HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH IN THE YMCA

As we continue to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, September 1th till October 15th, we want to take the time to recognize our YMCA American Latino staff and the impact they made on the Dallas Metropolitan community. We sat down with four of our YMCA leaders to discuss their Y story and how their Hispanic heritage has played a role in their life.  

Max Ipina, Sports Director at Semones Family YMCA: 

“My mother is Guatemalan, and my father is Mexican so growing up I was raised completely differently from anything else. Hispanic parents tend to be a little bit stricter about values and go deeper into the idea of generational values and keeping to those traditions. Sure enough, here this day of age, it’s still trying to be instilled in us. I think the biggest thing about it is that this community is growing here in the United States and specifically in the Y which is great to see. Through what I grew up with and what I have learned I have tried to instill that in my job and the communities I interact with. 

My proudest moment so far working with the Y and as Sports Director is that I treat each day with the mindset of wanting to have a program that I as a future parent would want my kid to enjoy. I think the biggest thing that after every season and all the work that gets put into it, see the kids and family benefitting from what we have done in the program is the best feeling.” 

Jenny Federici, Associate Vice President in Marketing: 

“For me, I am a 4th/5th generation Mexican American so when my family descended from Mexico it was a really long time ago. We have been in Texas for so long that there is a tendency to lose culture in those cases whether it be just tradition or language. I will say I grew up in a part of Dallas that was majority minority communities- mostly Hispanic and African American- so I think that really helped us keep in touch with our cultural roots in terms of language, food, tradition, family and the way that we are Mexican in our American-ness. It really brought home a message “for all” at an early age and that’s when I didn’t even have a concept of what the Y was or what they even did. That concept has always been important to me- the area I grew up in was really socioeconomically challenged so it was really important to me to not just give myself opportunities outside that neighborhood but bring people with me and I feel the work we are doing at the Y is accomplishing that idea. 

 I am part of a leadership program for staff of color to enhance in the highest level of leadership and that’s a YMCA of the USA initiative that I love to tell people about. We have taken an initiative from the organization to the national level to say that this is so important that our leadership reflects the communities that we serve at all levels and I have never worked anywhere like that. I am really proud to tell people that I work for the Y, that this is what we do in terms of programing and community outreach, but then there's this next level of greatness that is coming at the employee level.” 

Marvin Rosales, Senior Program Director: 

“My first recollection with the Y was about mid to late 1970s. I used to come to what is now the Semones YMCA as a member to go swimming and playing various sports throughout the year. Around the early 1990s I started volunteering at the Park South YMCA because my wife used to work there many years go. Around 2009 I started working at the LakeWest YMCA as a part time sports coordinator. And through all that, that is what has brought me to my current role as the Senior Program Director. 

I am an immigrant from Central America, I was born in Guatemala City, Guatemala and my family and I came to the United States when I was a very young man- about when I was a year old. I think one of the things about the Y movement here in the most recent years is that the hiring practices is very diverse. It came a sense of relief knowing that the Y is moving in that direction and that they are focusing on staff of color and minorities. One of the things I really like to see is a lot of young Hispanic staff coming into the Y movement because I believe it’s a great place to work and they have a lot of opportunities for growth within the Dallas Y.”  

Giselle Patterson, Executive Director of the T. Boone Pickens YMCA: 

“I was born and raised in Brazil and came to the U.S. when I was 16 years old as an exchange student to New Braunfels High School which is located near San Antonio. During the time I was there I met a boy that I started dated during my time as an exchange student and while I was back in Brazil. I immigrated back to the U.S. permanently when I was 18 years old and I have been in the U.S. for 36 years now. Portuguese is my first language, English is my second, and Spanish is my third. Family is something that I still hold on to very dearly. Typical Latinos, we are very connected to our family- we love to spend time together, we love big gatherings with all our food with it. We value the closeness that family provide us. That is something I always stay close to and I bring that even into my workspace. I find my YMCA colleagues to be a big family.  

All the accomplishments that I have had are tied to the people around me. It’s not me, it’s really the strength of our volunteers, staff, and members. I am proud of the people- the people who have surrounded me with commitment and dedication, not only to the YMCA but to strengthen our community as well.”