Her Story
About Ana
I've been a social worker for about 13-14 years, and it's truly my love and my passion. I moved to the United States about 15 years ago with my husband, and that's when I fully learned English as my second language. I completed my master's in social work at Alabama A&M, which launched my career as a social worker. For years, I worked as a school social worker, serving all the schools in my district as the only Hispanic social worker. It was a job that was created specifically for me so I could work with my families, my Latino families and English learner families. I helped them in every way I could - with food, connecting with resources, doing safety visits - because social work is a beautiful career. However, I was overworked and underpaid, and despite the district trying to hire more bilingual social workers, it wasn't possible. While the job filled my soul, physically it was too much, and I had to recognize that sometimes we need to say we're burned out and move on. About 2 years ago, I decided to take a step into something more challenging and joined a national nonprofit as an intervention case manager. Now I work specifically with immigrant families, and while my caseload is smaller, the cases are tougher because I do interventions and case management. I analyze each case for weaknesses - whether the family needs health information, education support, or other resources. I make sure minors are treated fairly by the system, especially Hispanic children who may have been wrongly placed in special education programs. I find resources for families, make connections, handle mental health crises, and ensure barriers are removed. Beyond my day-to-day work, I recently completed my PhD in social work in November, making me part of the 1% of Latinas who have completed a PhD. As a trauma expert and doctor in social work, I go to conferences and speak about trauma-informed education, particularly for ESL students. I've presented at conferences like WIDA. I'm also a member of the board for the schools foundation here in Huntsville. My work is about being a voice for people who don't have a voice, and I try to use my bilingual abilities as a superpower in a very smart and powerful way.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Ana
01What do you attribute your success to?
I'm always hungry for something better. I always want to learn something because I am humble to learning. We all should be hungry for something better, hungry for learning, trying to get better all the time. I think it's for my kids, I don't know if it's for my kids or for myself, but I always want to do something better. I'm sure that, even if it's not for money or for power, I don't even know what it is, but I always want to do something better. I want to prove to myself that I can always learn something new and just get better at something. It just feels good.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've received was probably from my dad, though I don't think I can say it because it's not PG-13. But I've always heard from my parents to work hard, that if you put the work into things, things will happen to you. That's the same advice I would tell my kids too. You have to put the work. There's no other way. Things don't fall into your lap, you have to put the work. That's what my parents taught me.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I want girls to think that everything is possible. I want my English learner girls, my English learner girls, to know that we can, that if we work hard, we can do it, and it doesn't matter if we're moms or English learners or it doesn't really matter. If we work hard, we can do it. Not only English learners, but every single girl out there with struggles with any kind of obstacle or barrier, we can do it. It doesn't really matter. If we put our head into it, we can move anything, because I am an example of it. I'm not smarter than anyone or brighter than anyone, I work hard, but I did put the work, so we have to put the work, and if we put the work, we can do it. And I'm an example of it. Always show up looking your best, because unfortunately, whether we like to admit it or not, people will treat you a certain way. Showing up looking your best does matter. Show up on time, because 5 minutes is already late. Show up clean. If you have a question, ask. Don't make assumptions. If you don't know something, ask. People are willing to teach you if you ask. Be humble to learning. We're never too old to learn. Here I am, 47 years old, I just completed my PhD, so there's always space and room for learning.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Learning a second language has been the biggest challenge, and sometimes proving to people that I am more than just a Latina woman, that I have brains too. Because sometimes people think that I'm just there because I speak a second language. I'm proving that I am more than just the person who speaks the second language. Sometimes people see me as just a translator, and I'm like, no, listen, I'm not a translator, I am the bilingual social worker, I am a doctor in social work, so I have all this learning. I'm not here just because I speak a second language. Don't minimize my learning. I am here because I know I earned this spot. But the same thing that is a challenge is also an opportunity, because the same way that being bilingual is sometimes a challenge, it also put me in very amazing places. It has opened doors. Being the only bilingual person has put me in very powerful rooms. It has given me a voice too. And sometimes it's a voice that is not in perfect English, but it has also been a voice that has made me able to be the voice of people who do not have a voice. So I try to use that in a very powerful way, in a very smart way. Being bilingual is a superpower, so I try to use it wisely.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I always think that we have to show up. You always, always have to show up looking your best, and some people think it doesn't matter, but I think you do. It does. You have to show up looking your best, because unfortunately, whether we like to admit it or not, people will treat you a certain way. So showing up looking your best does matter. I always try to instill in my kids to leave things the way they find it, or better, to not leave a mess wherever they go. If I found this clean, leave it clean. For work, I always try to show up on time, and 5 minutes is already late. Show up clean. If you have a question, ask. Don't make assumptions. Don't make assumptions, just ask. If you don't know something, ask. People are willing to teach you if you ask. Be humble to learning. We can always learn. We're never too old to learn. Here I am, 47 years old, I just completed my PhD, so there's always space and room for learning.
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