Hispanic Heritage Month History Makers Series: Aída Álvarez

Happy fourth week of Hispanic Heritage Month ! This week we will be highlighting journalist, investment banker, and politician, Aída Álvarez.

Aída Álvarez was born in 1950 in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. She was raised in Puerto Rico, and moved to New York City as a teenager to attend high school. As a teenager she participated in the the ASPIRA program. The ASPIRA program was an educational program that empowered girls from underserved backgrounds to succeed in leadership positions, and prepare them for college. Álvarez's participation in the program marked the start of her successful career, as she attended Harvard College in the year 1971.

After college, Álvarez became a journalist and worked as an anchorwoman on television. As a journalist she highlighted stories about Latine communities in America and abroad. She earned multiple awards for her journalism, such as the Front Page Award for Academic Excellence for her article in the New York Post titled "Latins in New York." In addition, Álvarez was nominated for an Emmy award for her report on El Salvador's civil war in 1982.

Álvarez also worked as an investment banker at First Boston Corporation as well as Bear Sterns. Her career extended into public service, in 1993 she was nominated by President Bill Clinton for the role as director for the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight. Years later in 1997, President Clinton appointed her Álvarez to be the Administrator of the Small Business Administration. Álvarez was the first Latina and Puerto Rican woman to ever serve on a U.S. president's cabinet. As the administrator to the Small Business Administration, Álvarez advocated for women/minority owned business, and assisted in allocating millions in funding for loans to small businesses. Aída Álvarez exemplifies what it means to use your platform to uplift your community, and that is why she inspires me to continue advocating for my community as an elected official. If you would like to read more about Aída Álvarez, please click here.