Celebrating our Diversity During Hispanic Heritage Month
Written by the Clearcover Team | October 12th, 2021
The Clearcover team has nearly tripled in size since our first state launched just three years ago. Along with this growth has come increased diversity in the backgrounds and cultures of our team members - and that’s something we celebrate. The value of the variety in perspectives and experiences that members bring to the company is immeasurable. Clearcover knows that the greater the cross sections of ideas our employees bring to the table, the greater the value we can bring to our customer.
We’re a people first company and believe in creating a culture in which every team member feels supported and encouraged to show up as themselves and express their unique viewpoints. To support a culture that celebrates diversity, we formed our Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Council.
The mission of the Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Council (EIDC) is to invest in understanding how all Clearcover employees feel about the workplace and use data to empower leaders and groups to create a culture in which everyone can feel comfortable being themselves and thrive in their work. The wealth of knowledge and opinions that comes with diversity inspires our team, it improves the quality of our overall product, and ultimately fuels our growth.
Led by the mission of the EIDC, Clearcover celebrates the backgrounds of all employees and we continue to be inspired by their stories and perspectives. During Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re recognizing our own Hispanic employees who are making contributions to our rapidly growing insurtech start-up.
With the 2021 Hispanic Heritage Month theme in mind - “Esperanza: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage and Hope” - a few of our team members were gracious enough to share with us how they celebrate their Hispanic heritage, and offer some words of advice for the next generation.
Thank you to the following team members who contributed to this blog:
Tamara Gonzales, Claims Representative
Jerry Claghorn, Senior Product Manager
Hispanic Heritage Month is about celebrating and recognizing contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. Who would you like to recognize? Please share why you choose to honor and celebrate this person.
Tamara: There are two I would like to recognize and honor. The first is actress Rita Moreno. She is one of the few actresses to achieve EGOT status (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). Beginning her career in the 1950s, she is still acting today.
The second is Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. She is the third woman to serve on the court, and the first woman of color to do so.
Jerry: My late Grandmother was born into a migrant farming family and traveled from her home in Mexico to work in [the] fields of Arkansas every season from an early age. Her parents needed their children to contribute through work, but they made sure their children had access to education. They eventually established permanent residence in Las Cruces, NM so everyone could get a public education.
When she married my Grandfather, she had time to return to school to be certified to teach elementary school. Then, she made sure her children had access to even more education and, as a result, all of her five children obtained college educations! In one generation, and with the help of military educational programs, our family went from low-wage field hands to engineers, analysts, and one PhD researcher, all thanks to my grandma's unwavering belief in the power of education. Her grandchildren (including me) started life with substantial privileges that my great-grandparents could only dream of.
How does your family celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month?
Jerry: The primary emphasis of hispanic culture in my house was through food, and we celebrate Mexican food all year round.
Has your Hispanic heritage influenced your professional career?
Tamara: Absolutely. I believe everything we do is through the lens of who we are and an aspect of that is our heritage.
Jerry: I was always impressed with the way my grandma, her siblings, and her children approached work, no matter what kind of work they were doing. There's a humble attitude that if there is work to be done, everyone will roll up their sleeves [to] do what they are able.
What are your favorite cultural traditions or celebrations?
Tamara: I love the music...I grew up in a home where salsa was always playing with my father playing along on his conga set. Music reminds me of home. I also love the food: arroz con gandules, tostones, pernil...all delicious and reminding me of my grandmother.
Jerry: My family makes pesole every New Year. My dad's recipe was terrible (but good enough to get me hooked, I guess). My sisters and I have developed our own recipes and have a friendly competition over whose pesole is best.
According to the US Census Bureau, the rate of Hispanic college graduates continues to rise. What advice would you give the next generation of Hispanic graduates entering the workforce?
Tamara: Be authentic and true to yourself. Your contributions are important.
Jerry: Generally to all first-generation students: You belong! You deserve a great career! If you are the first in your family to pursue this path, you will be working with less information and guidance than your peers. That can be scary, and feel like it's holding you back. Try to gain an understanding of all the kinds of roles that are required to make a company run and don't sell yourself short.
Hispanic Heritage Month is the perfect time to celebrate Hispanic-owned businesses nationwide. Do you have a favorite business you would like to highlight?
Tamara: I love to support local, small business here in Detroit, MI...Yes, these are all restaurants: Los Altos, Mi Pueblo, Mariscos El Salpicon, Mexican Village, Rincon Tropical, Tamaleria Nuevo Leon, Armandos, Vicente's Cuban Cuisine, Mexicantown Bakery...I'm sure there are more. Come visit us in Detroit and try some of these delicious places to eat!
I also would like to highlight some Latina-owned beauty brands: BeautyBlender, Rizo Curls, Bomba Curls, Melt Cosmetics, and Sigma Beauty.
For the Kids: Lil' Libros - bilingual books that celebrate Latin-American history and figures.
If you’re looking to work for a company that values your unique viewpoint and strives to create a culture that frees you to be your most authentic self, we invite you to consider one of the open positions at Clearcover.
