Looking Back at Hispanic Heritage Month

We hope you have been inspired by and enjoyed reading the profiles highlighted through our “Hispanic Heritage Series.”  As we end our celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, please take the time to read our two employee spotlights of Maria Cazco and Mariano Garcia.

Maria Cazco

Service Date: April 28, 1999

What are some highlights of your career with Soma Technology Inc.?

My 18-year career at Soma has been one of many great memories from the day I started at Soma, to my current role. As a Regional Sales Director for Latin America, I have been very privileged to work in the field—where I interact daily with people from different countries and backgrounds. This has allowed me the opportunity to better understand and appreciate others’ perspectives and diverse thoughts in the marketplace.

One of the highlights of my work is that for my customers, who normally have very busy schedules, I become their hero when I take care of the sale of equipment. Satisfying a customer’s needs provides me a great sense of job satisfaction!  

Why is diversity and inclusion important to you?

Diversity is very important in our world, in our communities, in our nation, and in our workplace. Just like our body needs every part to function, we need each employee to collaborate towards shared company goals. Soma Technology, Inc. is a great workplace where many people with different backgrounds, cultures, ideas, dreams, and goals can come together and solidify as a whole with one purpose, one mind, one idea, and one direction to be the best company.

Would you like to share one of your cultural traditions?

I am from Ecuador, South America. Family is very important to us and we are raised to love and take care of each other. Getting together for holidays is very important, and, on this occasion, we eat our traditional foods like, tamales, ceviche and a dish we call “fanesca.” It is a very traditional soup from Ecuador and is a special soup or stew because it is only prepared  during Easter and Lent. The main ingredients are grains, squash and salted cod fish. It is delicious! As children we are taught to respect one another, especially elderly people, as well as to work hard, to be honest, and to treat others as you want to be treated. Now for my children, I always talk to them about these things and tell them to remember that they are Americans with a great Hispanic heritage.

 

How has your cultural background influenced or inspired your work at Soma Technology, Inc.?

I was 28 years old when I came to the United States of America, unable to speak English. I struggled for the first seven years, but being apart from my family and having to work for  my life and my kids, gave me the opportunity to grow and quickly mature. When I reflect on this, I tell myself that I could have easily taken the wrong path. It was the teachings and values my wonderful mother ingrained in me that kept me from doing the wrong things and inspired me to work very hard for my family and for Soma. My hard work has paid off and I can say that my personal and work lives have both been very rewarding.

What advice would you give to others on succeeding at Soma Technology, Inc.?

Always be yourself, be faithful to your beliefs, to your family, to your coworkers, to your company. This is a great company in which to work, and you will be able to have a very satisfying career here if you work hard and give it your all every single day. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, make recommendations, and offer fresh perspectives, because that is the only way to keep things moving forward. Our diversity of thought is what drives solutions and success.

 

Mariano Garcia

Service Date: March 2, 1993

What are some highlights of your career with Soma Technology?

I started my career with Soma Technology in 1993 as the Office Manager in Cheshire, CT. I worked closely with Sales Representatives to process their sales orders and paperwork, which involves special handling and billing of our larger customers; both domestic and international.  I manage the A/P and A/R Department. I also managing the Credit and Collection division. I was also involved in  all international and domestic shipping.

Why is diversity and inclusion important to you?

I believe diversity and inclusion are important because it gives us a richer life and work experience. Diversity in the workplace allows us to experience different and new perspectives other than our own, which can lead to great productivity within teams. I also believe diversity can inspire tolerance and acceptance for new ideas.

Would you like to share one of your cultural traditions?

One of our Hispanic cultural traditions to which my family and I still adhere is sharing dinners together. We continue to share as many meals together as possible. Sometimes we are celebrating birthdays and holidays, and other times we just share each other’s company and catch up on our day-to-day lives. It’s a great opportunity to stay connected.

 How has your cultural background influenced or inspired your work at Soma Technology?

My cultural background has always inspired me to want more, to do better and not give up. I believe the strength and life lessons my cultural background has given me have lead me to be very persistent in wanting to learn new things to continue to exceed here at Soma Technology. It has taught me to be dedicated and focused in all that I do.

What advice would you give to others on succeeding at Soma Technology?

Think outside the box. Not everything is black and white. We are in the midst of many program changes and with that comes process changes and new things to be learned. Thinking outside the box and thinking ahead really helps. Take the initiative when possible and embrace change.

If you have any comments about Hispanic Heritage Month, please comment them below!