Voces Latina: Celebrando la herencia

Interview with Melanie Hernandez and Dr. Valentina Henao

At VEG, DEI is not just a program; it’s baked into our culture. We support the diversity of our staff (aka VEGgies) as wholeheartedly as we do our customers. Our people show up as their authentic selves and know that they’re accepted within a company that not only values, but actively encourages the celebration of our uniquenesses.

As VEG celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, we hear from two of our VEGgies who share their cultural backgrounds, experiences, and their goals for future generations.

What is your role at VEG?

Melanie Hernandez: I’m the Sr. Manager of Content Marketing at VQ! I oversee Social Media, our Blog, Online Reputation, and Email Marketing. 🙂 I’ve been at VEG for a little over 3 years now!

Dr. Valentina Henao: I am the Medical Director at VEG Miami. I help to ensure VEG Miami is medically excellent, support and grow the doctor team, and help build a strong relationship with our primary veterinarians. I have been working with VEG now for two years.

There’s so many cultures within the LatinX community, can you share a bit about your own cultural identity?

Dr. Valentina Henao: I am Colombian, born in Colombia and lived there until I was 9 years old until I moved here to the United States. I moved to Miami. I grew up in Miami, where there’s a lot of Latin roots here so I am very blessed in that aspect. Most of my family is still in Colombia so I try to go visit when I can.

Melanie Hernandez: I am also Colombian but I was born here. Both of my parents immigrated here. My mom moved here when she was 9 and my dad moved here when he was in his 20s.

And what does being Colombian mean to you?

Melanie Hernandez: Spanish was my first language. My grandmother helped raise me, and she only spoke Spanish. In fact, Spanish was all we spoke at home. For me, what it means to be Colombian is all about the traditions. Things like the food, music, I’ve been fully immersed in my Colombian culture. I never felt any different than someone who may have come from Colombia at a young age. I’ve always felt very connected.

Dr. Valentina Henao: I am incredibly proud to be Colombian. It represents family traditions, amazing food, and music. I’m definitely very passionate about where I come from, even down to soccer—the sports! I am also very proud to be a hispanic american immigrant. I grew up with a single mom. My mom came to the states on her own, so it was just me and her. She helped me transition. Even though she didn’t speak the language, we figured it out together. This has helped shape me into who I am today.

You both grew up in two totally different areas. Val, you grew up in Miami, where there’s a HUGE Latin community. Whereas, Mel maybe not so much. What would you say it was like growing up?

Melanie Hernandez: I grew up in Connecticut and went to private school my entire life – so I was in a predominantly white community, but it’s funny because even with the few Latine people that went to my school, they were Colombian as well, so I felt like I had a little mini community that had similar values with a similar upbringing.

For my immigrant parents, education was a huge deal. I think that’s why they sacrificed so much to pay for me to go to private school.

Dr. Valentina Henao: I do believe I am very lucky that I grew up in Miami. There is a large Hispanic and diverse community that makes it much more welcoming. Also having close family that I got to visit, but you certainly feel those cultural differences and changes.

At the age of 10, learning a new language, learning a new culture, and trying to navigate that as a kid, is extremely difficult. I mean even things like your mom not being able to help you with your homework because she doesn’t understand it either.

So certainly as a little girl, you find yourself just wanting to fit in and not be the outsider but as you get older, you start to realize—wow!—there’s beauty in my culture, there’s beauty in my language. There’s beauty in who I AM. And with time, you slowly stop hiding that outsider part of yourself more and more.

Melanie Hernandez: For me, it was really interesting because I didn’t start noticing any differences until others pointed them out. My Spotify will play a song by Fallout Boy and then the next song will be “Amargura” by Karol G, but I never thought anything of it. I sometimes feel like I don’t fit in on either side – I’m not American enough for my American friends and not Spanish enough for my Spanish friends but then I take a second back and am grateful to be able to blend with multiple cultures. At home, I enjoy eating arepas or sancocho, but then I can also enjoy foods from different cultures.

Both of you grew up as the minority in school but luckily still found community. What is it like now, being a professional and working in the vet med industry with little to no diversity?

Melanie Hernandez: I think that is why, me personally, I wanted to get involved in groups like this and be a part of that change. I rarely saw people like myself killing it in my profession. When I was younger, I wanted to work in entertainment, be the next Giulana Rancic. That’s why I went into Comms/Marketing in college (shoutout to my double major in Gov’t & Politics because I also wanted to be Elle Woods). I told myself, I can lean my way in through that.

For my Masters program, I did PR and Corporate Communications at NYU and there were only 3 other Latines in my program. My professors, leaders at companies I aspired to work for, there was no one like me. I knew I wanted to work my butt off in my field so I can get to a place where I can inspire others, because I definitely didn’t see that myself.

Dr. Valentina Henao: It‘s so true; a very similar story for me as well. I think when you go to vet school (there’s none in Miami), and even at University of Florida, or my internships in Cincinnati or New York, it’s still a male driven, White driven, and very academic. It is not common to see people that look like you in positions of leadership or role models that looked like you to look up to. You certainly have that chip on your shoulder, where you just want to say “I am a Hispanic woman, I can do this.” It wasn’t until VEG Miami that I really got to feel what it’s like to be surrounded by people that look like me or come from similar backgrounds.

Being a woman, being a Hispanic woman, never did I think so early on that I would become a Medical Director. So having this opportunity, I’m very honored to give more people—anybody, but especially Hispanic young girls that are feeling like they’re out here trying to prove something—the feeling that they (we) can do it. That there’s people like them, that look like them, that have similar stories, that are out here doing it. I don’t think I saw much of that until I was that here at VEG Miami.

Being the minority in itself is a challenge, but what challenges have you faced and found yourself having to overcome because of your cultural background?

Dr. Valentina Henao: I think you just feel like you have to prove yourself even more. Even in the best example, you want to be better. You want to be the most prepared, the most eager, the most ready because you don’t want anyone to think less of you or to think that you can’t do it. And certainly, I think they’re not used to people like you having those titles and having those opportunities, so maybe you’re not the first person they look at when they’re ready to promote.

I think the challenge is having to prove yourself because you look different, sound, or act differently than those previously in these leadership roles. I very thankful for VEG for celebrating my differences and believing in me.

Melanie Hernandez: I agree, I can’t remember any specific instances where I’ve experienced overt biases. But for example, I have a friend who started using his middle name David on his resume, instead of his first name Juan, and the responses started flooding. I remember feeling so sad about it, because to feel like you have to diminish your name in order to qualify for a role, is just disappointing.

And like I said earlier, my parents instilled such an importance on education and I think it just comes from the fear of, you have to get a good job, you have to prove you’re just as good.

Dr. Valentina Henao: Yeah, you feel like…it stays with you…this culture, and that work hard mentality to get where you need to go. You have to talk to yourself because you still have those voices telling you, “Oh, you don’t look like them, you might not fit that part.” You have to tell yourself, “I’m worth it. I’m capable.” And really talk and build yourself up so that you can push through those things more than what someone who isn’t Hispanic would face in those instances. Before VEG it was really rare to find places in the veterinary world where people spoke Spanish to you freely, where your culture was celebrated and there were groups of people who understood your background and culture.

How have you found your community within VEG or your professional life now?

Melanie Hernandez: I’ve never been part of a work environment where we’re acknowledged and celebrated in this way. Last year during Black History Month when VEG did lunches from different Black-owned restaurants – I thought that was so cool, and I was even more shocked to see lunch one week from a Colombian restaurant, I was like “Oh wow, okay!” VEG not only talks about it, but is about it.

Those little things for me always give me a sigh of relief. It shows that someone else understands and is looking out. I’d love to see more Hispanic leadership at VQ — we still have some work to do there, but I’m hopeful the right people are in place to help pave the way!

Dr. Henao, you on the other hand are in a very unique position where you work at one of our emergency vet hospitals where the Hispanic/Latino population is the majority. How does that change things for you?

Dr. Valentina Henao: I think I am very blessed to be in such a cultural company like VEG and especially here at VEG Miami. That’s one of the reasons why I want to be a part of this network and share my experiences and culture with others. It means alot to me to be able to be a part of making things easier and better for the hispanic veterinary community.

It’s really brought light to how rare it is that you get to be the majority and I see it as a reminder of how to take care of those that are the minority, those that are different from you, and how to think through those things as well. I think about how we make sure we’re celebrating everyone and that everyone feels comfortable to speak Spanish here while also understanding that people might not understand the language and how that might make them feel left out.

I am constantly thinking, “How do I spread the wealth? How do I take advantage of all the gifts I have and spread those throughout the VEGiverse?” That’s why I think this position and this group mean so much to me. It’s very different to be the majority so now it’s on us to take care of the minority.

You mentioned people not understanding Spanish and I think that’s one layer of it. But what do you wish others knew about your culture?

Dr. Valentina Henao: I think, just the diversity. I don’t think that people truthfully understand how many countries there are and how many different cultures there really are, and how different those cultures are. I think one thing that hurts the most is like “Oh, you’re Mexican.” I want to get rid of that lingo from the world. I want people to understand that we are all different and have differences in our cultures and language. And that we all come in many shapes, colors, and sizes.

Melanie Hernandez: Yes, and that we come in all shades! If my mom was standing right next to me you would not think she’s my mom. She has very light skin with blue eyes. Like, we do not look alike at all.

Melanie Hernandez: I feel like this also leaks into the immigrant experience. It’s that whole “Oh, you speak so well…” Do I speak well because I don’t have an accent? That one is so cringe. Being able to speak two languages is beautiful and powerful. I can communicate with double the amount of people.

We’ve covered so much today and both of you slightly touched on your passion for this community. What is your personal mission for the Latiné Network Group?

Dr. Valentina Henao: I just want other people to learn to celebrate where they come from, who they are, and not have to feel like they have to subtract or diminish that in order to fit in to what everyone else is like. I want to give them courage, celebrate them, and ultimately give them strength. I want other people to feel comfortable celebrating who they are.

My goal is to create a sense of community where other people celebrate them and they get to learn about each other and where they come from so that they don’t have to feel alone. I want our members to feel excited to share that with each other.

Melanie Hernandez: I like having a group of like-minded people; people who come from similar experiences and are able to come together and show other VEGgies, other Latinos in our community, and other customers like—wow!—they get me.

I think when you’re around other people who also want to succeed and push themselves, it has a ripple effect. I want to have a group that fosters that feeling.

You both talked about paving the way and creating opportunities for those that are coming up behind you…so my last question for you both is what’s one thing you would tell Little Val or Little Mel?

Dr. Valentina Henao: That’s a good one. I would tell her that your differences are strengths not weaknesses. Lean into that. And don’t be afraid to reach out to people who inspire you. I think sometimes we don’t want to impose but we need to flip our switch and think that you’re actually paving the way, you’re actually leading. So you’re not imposing on anybody, if anything, you’re making a difference.

You should celebrate yourself for asking the questions. I wish I could’ve done this. And most importantly, be yourself. Don’t apologize for being who you are, and it’ll all work out at the end. It all does.

Melanie Hernandez: Yeah, I agree. That made me think of how one of my challenges in the past was definitely networking. I was always so shy because I didn’t see anyone else like me. I’d often worry how I was going to get my foot in the door! I would tell little Mel to not be afraid to ask questions. Just putting yourself out there is so valuable. Don’t be afraid to ask anybody anything and you will get the right advice from the right person eventually. Along the way you learn everyone is figuring it out. As cliche as it sounds, you are enough. You are capable, and you can totally do this!