Honoring National Hispanic Heritage Month: Carolina Pulido
Meet Carolina Pulido, senior director of Talent Management who supports Compass One Healthcare. She has brought her passion for representing her community into the work she leads, helping to break barriers and empower leaders across the organization to achieve their goals. She’s also a contributing author in the upcoming Executive Edition of Latinas Rising Up in HR. Carolina is helping Compass celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by sharing her story.
“I was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia, I grew up in a bicultural home with an American mother and a Colombian father, and often say I have the best of both worlds.
“Christmas was always a special time growing up. Bogota was beautifully decorated, and we had holiday traditions that we celebrated with our extended family throughout the season with amazing food, music, fireworks and gatherings that were hosted by different families. We even had a friendly competition every year lighting and lifting paper balloons.
“Here are some interesting facts about my family. On my mother’s side, Oliver Wolcott, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, is a direct ancestor. And my father’s lineage includes several ancestors who held high political and military positions in the Colombian government.
“After completing my college degree in business with a minor in psychology in Bogota, I began my career in the hospitality industry, which transitioned into career in human resources when I moved to the US in 1998 with my husband. We had an interest in continuing our education and growing our careers. We live in Charlotte, North Carolina, and have a son Diego (23) and daughter Elena (20).
“We have very strong family values. Our kids our adults now, and we still try to gather for dinner every night. I am also very fortunate to have my parents and siblings in the US to celebrate birthdays and holidays together. Dancing parties are also a must!
“I prefer the term Latin community – even though we have many things in common, we are a very diverse community. Every country in Latin America has its own culture, food, traditions, language dialects, music, etc. We should avoid thinking of Latin American people as one homogeneous group.
“Being Latina has profoundly shaped my identity and my approach to life, career and family. Growing up in a bicultural home gave me a unique perspective on differences, allowing me to appreciate and embrace diversity.
“This duality has been a blessing, enabling me to navigate and adapt to different cultural settings with ease. I’ve always embraced both cultures, considering this blend a gift that enriched my personal life and provided an edge in my professional role.”