โDrive, independence, resilience โ I get it all from my mother,โ says Lorena Escalera, Floating Financial Center Manager at Penn Community Bank.
As Lorena approaches her seventh anniversary with Penn Community Bank, she canโt help but reflect on the career journey leading up to her current role.
Although she already had her foot in the door as a part-time teller at another, large bank, Lorena knew her calling was to help people โ but in a different way. She started nursing classes, but after fainting during an exercise, it was time to reevaluate if that was the career path for her. Back to the bank it was.
Although it was difficult to adjust career aspirations, looking back, Lorena is sure she made the right decision.
โIโm a people person and Iโm still helping people. Just instead of patients, its customers. Nursing and customer service have more in common than you think,โ says Lorena.
Today, as a Floating Financial Center Manager at Penn Community Bank, Lorena provides retail, business development, and small business lending support to our southern region. Aside from the opportunity to talk to customers daily, her favorite part of the job is the work-life balance, welcoming environment, and the opportunity for growth at the Bank.
Currently, Lorena is continuing her education through Bucks County Community College in pursuit of an Associateโs Degree in Business Administration. You may be wondering why someone with a solid career path would return to the classroom. Itโs not necessarily for herself, but to set an example for her kids, she says โ because she knows the impact a motherโs example can make on her children.
Lorenaโs mother was born in Mexico and came to the United States on a temporary work Visa when she was just 16 years old. In Mexico at the time, education ended after middle school or you had to pay for high school. Lorenaโs grandmother was a single mother and the family knew there was more opportunity for income and quality of life if her oldest child lived in the US.
Her mother arrived in Los Angeles and took a job in agriculture. Being the oldest of the family, it fell on her to not only support her new life in the US, but support her family in Mexico, too. Following her 18th birthday, she was granted residency and went through the immigration process.
Lorena knows her motherโs ambition is part of her and is determined to pass along these attributes to her children. As the daughter of an immigrant, she knows just how far independence and resilience will get you, and makes supporting herself and her family a priority.
Aside from personal qualities, her motherโs background has an impact on her work, too. Lorena is bilingual, a capability she takes pride in and doesnโt let go unused. She says being able to speak Spanish fluently helps with networking and communicating with customers, allowing her to go into diverse communities and understand the reservations that group of people may have. And of course, it keeps her grounded to her roots.
โI love working for an organization that doesnโt leave anyone out when making decisions,โ says Lorena. โThe areas we serve are so diverse and all these groups of people need our support. DE&I is always going to be a work in progress, but I know Penn Community Bank is committed to putting in the time and effort.โ
This Hispanic Heritage Month, Lorena is making it a priority to immerse her children in their roots and make sure they know where they came from. She plans to learn more about the history of Hispanic culture through music, something her mother said is the best way to learn about ancestry.
In fact, Hispanic music is important to not just the culture but Lorena, too. She used to be an Aztec dancer, a type of music and dance that originates from the region her mother was born in Puebla, Mexico. This style of dance continues to be performed today to honor the roots of the culture. Lorena looks forward to bringing her family to the Mexican Independence Day Festival in Philadelphia to see the dancers and immerse themselves in authentic food and other activities.
Lorena would like to spotlight the Guadalupanos of Bensalem, a charity organization that assists the regionโs Hispanic community through food banks, translating services, transportation, and more.
Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!
