Anastasia is part of a team that reviews more than 5,500 applicants annually to place selected interns in federal positions for the MANO Project.
Anastasia comes to Hispanic Access with a background in national recruitment and staffing, finding solutions focused on bringing great people and great organizations together. As a leader in talent acquisition, she has served various major industries and markets, and has placed diverse talent in hundreds of roles and positions. She is passionate about connecting, building, and developing BIPOC professionals.
She earned her M.B.A. with a focus on global commerce incorporating accounting, economics, and social sciences from Virginia Wesleyan University. Her B.A. is also from Virginia Wesleyan University. While pursuing her education, Anastasia was a founder and member of the Hispanic Student Alliance (HSA). HSA aims to raise awareness about Hispanic culture, history, and language through different cultural, educational, social, and political activities and events. Some of the activities that HSA sponsors include Spanish tutoring, Hispanic film and poetry events, Cinco de Mayo celebration, and Hispanic Heritage Month. Anastasia is Puerto Rican and Italian and resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Why she works for Hispanic Access…
“I decided to work for Hispanic Access because the culture brings me back to my Hispanic roots as a Puerto Rican woman. I thoroughly enjoy working with Latino colleagues who have a similar passion for our culture and heritage and, of course, for sharing our impact with our own communities and in our public lands. I was privileged to attend university and find a great job with Hispanic Access Foundation, and I want to help other Latino students have access to the same opportunities as me through professional connections in the workforce and also by providing access to educational resources. I want to help as many students as I can in their initial steps of educational development, because education and mentorship have always been close to my heart. I remember how important my educational opportunities were to me.”
In her spare time…
“I love to read and am an active member of my international book club. I enjoy cooking experimental meals with my partner. I also enjoy being active outdoors, playing sports such as soccer, and practicing yoga, pilates, and indoor cycling.”
Her favorite book…
“My favorite book is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Not only is Coelho my favorite author, but this is my favorite book because it shares a beautiful metaphor about the journey through life and how each life is essentially one's own personal legend. It tells the story of a shepherd boy who yearns to travel the world in search of a great treasure, and we follow his adventures across the Egyptian desert to meet the alchemist who shares with him this idea.”
A person she finds inspirational…
“Frida Kahlo is a highly motivational leader to me. Not only is she a phenomenal painter of Mexican heritage—and known as a master of self-portraits—but she is also an example of a Mexican woman who followed her greatest dreams, amongst all pains that she had to endure in her physical and emotional life.”