This past year has been a whirlwind! I continue my exciting journey with Carolina Small Business Development Fund, formerly The Support Center.

Photo credit: Alisha Raquel Photography

Every day I wake up with a burning passion to do what I do. There are days my fingers hurt from all the typing I do at work and I sometimes start seeing blurry from being on the computer too long, but nothing compares to the feeling of satisfaction I get every day. When I get home from work, I know I did something good. I know I learned something new.

The thing that makes my organization so great is the people. My relationship with my supervisor is unique. We are the dream team. She is the perfect leader and mentor anyone could ever have and I truly learn from her. Our team is diverse, with people of different backgrounds that bring new ideas to the table. I am lucky to work with our passionate President/CEO and coach who always encourages us to “stretch” and think critically. Every day is a challenge. Every day is different. Every day I stretch and grow.

I am proud to work for an organization that truly cares about the well-being of the state’s economy. Small businesses are the economic engines of our economy, so our goal is to help small businesses succeed. To support them and help them to achieve their dreams. Our mission is to foster economic development in the state of North Carolina.

A few things have happened since I wrote on here:

• I was promoted to Director of Marketing and Communications.
• I implemented a successful marketing plan.
• I was part of the re-branding process from The Support Center to our new name: Carolina Small Business Development Fund.

I have grown professionally. I always told myself I would work for an organization that meant a lot to me, where I would feel that I was actually making a difference.

I feel that here. I have learned way more than I could ever list out in this blog post. I am grateful for the privilege to learn something different every day and to work alongside great people as I continue to grow in my career.

I am thankful for my family and for their encouragement to get an education and follow my dreams. I do this for them and for my grandparents. I do this for my Latino/Hispanic community.

As I continue to grow, I seek to find opportunities to grow in my career by keeping myself updated with the digital marketing trend.

A lot of people spend their lifetime looking and searching for their passion. I tell them to be patient. It will come, and once it does, you’ll never let it go.