By: Martha Escalera, Aspiring Latino Leaders Fellow

Growing up in California, school nights often ended with me finishing my homework and running to catch the VTA Line 22 bus.  I helped my mom clean the Alameda office buildings to earn extra money. I remember wiping down counters after office parties and emptying trash bins from every office. Some nights, I wondered what it would feel like to have an office of my own. As a teenager, I was embarrassed by cleaning buildings until I realized my parents had learned to take what was available.  This work is where the “trabaja duro y confórmate” mentality came from: work hard, and settle for what is given to you. I first saw it in my dad, who earned $10 an hour while raising five girls. For almost 30 years, he never asked for a promotion. He worked hard, provided for us, and didn’t bother anyone. For a long time, I believed that was simply how life worked; that belief shaped how I saw work as I entered my professional journey.  

I have learned that advocating for myself to advance doesn’t erase my gratitude; it honors my growth. Cleaning offices was honest and humble work, but it was not the future I wanted. To move closer to the life and career I wanted, I stopped settling for what I thought I deserved and started asking for what I had earned. 

I am proud and grateful for my parents and the sacrifices they made. Their work ethic built my foundation. But I also recognize that I’ve achieved things they never had the opportunity to pursue. Honoring their sacrifice means allowing myself to grow beyond survival.  

My experience is not unique. Many educators, especially Latino educators, carry these inherited lessons about work, sacrifice, and gratitude into our professional lives, often without pausing to examine how they shape our growth. 

So, at what point in your career do you reflect on your work experiences or how you are growing? As educators, we believe in serving others and stepping up to help when needed. As a career educator, I coach people to realign their career with their goals and values, and it’s hard not to turn that same reflective lens on myself. Over time, I’ve normalized a routine of reflecting on my goals, the experiences I’m gaining, the leadership skills I want to develop, and where I want to go next in my career journey. Gaining experience doesn’t always mean progress, so I pause intentionally, clarify what matters, and let go of roles that no longer fit. Over time, my personal reflections have begun to mirror what research and leadership literature have long affirmed about sustainable leadership in education. Leadership requires boundaries, humility, and courage, emphasizing that strength does not mean overworking.  

Intentional reflection creates space to think more strategically about visibility, mentorship, and long-term career planning, and the first quarter of the year is a great time to get organized. Perhaps there is an opportunity where your work can become more visible. Regular check-ins and conversations with mentors can help Latino mid-level professionals identify skills and opportunities to advance.  

Here is what I come back to when reflecting on my career journey: 

• Slow down, block time to pause, reflect, and focus on your growth.

• Identify what is important, including your priorities in both life and work.

• Reflect on your accomplishments and celebrate your growth.

• Update your resume and LinkedIn.

• Align your role with your goals, identify tasks that no longer fit, and step back from what doesn’t help you grow

• Set goals and connect, check in with mentors, and find new mentors.

Building a routine to pause and reflect on my career journey has brought clarity to what’s next: what to learn, where to stretch, and which doors to walk through, so my path feels intentional, meaningful, and aligned with the life I want to lead. 

Your professional journey is worthy of your time, intention, and care just as much as the work you do for your students, colleagues, and community. Pausing to reflect on where you are and where you want to be is an act of courage and self-respect that honors your hard work.  

While this journey feels deeply personal, it exists within broader systems that continue to shape opportunity and advancement for Latino professionals. When I entered the workforce, I realized systemic challenges had created barriers for Latino professionals seeking career advancement.  My story is one of 35.1 million Latinos in the U.S. labor force who are actively shaping their careers. Taking time to pause isn’t just personal; it’s part of how we as Latinos advance collectively. 

This week, take one small action, update a few lines on your resume, reach out to a mentor, or share your goals, to begin reflecting and realigning your career, con ganas y con propósito. 

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Martha Escalera is an Assistant Director of Career Coaching and Education at Stanford Career Education and has worked at Stanford University for over 11 years, with more than 20 years of experience in higher education. Her background is in organization development, project management, and program design. She has a Master of Science in Organization Development and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Spanish from the University of San Francisco. As a certified coach, she takes a holistic approach, integrating values and strengths into her coaching practice.  Martha is a first-generation Latina and Mexicana who values mentorship, community, and lifting others.