NCCC Success Story

Hometown
Born in Guatemala, moved to the United States as a child and currently is living in Alexandria, Va.

Degree programs
Bachelor's Degree in Applied Arts and Sciences with a concentration in Human Resources from RIT's College of Applied Sciences and Technology

Year of graduation
2009

Place of employment
United States Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Washington, D.C.

Job Title
Human resources assistant

Work Responsibilities
I am a human resources assistant and provide support to the team leader and several personnel specialists in the Employment Services Division, Office of Human Resources. I create vacancy announcements, match applicants to vacancy listings and handle applications. I handle HR software called HR Connect and Career Connector and other information tools to review and print applications, and I respond to inquiries from applicants about their application status. I arrange and organize resumes and applications for HR specialists in preparation for interviews and contacts. In the future, my goal is to specialize in disability hiring.

How my career relates to my degree from RIT/NTID
RIT provided a variety of activities and projects related to human resources. Many of the courses helped me see what it really is like working in the field of human resources. In a class on of interviewing techniques, my classmates and I got a lot of interviewing practice and we got excellent feedback that really is useful for my current job.

I was invited back to RIT/NTID to be the presenter for the 2013 Latino Deaf Awareness Week. I always had dreamt about coming back to RIT/NTID and sharing my experiences with students, so this really was a welcome honor. I had the opportunity to talk to students about the importance and the value of doing what they are passionate about. I also was able to tell them about my work with a social organization, the Latino Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Association of the Metropolitan D.C. Area. My passion for education, which has helped me so much, is becoming a passion to help other deaf Latinos get an education as well. I see some potential new goals for myself involving a possible master’s degree and eventually a teaching or advising role for deaf Latinos in the areas of education, immigration, and/or women’s rights.

Advice
Being on a campus with hearing students gave me a realistic picture of what it would be like out in the workplace and of the many ways there are to communicate. At first I was very shy at college, but over time, a friend motivated me to get involved with organizations outside of class. Taking this step allowed me to follow my passion to a new level. I met new people and got involved in more activities. I continue to do that now that I am working at my full-time job. What I hope students take away from my story is “Everything is possible if you make the effort!”