Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month
In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, Iridium team members share what the month means to them and from where they draw their inspiration and motivation.
Bernie Dugan – Executive Director, Enterprise Applications
Q.: May you share how you chose your profession and how you ended up in your role at Iridium?
A.: I started working in Telecom in 1996 for a carrier in Puerto Rico. I was brought on to a team implementing new business systems and telecom networks as additional properties or licenses were purchased. I had the opportunity to work on projects in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and across some markets in the US. I came to Iridium for these same reasons. As a telecommunications company we have a unique network, but the back office and business systems are very alike in that they always need improving and finding efficiencies for our customers internal and external alike.
Q.: What does National Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?
A.: It’s a celebration of our cultures, plural. Although many Hispanic and Latino cultures are similar, we also have differences in how we celebrate and when. I was born in New Jersey but raised in Puerto Rico. Although an island of the US, we are very much our own and proud of it.
Q.: What has been your biggest inspiration / motivation?
A.: My family, my wife and two daughters. Everyday! I was also raised by some of the strongest women I know: my grandmother, mom, and aunt. Watching them work hard is something I still think about and remember as often as I can.
Maria De Los Santos – Associate Director, Accounting
Q.: Can you share how you chose your profession and how you ended up in your role at Iridium?
A.: When I was growing up, I watched my mother meticulously keep track of household income and expenses in a spiral notebook. Even though she only had a 6th grade education, she was very intelligent and an excellent money manager. I attribute my interest in accounting to her.
I was recruited for a staff accountant position at Iridium 16 years ago and it has been such a great adventure to experience all the changes at Iridium in that time, from becoming a public company to launching a new constellation to growing from a company of 123 employees to almost 800!
Q.: What does National Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?
A.: It is a time to reflect on the achievements of Hispanic and Latino people who have achieved so much despite the barriers they have had to break. For example, Ellen Ochoa, who was the first female Hispanic astronaut, and Jose Hernandez, a Latino astronaut who grew up in a family of migrant farm workers (there’s a movie about his life called A Million Miles Away).
Q.: What has been your biggest inspiration / motivation?
A.: My parents were my biggest inspiration. Neither had education beyond 6th grade, and they came from Mexico with nothing. Yet, throughout our childhood, they emphasized the importance of education and ingrained in their three children that education is the one thing nobody can take away. When we were children, homework was the single most important job in our home, superseding chores and everything else. They accomplished so much by working extremely hard and setting high expectations for their children.
Luis Ortiz – IT Security Analyst
Q.: Can you share how you chose your profession and how you ended up in your role at Iridium?
A.: I’ve always been a tinkerer. When I was in middle school, I would take the family desktop apart and put it back together for fun, even breaking it in the process more than once. Regarding my role at Iridium, I started at the service desk a few years ago while I was finishing my bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity. I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to transition into the team and learn from such a diverse and experienced group.
Q.: What does National Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?
A.: National Hispanic Heritage Month is an annual celebration dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the contributions, culture, and history of Hispanic and Latino Americans. It’s Junot Diaz bringing magic realism to the English language. It’s about figures like Sonia Sotomayor, who have left an indelible mark on the history of the United States, and icons such as Selena Quintanilla, whose legacy continues to inspire the likes of Jennifer Lopez, showcasing how these extraordinary individuals have contributed to and influenced American society.
Q.: What has been your biggest inspiration / motivation?
A.: As a first-generation American, my family has always been a huge inspiration. My parents migrated here to provide my brothers and me with better opportunities. So, naturally, I thank them for shaping the person I am today. It’s due to their sacrifices that I can provide for my own family, which has recently grown by one with the addition of my daughter, Camila, who has become my motivation to continue improving myself.
I’d like to also mention two other people who have been recent inspirations. Eric J. Belardo, the founder and Executive Director of RaicesCyber.org, has been an inspiration. Eric created Raices to help the Latino community break into the notoriously challenging field of Cybersecurity. The second person who has inspired me is my best friend, Luis Inarra. Despite facing what at times seemed like insurmountable odds, he graduated at the top of his class and is currently practicing law in the state of Alabama. These two gentlemen face adversity head-on and welcome challenges with a smile. I admire them both and consider myself fortunate to know them.
