Staff Spotlight: CSL Coordinator

The Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) wants you to learn more about our amazing staff, the individuals behind the work of our programs including the Hispanic Heritage Awards, Latinos on Fast Track (LOFT), Youth Awards, Code as a Second Language and other initiatives.

HHF is a team of 18 individuals working out of our Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles offices, among others. We introduce you to Francia Denisse Maciel, Code as a Second Language (CSL) Coordinator.

Francia was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and moved to South Gate when she was 7-years-old. Growing up Francia enjoyed being outdoors with her friends and family, reading and getting into her mom’s makeup every chance she had. Always ready to listen to her friends and give advice, she saw herself becoming a psychologist when she was younger.She attended South East High School and really enjoyed English, although she always excelled in math. Francia’s first job was working at  Jimenez Cellphones when she was 17 years old.

Always eager to learn and dive into new roles, Francia has had a lot of experience in different fields, and wants to continue learning and growing. Shortly before working at HHF, Francia worked at La Barca Jalisco as a hostess and server. In 2016, Francia enrolled in East Los Angeles College (ELAC) majoring in Business. Ready to challenge herself in new ways, Francia came across an opportunity to work at HHF through a close connection to Alberto Avalos, Innovation and Technology Manager at HHF. After a few interviews, she was hired onto the team as a CSL Coordinator!

When Francia first started at the Foundation, she wanted to learn as much as she could, as fast as she could. Her goal was to be able to put together a successful Latinos on Fast Track (LOFT) Coder Summit, and learn the process that comes along with planning and executing a successful event.

Francia was the 22-year-old Latina behind the work of the LOFT Coder Summit at Stanford, and worked day in and day out leading up to the big day. From outreaching to hundreds of students and professionals, to finding the perfect panelists and workshop leads, Francia was ready to bring the energy to the Bay.

“Working for HHF has definitely had a great impact in my life. I’ve learned so much in my time here, I cannot be thankful enough,” said Francia.

Francia has worked with corporate sponsors including AT&T, the U.S. Army and Google. “By working with corporate sponsors, I have learned the importance of over-communicating and that it is okay to ask for help. I’ve really enjoyed connecting with sponsors on a more personal level and see how personable they are,” said Francia.

As we’re approaching the second half of the year, Francia continues to plan upcoming LOFT Coder Summits in Los Angeles and Miami. She also works on finding CSL fellows for our Bootcamps and Academies that take place at high schools and universities across the country.

Where does Francia see HHF moving forward? “I see the HHF team expanding on both coasts. I have also really enjoyed working on the Google Ignite Fellowship, I hope this initiative continues to grow and expand in every way possible.”

What does Francia want you to know about her? “My family is everything to me, I am surrounded by really supportive people in my life and I am so appreciative of that.”

Francia’s work at HHF does not go unnoticed, thank you for your commitment Francia, HHF is lucky to have you! Stay tuned to learn more about our staff in the weeks to come.