Why we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at Citizens

_{Andrea Martinez Frey, Director of Strategic Community Partnerships and Engagement, at a Citizens Town Hall colleague event in Massachusetts. Led by her team in Corporate Affairs, colleagues joined together for a volunteerism activity and assembled "Power Your Potential" packs: Laptop bags with back-to-school essentials shared with Junior Achievement chapters across the country.}

Observed annually from September 15 through October 15, Hispanic Heritage Month honors the history, culture and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities in the U.S. and throughout the diaspora. At Citizens, we’re proud to amplify our colleagues and share their stories of culture, pride, heritage and authenticity.

Meet our colleagues

• Andrea Martinez Frey is Puerto Rican and works as the Director of Strategic Community Partnerships and Engagement. She been in her current role for more than a year and was with Citizens previously for three years.
• Hernando Garcia, who is Bolivian, is a Managing Director in the Energy Group. He has been a Citizens colleague for nearly a decade.
• Ivonne-Marie Mendoza is a native of Puerto Rico. She is a First Line Risk Manager and has been a Citizens colleague for eight years.
• Sylena Echevarria, Puerto Rican and Latina, serves as SVP, Director of Contact Center Customer Service. She started at Citizens in July 2023.

What does heritage mean to you?

It’s about honoring the good people that came before us. Those who created and influenced our culture and accomplishments and helped shape the future for generations to follow. —Sylena

It’s an opportunity to remember and be proud of the cultural traditions, practices, beliefs, and values that are unique to each of our backgrounds. We should never forget where we come from and should embrace the opportunity to share our experiences with our communities. —Hernando

Heritage, to me, means where I come from and who I came from. Where and who I am today is because of the strength, resilience and determination of my ancestors that came before me. My family and my culture are where I find my truest self —Andrea

What should we know about Hispanic Heritage Month?

Hispanic Heritage Month offers the opportunity to celebrate my heritage, as well as provide a bigger spotlight on topics that are impacting our community, especially in Puerto Rico. For example, issues like environmental degradation, violence against women and girls, LGBTQ+ rights, and lack of access to basic necessities like power, water and medical care are causing the younger generation to leave the island. This is impacting the economy and future of our island. —Ivonne-Marie

For me, Hispanic Heritage Month is the opportunity to learn about the many cultures, people and history that make up our beautiful community. It’s learning that we come in all different shades, come from all aspects of life and have contributed in significant ways that have benefitted the masses. It’s about gaining a better understanding and appreciation of our history, our struggles and our accomplishments. —Andrea

How do you bring your authentic selves to work?

My cultural identity is an integral part of who I am, so it is naturally always with me. Whether it is because of the way I proudly speak with an accent, the way I look or my general interests, my cultural identity has always been received well and appreciated in my workplace as well as social circles. —Hernando

Today, I am very confident in who I am and work to ensure I bring my whole self to the table, while also creating an environment that both encourages and enables others to do the same. Being part of a work culture that is inclusive and accepting of differences is incredibly important, and I am thankful to be part of a company that works hard to create this type of environment. —Sylena

At Citizens, we are committed to fostering strong communities. What would you share in the spirit of that effort?

I can speak to this from the lens of the role I have here at Citizens. Community is at the core of what my role is and one of our pillars as an enterprise. Strong communities are built on the foundation of compassion, collaboration and purpose. At Citizens, we are not only committed to fostering strong communities, but building them as well. There is no level where we can say “we’ve achieved it.” So for me, it’s an ever-evolving process where the goal is how can we be better — how can we provide more support. —Andrea

I am a huge proponent of giving back to the communities we live and work in. Giving back can take shape in many different ways, including sharing our talents, knowledge and expertise. Sharing what we know with others cultivates progress within our communities. —Sylena

We must advocate for each other, especially when it comes to pay raises, negotiating salary and career advancements. Latinas are paid fifty-four cents to the dollar and staying quiet will not change the pay inequity that occurs within our community, and it will not aid in increasing the number of Hispanics within the C-Suite. Opportunities like the ones Citizens provide give me the voice to drive prosperity, power and progress in America by empowering our community to speak up for what they deserve. —Ivonne-Marie

As a large community in most places of the United States, Latinos have the opportunity to make a real social and economic impact in the places we live. I’m a firm believer that hard work and strong ethics always pay off in the long term. Each of us should strive to be an example in our communities and pass along the values that have helped us succeed to younger generations. —Hernando

Continued commitment to our communities

Citizens maintains an "always on" approach to creating a culture of inclusion for our colleagues, along with our customers and communities. Through workforce and community development, colleague engagement, volunteerism efforts, and financial education, we’re committed to building awareness and sharing opportunities for all.