Alejandro Valencia Jr
Account Executive, Business Development
Hispanic heritage: Mother is Cuban, father is Colombian. He was born in New Jersey.
On what he loves most about his work with the Commanders: "Being able to connect my passions with other people. I have a passion for sports and for providing the opportunity of coming out to sporting events. Being able to provide that to people is what makes this job so fun. Luckily, I grew up having a lot of opportunity to go to games with my family, and I know a lot of people don't get that opportunity, so it's awesome that I'm able to assist in providing that to people."
On favorite traditions: "We always celebrate Christmas all day throughout December 24th and open gifts at midnight. And then my favorite food is called picadillo. My grandma is the only one who knows how to make it the way I like, and it's an absolute treat every time I get the chance to have it. I wish I could have it more, but that's by far the best thing I've ever had in my life."
On what HHM means to him: "I think being able to be acknowledged. A lot of Hispanic people work extremely hard and sometimes don't get the 'thank yous' that they deserve, and I feel like allowing them to express themselves during this month is extremely meaningful. I love being able to spotlight our people and be a part of that spotlight as well."
On how his heritage has shaped who he is today: "I think everything that I have today is because of how I was raised and where my parents came from and the things that they instilled in me from such a young age. Being able to kind of go against the odds, because not a lot of people where I came from ever really make it to places like this. It's just not as common. So, I like to stay humble and obviously appreciate where I'm at and definitely don't look past the fact that, without my family members and what my upbring has instilled in me, I wouldn't have gotten to where I am today."
Quote/mantra he lives by: "Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard."
*It's common in many Latin American countries to celebrate Christmas on the 24th
