The Roanoker March/April 2022 - 39

" There has to be some way that we can all connect ...
on an emotional level, a mental level, a professional level.
That's how Latinas Network was born. " - KAT PASCAL
hair. And I don't have blue eyes.' "
Dominguez remembers
she immediately logged on to
Amazon and ordered " every color
of doll that you can imagine. "
She started lifting up pop stars
like Selena Gomez and Ariana
Grande. But she realized her girls
needed to know successful, beautiful
women in their community
that looked like them.
So when Pascal considered
forming a group for professional
Latinas, Dominguez encouraged
her. Then she joined the board,
then she volunteered to make
phone calls and pour drinks and
lead training sessions - whatever
Latinas Network needed to thrive.
For Dominguez, it's all about
providing positive role models for
her children.
" I want my children to be
surrounded by women who are
economically empowered, who
are developing businesses and
have an entrepreneurial mindset, "
she says. " That is why Latinas
Network is important to me. Not
only is it creating an impact with
this generation, but it's creating an
impact for the next. "
W
ith their first year
behind them,
the women
of Latinas
Network are
making big plans for the future.
They're working to increase
fundraising, expand membership
and create a more robust roster of
volunteers.
They are continuing the
program they consider the backbone
of the organization: On the
third Friday of every month, they
schedule lunch and a presentation
at the Williamson Road Branch
Library. It's open and free to
anyone. This gathering allows the
network to get to know each other
and, over time, forge deep connections.
It's also a way for Latinas
Network to invest in its community.
Group leaders purchase the
lunches from Latino-owned businesses.
And it's a way for them
to tap into the expertise of the
network, as presenters often come
from within the Latinas group.
But leaders have new designs,
too. They hope to cast their net
wider
to find Roanoke-area
Latinas from all walks of life,
especially the healthcare and technology
sectors. They plan to create
a mentorship program for area
youth, helping young Latinas see
their future possibilities. Another
goal of the group: work to seat
more Latinas in leadership roles
throughout the community, from
board roles on large nonprofit
groups to city citizen groups, from
area foundations to school PTAs.
" Representation to us means
... having a voice of the Hispanic
community at the table, " Pascal
explains. That's important, she
says, because it can share Latina
perspectives and needs to a wider
audience, it can help Latinas build
their resumes and extend their
contacts. It also strengthens the
network when those serving on
boards and councils bring back
the information they've learned
and share it.
For many who show up
month after month, the importance
of Latinas Network is that
it provides a way to consistently
connect with those who share
their culture.
Lydia Aluise recently moved
to Roanoke from South Carolina.
She says discovering Latinas
Network was like coming home.
" I really love this group, " she
says. Being a member has helped
bolster her confidence, connect
her with a culture she had lost
touch with and give her sense
of belonging in Roanoke. " They
have really created community for
me. " I
Sepulveda (left) and Pascal hold flags
of their or their family's culture (Mexico
and Colombia) at a Hispanic Heritage
Month celebration at the Taubman
Museum of Art last fall.
On the third Friday of
every month, Latinas
Network offers a free lunch
and presentation at the
Williamson Road Branch
Library, open to everyone.
TheRoanoker.com
MARCH/APRIL 2022
39
COURTESY OF LATINAS NETWORK
http://www.TheRoanoker.com
The Roanoker March/April 2022

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