A Life-Changing Moment

When I was 17, I left my home in Veracruz, Mexico, in search of a better life, with nothing but an old backpack that contained a picture of my mother Carmen and a few pieces of clothing.

My family was poor. I was raised by a single mother who had suffered a paralyzing stroke yet kept cleaning houses to support us. I would help her and sometimes even sleep in the restaurant at night when I was in high school while she worked her second job. I knew things must change.

I traveled more than 400 miles north of home and found a job sewing seat covers for cars at a factory that paid about $6 a day. The future looked bleak there. It was difficult for a shy teen like me to stand up to the racist and sexist bullies on the line who targeted women and those with darker skin. A co-worker told me about the Magna Estampados Division, where her husband worked. She said the opportunities were greater there.

"Magna took a chance on me – and that has made all the difference."

Even though I had limited assembly experience, I worked up my courage, went to the division in 2019 and applied for a job as a manual press operator. Being hired was a life-changing moment. Magna took a chance on me – and that has made all the difference.

I immediately saw a cultural difference at Magna. I choose to be here because of the work environment.

Arturo Barboza, the general manager, often walks the line and greets operators with a friendly, “Good morning!” One day, he noticed that I was working – not in my usual spot, but on the main assembly line. I was determined to learn more processes and had asked team leaders for more responsibilities and more overtime.

He said, “What would you like to do? How can we help?” That made me feel supported and valued. That encouragement for my dreams extended to Daniel Dominguez, the facility’s HR manager. I count both of them as mentors.