Currently I am an Administrative Assistant for a local school district in southern California.

I am
the assistant to the Assistant Superintendent and I’m tasked with monitoring our department
budget and making changes to it I see fit. I manage the office, monitor calls for the
Superintendent and assist the public for inquiries. Prior to working here I worked as a
Recreation Superintendent for a local city where I managed the maintenance and operation of
all city facilities and city functions. Unfortunately I was laid off during the pandemic. As a
Recreation Superintendent I supervised 15 employees and was also the President of the
Management Union. I’ve always been the type of person to advocate for those that felt they did
not have a voice in the organization. Advocates are not only active in supporting others, they
also interrogate norms and ask inconvenient questions, all with the goal of leveling the playing
field at work and in life in general (Brown, 2019 - Advocate).

Ideally I would like to work in a Human Resources Department in the local government. By
working in Human Resources I would like to make sure that all applicants and employees are
being treated equally. Of particular significance for addressing social justice challenges and
persistent inequalities in the workplace are the experiences of minority groups, and those who
face and/or confront prejudice and unequal treatment (Fletcher, & Beauregard, T. A., 2022 -
Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology). In my previous organization I noticed
that certain cultural groups were not being hired and continue not to be hired within that
organization. This is the reason why I would love to work in Human Resources and make a
positive and impactful change for all. There are certain cities in southern California that are
known to not have a diverse workforce because they do not want to change the demographics
of the organization. This attitude reflects a bias in how People of Color and women are
perceived, the goal is to diversify the organization not lower standards (Thompson, 2021 - Top
Challenges for DEI Professionals).

In order to be successful in the Human Resources Department I would like to include diversity
training not only for management but throughout the organization. If I would enter into an
organization that did not have a diversified workforce I would not be surprised if I was met with
challenges and people being opposed to the idea. The ones that would be opposed would be
the first I would work with, I love a challenge. I would attend training with them outside the
organization so they could get a bigger perspective on the importance of diversity in the
workplace.

In reference to my cultural intelligence test there was very little change to it. I gained a few
points overall. My strengths continued to be my knowledge of culture, which I’m not surprised. I
am the daughter of immigrant parents from El Salvador and Mexico. I know the struggles they
overcame in this great country but the opportunities out weighted the struggles in their opinions.
References

1. Fletcher, & Beauregard, T. A. (2022). The psychology of diversity and its implications
for workplace (in)equality: Looking back at the last decade and forward to the next.
Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 95(3), 577
2. Brown. (2019). Advocate In How to be an inclusive leader: your role in creating cultures
of belonging where everyone can thrive (1st edition). Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Ch. 5.
93-107.
3. Thompson. (2021). Top Challenges for DEI Professionals