Empowering our Voices with Erika Gonzalez

By Paola Hernandez

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On September 14th, the TexasHPRSA chapter had the pleasure of hosting our very first general meeting featuring the esteemed Erika Gonzalez, Senior Vice President at WE Communications.

Erika Gonzalez, a proud Texas Ex, began by sharing her journey into the field of public relations. With a hint of humor, she reminisced about her former days as a student in the Moody College of Communication, recalling an old parking lot, which since then has changed into the current building we stood at: the G. B. Dealey Center for New Media. She candidly described the motivation that drove her towards a career in communications and narrated the journey that took her across the globe, only to bring her back to her beloved home state of Texas during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Not one to sugarcoat the realities of the field, Erika also opened up about the aggressions and barriers that she encountered as a Hispanic professional in the world of public relations. However, instead of discouragement, she inspired every attendee that night with her resilience and determination. She showed us that it does not matter where you come from or who you are; you can achieve anything you want with unwavering determination!

Erika also shared her involvement in HPRA and provided invaluable insights into the transformative role we, as HPRSA members, play in shaping conversations and paving pathways for Latine individuals who aspire to pursue careers in communications but might be unsure where to begin.

The evening left everyone in attendance enlightened about the possibilities of being in a communications field and empowered by Erika Gonzalez's remarkable story. It was a reminder that regardless of our challenges, we have the strength to create change and make a lasting impact, just like our passionate guest speaker.

But that is not where it ends! We are thrilled to announce that Erika has recently been names TexasHPRSA’s professional advisor! We can’t wait to embark on this new journey alongside her, learning everything we can with her leadership and insights! Stay tuned for more exciting updates and opportunities with Erika by our side!