I currently work at American Express as a Senior Product Analyst under the Product Management and Lending business unit. In this role I work on product launches, data governance, creation of pricing product toolkits, and writing product features. I also volunteer and mentor students, heavily involved in the affinity groups at AMEX, and put together events for my team. Prior to joining AMEX, I worked at Goldman Sachs as an Analyst in the Global Markets division. Here I managed collateral securities for Mexico’s retirement fund, Vanguard, and other Global Markets portfolios.

It took me almost 3 years post-college to land a role in Product Management and career transitioning was not easy. Along the way I have learned that pivoting into a new career field takes a lot of networking, branding, advocating for yourself and most importantly learning and seeking knowledge.

For me, study abroad (Nicargua, Costa Rica, and Dominican Republic) and having professors like Dr. Ko, Deacle, Onaci, Price, and Shuru during my undergrad really impacted my career path and journey. Study abroad and these mentors/professors emphasized collaboration and challenged me to think strategically, ethically, and always seek more knowledge especially when I may not be the subject matter expert. Currently in my job I have to solve key product management problems and work with various partners and large teams at American Express. My experience in the classroom at Ursinus and study abroad prepared me with the soft skills needed for working with various types of teams, individuals, and subjects.

Another impact that my professors had is understanding the power of mentoring and inclusion and equity. I will always be a big advocate for opening doors for people that look like me in corporate America, especially women of color. Currently at American Express (AMEX) I mentor high school students every month on a business consultation project through the Hispanic Origin and Latin-American Employee Network (HOLA). I also serve as an intern mentor for interns that join our team in the summer in our business unit and speak at various diversity and inclusion career fairs for students interviewing for internships at AMEX.