Hispanic Heritage Month means a lot to me – and not just because I was born in Argentina. I am also proud to be a Latina and represent my community. As Vice President-Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Dominion Energy, I get to help craft programs that make a real difference in the Latino community and other underrepresented communities.

My family moved to the U.S. when I was eight, and I have been lucky enough to live in Miami Beach, Florida; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Washington, D.C.; Germany; Indianapolis, Indiana; and now Richmond, Virginia – a background that has enabled me to meet many wonderful people and see life from many different perspectives.

Along the way, I've learned a great deal about the Hispanic community and its rich diversity. According to a Pew Research study, Hispanics in the United States identify as white, black, two or more races or some other race or origin. Hispanics and Latinos come from all over, too – Argentina, Peru, Cuba, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Colombia, Honduras, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and other Spanish speaking countries. The Hispanic population in the U.S. is growing faster than the overall population – Hispanics now number 62 million, or nearly a fifth of the national census, and about two-thirds of them were born in the U.S. By 2060, Hispanics are expected to make up more than 30% of the U.S. labor force.

Yet while Hispanics make up the second-largest ethnic group enrolled in college, are enrolling in larger numbers, and are closing the attendance gap with whites, many disparities remain. Hispanics tend to go to community colleges more. The percentage of Hispanics earning a four-year degree is less than half the percentage for whites. Many Hispanics enter college as low-income students, rely more on grants and loans, and graduate with substantial student debt.

And while Hispanics are entering skilled occupations in higher numbers,, they are still disproportionately represented in low-skilled jobs. As a whole, Hispanics earn just 73 cents for every dollar earned by whites. For first-generation Latino immigrants, all these issues are even more pronounced.

Those are some of the reasons Dominion Energy has launched programs aimed at helping Hispanics earn college degrees and move up the economic ladder.

Through our Building Hispanic Talent Initiative, we are joining forces with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU): a three-year, $2 million partnership to develop leaders in the clean-energy industry. The initiative provides funding to develop summer bridge programs in which pre-college students will earn college-level credit in engineering, business, cybertechnology and biotechnology. The students will also get a taste of campus life before enrolling.

We recently also launched the Promesa: Hispanic Higher Education Initiative, which will provide $50,000 a year to seven colleges and university for the next three years. The funds will underwrite a range of programs, including scholarships, emergency aid, re-enrollment aid, stipends for faculty-mentored research, and cohort models with wraparound supports.

Efforts like these perform crucial functions. They create a pipeline of diverse talent in STEM fields. They help our company recruit Hispanic and Latino talent and strengthen our relationship with the Hispanic community. As a company that performs vital public services, Dominion Energy is part of the broader social fabric. Our vision is to become the most sustainable energy company in the world. To do that, we need to make sure everyone is included and no one is left behind as we move forward.

Actions speak louder at Dominion Energy. Our programs to support the aspirations of Hispanic students show that we mean business. After seeing so much of the world, I am happy to have found a home at a company that backs up what it says about DE&I with heartfelt deeds.