On October 2, the Houston Dynamo and Southern New Hampshire University partnered to host 12 students from AAMA Sanchez Charter School as part of the “Rompe Las Barreras” (Break the Barriers) program. The program gives students from Hispanic communities an opportunity to shadow staff members from a professional organization to gain a better understanding of different career options available. “Rompe Las Barreras” coincides with Hispanic Heritage Month which is from September 15th through October 15th.
Participating students received a tour of BBVA Stadium and shadowed Dynamo and Dash front office staff members from various departments including:
- Partnership Marketing – Dora Villalobos
- Game Presentation – Brock Jessel and Louie Loya
- Event Services – James Megna and Allie Roby
- Data Analytics – Haley Flavio
- Design Services – Juan Loya
- Ticket Sales and Service – Fernando Canchola and Marcel Reyes
- Community Relations – Valerie Holland
- Digital Marketing – Dorian Valenzuela
“It’s the second year I’ve been a part of this great program, and I’m glad we are giving the students from AAMA Sanchez Charter School a glimpse of what it takes to run a professional soccer team,” Villalobos said after the shadowing day. “Several students initially thought it was almost impossible to work in professional sports but after they finished shadowing me, they realized that they can be in my position one day by working hard and continuing their education.”
As an extension of the behind-the-scenes experience, the students attended the Houston Dynamo vs. Los Angeles Galaxy match on October 6th where they watched pre-game warm-ups and received an on-field recognition.
The main objective for the “Rompe Las Barreras” program is to provide Hispanic students with real-world, real work experiences and help them uncover college opportunities.
