Norma Cress

I attribute my success to perseverance. There were a lot of times when people would tell me I couldn't do something, either because I was a woman, or because I'm Hispanic, or because of the kind of job I had at the time. I just always kept at it, and I have so far achieved just about everything that I ever put my mind to. I never let other people's doubts stop me from pursuing my goals.

The best advice I ever received was actually from my husband. He asked me whatever the problem was, if I could fix it. He said, well, if you can't fix it, then don't worry about it, just continue to do the job. And this will happen in the way it's supposed to. That advice has really helped me throughout my career to focus on what I can control and not stress about things beyond my control.

I would advise young women entering their fields to try the best they can not to let other people influence them in a negative way. What I mean by that is, you know, you come in and people say you're too young, you're too this, you're too that. Do the best you can, do not pay attention to the negative vibes, and just be true to yourself. If the job that you're at is what you want to do, just keep on going. Don't let others' doubts affect your efforts and remain committed to your goals.

I believe the biggest challenge in my field is that people today don't understand what unions really are. If they would take the time to study the history of unions, they would understand why they're so important and why those of us who are advocates for unions feel that they should never go away. That lack of understanding is a big, big challenge for those of us in the labor movement.

The values most important to me are honesty, integrity, and honor. Integrity kind of goes along with honesty, I would assume. I believe in being true to yourself. Honor is very important to me, and you can honor people in many different ways. These values guide both my work and my personal life.