By: Samantha Ader, Managing Director, People & Organizational Effectiveness

When I joined the Latinos for Education team in 2017, I was the fourth person to be hired. With a decade of experience in education nonprofits, and as the granddaughter of Cuban immigrants, I was ready to act on my belief that education is one of the most transformative tools we have in society; and ensure that all Latino students have equitable access to a high-quality education.  

Now, five years later, our team of four has grown to a team of 24 – made up of dynamic leaders with a shared commitment to see Latino students succeed. 

Latinos for Education was founded on the belief that the people and culture within our team will ultimately determine the impact we have in support of our Latino community. We have grown so quickly because our mission continues to attract, like-minded, eager professionals with a genuine interest in increasing the influence and representation of Latinos within the education sector. That eagerness combined with a foundation of core values that have continued to strengthen our organization’s culture over time, has allowed us to arrive at this point. We lead from our identity. We work con ganas. We bridge across cultures. We agitate when necessary, and we rise as a collective.  

We have not only grown numerically, but across geographies as well. In the past two years we have added team members in California, Arizona, Texas, and New England and are currently looking for more individuals to join our team. While our presence is nationwide, and many of our staff reside in different time zones, their reasons for wanting to work at Latinos for Education remain the same.  

Here are the top 4 reasons to work at Latinos for Education: 

1. We hold a deep belief in the power and assets of the Latino community.  

“Being a Latino-led space, our team has the opportunity each day to work side by side with people who are passionate about uplifting the needs of the Latino community in order to help Latinos of all ages thrive and bring their full self to the table. This passion is evident in the way we approach our work, in the way we talk about our work, and helps us succeed in our own roles, and as a whole.”  – Claudia Ruiz, Manager, Program Operations 

2. We find joy and fun in our work together.  

“Our culture is one of camaraderie, community, and is consistently being tended to in order to make the team feel valued, connected, and comfortable. We bring humor and light-heartedness to our everyday operations that only benefits our collaboration and impact.”  – Sandra Rodríguez, Advocacy Director, Greater Houston 

3. Our compensation, benefits, and policies reflect our belief in our team.  

“At Latinos for Education we know the worth of our team members, and how important it is to work for an organization that is inclusive and offers every resource we each need to succeed. From paid parental leave, highly competitive compensation, and unlimited PTO to flexible work schedule, and salary transparency, we encourage staff to develop inside and outside of work.” – Elvis Jocol Lara, Managing Director, National Marketing & Communications 

4. We are builders.  

“Our organization is growing and most of us are founders in our roles. Latinos for Education is on the forefront of redefining the work of educational nonprofits and how it can be sustained long-term. We are changing the landscape of equitable education for Latinos, and without a solid work culture and dedicated team members, that would not be possible.”  – Adriana Solís-López, Chief Development Officer 

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Samantha Ader serves as Latinos for Education’s Managing Director, People & Organizational Effectiveness. In this role, she ensures we have the talent and culture to drive toward our mission. Samantha brings over 10 years of experience in nonprofit management. She also serves as a Board of Education member for her local school district in Palatine, IL. 

Prior to joining Latinos for Education, Samantha was the Director of Development at Teach For America – South Carolina and held professional roles with United Way and Butler University. She graduated from Indiana University as a Hudson and Holland Scholar and is currently pursuing her Masters in Learning and Organizational Change from Northwestern University.