Love's celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month
The Love’s Family of Companies is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. It is an opportunity to come together to honor people, stories and traditions. This month, we’re highlighting three team members who share how their cultural upbringings shaped their lives, their identities and how they positively impact others.
Cultural strengths and traditions
Christopher P. joined Love’s a little over a year ago. His Hispanic cultural upbringing provided him with skills that have helped him quickly grow and stand out in the crowd.
“My parents and grandparents instilled in me at a young age that hard work will get great rewards if I always set my mind to it,” says Christopher. “Growing up, we would congregate for weekend family feasts. Learning how to cook from my grandma and her sisters is one of the greatest memories of my childhood.”
Christopher’s passion for family and food have made him a perfect fit as a restaurant shift leader with Love’s, and he is currently working toward the next management goal.
“I now get to teach my own daughter the same values as well as having the same fun. These things she can pass along to her own children when the time comes, and maybe find a great job like Love’s.”
Embracing differences
Marissa G. was born of Mexican American descent and grew up in foster care. While she never had the opportunity to know her family’s history or native language, it did not stop her or her eight siblings from embracing their Hispanic heritage. Annual traditions, such as family reunions, gave Marissa time to reconnect with family.
In 2020, Marissa began her career with Love’s as a cashier, and saw the opportunity to expand her skillset in the shop through Love’s Truck Care. Her hard work, dedication and attitude opened the door to a promotion. In 2021, Marisa became a Truck Care service advisor.
Marissa uses her heritage and values to support her team and the customers she serves.
“I have a strong desire to grow my team and in doing so, also grow myself,” Marissa says. “It can be difficult when drivers assume I can speak the same language as them, but I do not allow it to prevent me from delivering best-in-class service. I have embraced how my Hispanic culture makes me unique.”
Supporting others
Caring for others is of paramount importance to Mason H. Prior to Love’s, Mason served as a full-time missionary in Lima, Peru, and Brownsville, Texas, where speaking Spanish was key to serving others and sharing his faith. Following his missionary service, Mason's proficiency in Spanish elevated his Bachelor of Science degree to a Bachelor of Arts in communications, allowing him to utilize his language skills to help individuals feel welcomed and included. As a hotel district manager with Love’s, Mason has the privilege of leading teams and amplifying the voices of valuable team members. Mason took it upon himself to gather and translate the stories of numerous team members to spotlight how this special group of individuals go above and beyond the call to make everyone feel like family.
“The Hispanic/Latin culture is centered around family and there are many similarities to Love’s in what those Core Values are. I think it is important to highlight the stories shared due to the high focus on family. The same way we treat our loved ones and our guests comes from our family experience,” says Mason. “Whether it is cooking a meal, giving them a ride or just showing they care with words, these team members are an integral part of what make’s Love’s so great.”
Throughout these stories, we see similar themes of family, strong work ethic and pride of their Hispanic heritage. Love’s values these perspectives, experiences and values, which add to the rich diversity of Love’s culture. Join our team or follow us on social media to see more throughout Hispanic Heritage Month.
