5 Questions with Prosekians in Honor of Hispanic Heritage Month
Irina Navarro, Jaylene Joseph, Edward Lopez
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked five questions to some of our team members about their careers, life, and hobbies. While raising up diverse voices is important year-round, this month (September 15-October 15) is a crucial reminder to amplify Latino voices, hear their stories, and learn about the experiences that have shaped them into the individuals they are today.
Here’s what our fellow Prosekians had to say…
Jaylene Joseph, Executive Assistant & Jr. Office Manager
1. Tell us about your background (where did you grow up, your culture, heritage, etc.).
Though I love to say I'm from NY (which I technically am - Brooklyn born!), I've come to terms with the reality that I am actually a Jersey girl at the end of the day. I am lucky to have two parents who worked hard to make sure I can both appreciate their cultures and still be an All American Girl™. This is unfortunately why when I speak Spanish or French, I have the most obvious U.S. accent to pair with it.
I used to spend my childhood summers going to YMCA camp or flying to Costa Rica to hang out with my grandfather and step-grandma. I definitely enjoyed hanging out at the beach or roaming the markets abroad and playing basketball. Though above those things, I loved going to the countryside and playing around my great aunt's farm. Chickens and cats are great companions!
2. What brought you to Prosek?
I came to Prosek for a few reasons, but the environment was the final selling point. When you're looking for a job, something you hear from every company is about how close everyone is, and maybe that's true; but when you step into the Prosek office you can see and hear the cohesion throughout the floors. Whether it's people chatting in the kitchen, the jokes at the start of a weekly "All Hands" company call, or even the ZD* requests that seem to be fulfilled within minutes. Prosek encourages you to be your best and will help you discover that is while you're here! *(Note: "ZD" stands for "Zero Defects," and it's Prosek's unique way of asking someone to proofread something.)
3. What are you best known for amongst friends and family, and what do you want to be known for at Prosek?
Friends and family alike can attest to the fact that I am a bit of a motor mouth. No matter the topic, I just love diving deep into conversation with someone. Now that I'm an adult, I hope to be known for being a good conversationalist. I think listening is such a vital skill, especially since remembering random details about people can make them really feel heard. It's a redundant way of saying that everyone enjoys talking about something, so take time to appreciate hearing their passions.
4. What's a “fun fact” about you?
I am the only girl on my father's side and was the only granddaughter on my mother's side until I was 11. Since I was so excited to have another girl in the family, I insisted on being the one who named her. So, I chose Samantha, after my favorite American Girl Doll (so probably not as "fun" for her)!
5. What’s one thing you wish people would know, and/or one thing you recommend Prosekians engage with (i.e., one movie, one newsletter, one podcast, etc.), in observance of Hispanic Heritage Month?
I recommend Real Women Have Curves on (HBO)Max! It's like Lady Bird before Lady Bird came out, starring the forever-loved America Ferrera as the protagonist, Ana. Though Ana's and my college decision story aren't exactly the same, this movie does strike my heart as a fellow first-generation kid.
My mother did all of her schooling in Costa Rica and was the first from her cousins to come to the U.S. My dad was born in Jamaica, and though he moved to Brooklyn at 10 years old, he went into the Marines after high school. As the oldest from my generation, I became the reference for milestones. The big one being college. When I got into Villanova, I was getting a mani-pedi done with my mom when I got the acceptance email. I couldn't show her since she was across the salon so I took a screenshot and sent a text to her. Suddenly, a large yell broke out and she was telling everyone around her. That reaction made all the applying and running around so worth it.
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Edward Lopez, Account Supervisor
1. Tell us about your background (where did you grow up, your culture, heritage, etc.).
I grew up in the south suburbs of Chicago with my father, mother, two brothers and two sisters. My father and mother divorced when I was young, but I was lucky enough to grow up with both parents around. My mother is European (Irish, Italian and French) therefore, my Latin heritage comes from my dad’s side. Both grandparents on my dad’s side were from Puerto Rico and had moved to Chicago several decades before I was born.
As a kid, my siblings and I always felt as though we were caught in some sort of gray area in terms of what culture or ethnic group we belonged to. To my Hispanic/Latinx friends, I was white because I didn’t grow up speaking fluent Spanish. To my white/non-Latinx friends, I was viewed as Mexican because of my last name being Lopez and my tan complexion.
Growing up, I was able to enjoy the best of both cultures from both sides of my family. I learned a lot about my Puerto Rican heritage from my dad and his parents. My grandmother was an amazing cook. Some of my favorite dishes my grandmother would make included mofongo, arroz con gandules and pasteles. Any time the family got together, you could count on a good time, meaning lots of food and salsa dancing. My grandfather wasn’t a man of many words...but when you got him talking about growing up in San Juan, his face would light up like a beacon.
Family is everything to me – that’s something that was instilled into me at a young age by my grandparents.
2. What brought you to Prosek?
Like many of us, Mark LaVoie [a former SVP with Prosek]! I remember telling him I had no experience dealing with capital markets and he said, “Don’t worry, we all start from somewhere, but I think you will fit right in.” He couldn’t have been more correct.
Once I was able to meet with the Unboxed team [a specialized group within Prosek], it was a done deal. Coolest team ever, even if one of them is a Yankees fan…
3. What are you best known for amongst friends and family, and what do you want to be known for at Prosek?
I think if you were to ask my friends and family what I am best known for they would say that I’m reliable. I think that’s a pretty good thing to be known for. I like being the person people feel like they can count on no matter what. That’s what I’d like to be known for.
4. What's a “fun fact” about you?
I am a musician! Most people don’t know this about me either. I play guitar, piano and am learning how to play drums.
5. What’s one thing you wish people would know, and/or one thing you recommend Prosekians engage with (i.e., one movie, one newsletter, one podcast, etc.), in observance of Hispanic Heritage Month?
I’d recommend everyone watch the movie Selena at least once if you haven’t already. I’ve always related to her because of my love for music and my struggle with embracing my dual ethnic identity. I think the movie paints an excellent picture of how so many Latinos living in the U.S. struggle with balancing their biculturalism, and I believe we are at a time in our country where it’s important to make sure everyone feels like they belong here and can be proud of who they are.
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Irina Navarro, Account Executive
1. Tell us about your background (where did you grow up, your culture, heritage, etc.).
My name is Irina, and I am half Argentinian and half Italian. While I grew up mostly in Italy, at home we spoke Italo-Spanish, a term coined by our family since we were always mixing the two languages together. My father believed that it was important for us to understand where he came from, so I spent my childhood Christmas and New Year's holidays celebrating with distant family members in Buenos Aires.
When I was 16 years old, I moved from Italy to Venezuela to finish high school--at the time when Venezuela was considered one of the most dangerous countries in the world. That year in Latin America was an eye-opening experience, and I was pushed to reconnect with Latin culture and appreciate everything the continent has to offer.
2. What brought you to Prosek?
After graduating from Boston University, I was looking for opportunities in the communications space. I knew of Prosek because of its strong reputation at Boston University, and I applied to the apprentice program after talking to a few people in the agency who recommended it. Now it’s been two years, and I can’t believe how much I have learned and how far I have come.
3. What are you best known for amongst friends and family, and what do you want to be known for at Prosek?
Amongst my friends and family, I am known for being a good cook, environmentally conscious and a newbie mushroom forager. At Prosek, I hope to be known for my hard work, creative ideas and resilience.
4. What's a “fun fact” about you?
I have a goal of going to all the National Parks in the United States and, so far, I have crossed two off my list. This past summer, I had the opportunity to go to Glacier National Park in Montana for a week and saw three bears for the first time in my life in the span of 45 minutes.
5. What’s one thing you wish people would know, and/or one thing you recommend Prosekians engage with (i.e., one movie, one newsletter, one podcast, etc.), in observance of Hispanic Heritage Month?
It is important to remember how many different countries are considered Hispanic; and while they have their similarities that bring them together, it's crucial to honor their unique features and respect their differences.
If I had to choose one thing for Prosekians to engage with, it'd be to lean into food. Food brings people together; and with 20 Spanish speaking countries worldwide, each with their own take on specific recipes, there is so much to explore. In observance of Hispanic Heritage Month, consider going out to eat at a Hispanic-owned restaurant and enjoying some delicious food with friends and family. 