Against all odds
Being a woman in a male dominated field
When I started out as a loan officer—this was before GPS existed and long before an NMLS license was required, so a long time ago, in 2001!—I was the only woman loan officer in my office. At that time, mortgage loan officers were mostly men, until licensing became a factor in 2008, which separated the real players from the weak players.
Many loan officers were eliminated due to lack of education, questionable ethics, or failure to pass the exam. The educated, ethical, and experienced mortgage loan officers became licensed. I studied for the exam nights and weekends while working during the day at a mortgage company. It was not easy—lots of studying and long hours.
When I passed the loan originator’s exam with a high score, I felt like I had truly arrived. And I had! I became a branch manager, licensed through the Division of Banks. I ran a branch for five years as a woman leader—but not without sweat, long hours, and consistency. We flourished.
The team I built consisted of myself and my assistant, Angela, who spoke four languages. She was eager to learn, and together we became dynamic. We were taking loan applications in four languages—highly in demand but virtually unheard of at the time. By helping the community, the business took off.
I could not have done it without Angela, and without women supporting other women as Angela and I did. I learned a lot from that experience: rising in a male-dominated field with the help of women supporting women shaped me into the leader and person I am today.
