the Hispanic and Latin community. It is the recognition of all of our contributions and the influence of our history, culture and achievements in the US, of which I am very proud.

What does it mean to you to be Latina?

Being Latina means being proud of who I am and my community. Being a hard worker, and someone who fights for my rights and a better life. Being Latina means that we are family-oriented and passionate about everything that we do.

What unique perspective has your heritage given you?

Never give up on your dreams, we are stronger than we think, and we have a lot of people in our community and family that will always be supporting us and cheering us on.

What initially attracted you to a career at Enterprise?

Enterprise is a company that embraces our Hispanic culture. Enterprise promotes diversity and emphasizes that being diverse and thinking differently is extremely important to gain better perspectives and to grow. I also love that Enterprise supports women in leadership roles. When I learned all that, I knew that Enterprise was the right company for me.

What keeps you at Enterprise?

We never stop learning at Enterprise. We are always challenged to learn and keep improving ourselves and our work. My leadership team provides me with the tools to succeed. I’m proud to be a Latina and proud to work for a company that not only supports my community but other communities, through statements they’ve made in the past months. Also, at Enterprise we have the opportunity to work in different departments and keep growing within the company.

Have you had an a-ha moment at Enterprise, or a realization that you weren’t just doing a job, you were building a career?

I had the a-ha moment more than once. Every time that I see that we are building a network together and that I am helping my colleagues or partners to get better, I know that it is more than just a job, that I’m building a career at Enterprise. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me at Enterprise.