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Celebrating Five9 First-Gen Stories
August 26, 2021
This summer, the Five9 employee resource group BlatinX, and several Five9 interns—Val Otazu, Theo Nunez, Mary Safowah, Megan Avalos, and Alondra Mendoza—teamed up to plan two fireside chats that were relevant and valuable to both communities.
For context, BlatinX is a mixture of the words “black,” “indigenous,” and “latinx,” and the ERG group strives to support the professional development of Five9’s minority employees. One of the events they recently hosted was called “Five9 First-Gen Stories,” where BlatinX panelists and Five9 employees Mia Andrews, Tibor Vari, and Maurice Da Silva shared their experiences of being a first-generation immigrant and/or college student, as well as dealing with imposter syndrome.
To define these terms:
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First-generation means being foreign born to the country you reside in and/or the first in your family to attend college in the US.
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Imposter Syndrome is doubting your abilities, feeling like a fraud, and having a difficult time accepting your accomplishments.
To recognize our panelists’ impactful stories, we want to highlight some of what they had to say during the discussion:
I have a deep belief in myself and my own abilities. I have validated myself, my story, and my history, so when I'm in a room full of people who may not take me seriously, that's okay. They don't have to take me seriously. I think it's important to live without the idea of scarcity. If you don't fit in in one place, the world is a big place, and you'll find your place.
– Mia Andrews, Senior Executive Assistant, Marketing
Imposter syndrome is tough. I think I've faced it my entire life. You're sitting there in a multi-billion-dollar company, thinking, how did I get here? You're siting in front of cutting-edge technology and you're thinking, why did they even hire me? Let alone trying to do the work... It's been a challenge from day one.
Take that doubt, put it in a box and shove it off to the side; don't let it impact you in terms of risk taking. Risk taking the job that you've never done before; you get to learn something you'll be better off with in the long run.
– Tibor Vari, Account Executive, Inference Sales
You have to carve your own path. Try to get as comfortable as you can in your own skin. Be comfortable with who you are, where you come from, and celebrate.
– Maurice Da Silva, VP Strategic Partner Development, Channel Sales
We thank our panelists for their strength and resilience, and hope these stories inspire the greater community!
