Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Hennita Pandean

Hennita Pandean has been with Compass Group for two and a half years. She began working with EverSource in the mail room and is excited to continue to grow. Hennita, who graduated from Sam Houston State University with a degree in geology, is proud of her heritage and shares that learning from one another is how we can better appreciate differences. Read her story.

What does Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month mean to you?
It’s a good reminder for us that the United States is made up of people from all different countries, cultures, languages and histories. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have a deep and rich history. The more we can learn from each other, the more peacefully we can live together.

What about your heritage makes you proud?
Family is really important for me; we are really family-oriented. I’ve lived in the United States for quite some time and on weekends, my family and I make a lot of food and spend time connecting – it’s like a party. Growing up there weren’t any Indonesian restaurants close to us, so we cooked a lot. My aunt and cousin are great cooks. One of my favorite dishes they make is Bakso, an Indonesian meatball soup.

What kind of mark do you want to leave at Compass Group?
I want people to see me as someone they can rely on and someone they can trust. Sometimes I come off as very quiet, but I am really easy to talk to! Talking is how we learn to better understand others and appreciate differences. I like to help others and if the support I provide can help others feel more confident and comfortable doing their job, then I have made an impact. That is the kind of person I want to be remembered as – someone who shares and helps build people up.

What do you love most about your job?
The people I work with are very supportive and from all different backgrounds. We talk and get to know each other and that makes work more fun. I like that the environment is free of judgment. If you work hard, people will acknowledge you. We work as a team here.

I love it here and want to continue to grow in the company. I want to be able to influence more people. Like the quote says, “I try to live every day as if it is my last.”