Natalia Dorantes

Coordinator of Football Programs

Hispanic Heritage: Both parents are Mexican. She was born in Los Angeles.

On what she loves most about her work with the Commanders:"The opportunity to be mentored by Coach Rivera directly is really special and something I don't take for granted. My favorite part is being able to learn from him."

On favorite traditions:"Pretty much my entire dad's side of the family lives in the same cul de sac in Phoenix. I loved how growing up, my grandpa would pick all of us cousins up from school. We'd all jam in my grandpa's car and go to our grandparents house to wait for our parents to pick us up. Other than that, of course, there's the food. My favorite food is sopes, made by my abuelita(grandma)." 

On what HHM means to her: "To me, it's all about the opportunity to recognize the growing Latino community and the importance and influence that it has in this country."

On how her heritage has shaped who she is today: "I think my Mexican heritage has shown me how to always think about others and try to include people. Sharing, for example, is a huge thing in our culture – especially food! Our plates are always family style. Another big thing for me, too, is my Spanish. When I can tell other people are having difficulty communicating because of the language barrier, I know I can be there to help and translate."

Quote/mantra she lives by:"You can't always say and do things and wait until the right moment when everything is perfectly lined up. As women, I feel like we do that. I just see so many women take the backseat and wait until the right opportunity, and when you do that, you miss out on the best things." – Jessica Mendoza