Loretto Academy held its annual “She Day” in which Loretto alumni or other female workers visit for a half a day to talk about their careers and the struggles they have faced for being a woman in a male dominated workforce.

She Day was held on March 15,2019 at Loretto Academy High School and began at 8:30 am and ended at 12:30 pm.

Becky Montes, Loretto alumnae, became a businesswoman for the Phoenix Suns and soon moved on to manage the El Paso, Texas Locomotive FC soccer team.

She said that her job is in a male dominated workforce, but that does not hinder her from doing what she loves or becoming part of a team.

Montes said, “Don’t doubt yourself because you’re a girl, I don’t want to be the only woman in a boardroom!”

Another woman that came to present at Loretto Academy was none other than a U.S. Navy officer.

She started out as a trainee, diffusing bombs or even creating them, but has now become a recruiter that travels around the world to enroll other military officers to become part of the Navy.

She said, “Being a recruiter is the most rewarding because I can help others.”

Based on the history of the Navy, it was also dominated by men as it seemed that they were the only ones capable to be part of the military.

She said, “There is no job in the Navy that a female cannot do; although it is difficult for a woman to be part of it because we have to catch up to the men.

However, there is nothing that a guy can do that I can’t do.”

Other females that came to present were businesswomen, police officers, firefighters, and journalists.

The women that were police officers struggle with the policemen as they would downgrade or demean them just because of their gender.

Ludin Quiñones, Border Patrol officer, said, “They would say, ‘she’s not gonna make it’ and I said, ‘watch me!’

Ladies do not put your own barriers up because if you set your mind to it, you will do it.”

She was one out of five females in a male controlled academy and is part of the four percent of women to be in border patrol.

Jaqueline Manriquez has also become the only female driver of the El Paso Fire Department after being graduating from a class of 40 women to be firefighters.

She said, “Men are stronger but women are smarter but either way size does not matter, it is what’s in your heart that matters.”

Another powerful woman that presented was none other than Loretto Academy’s alumni, Gabriella Gallegos.

She was a graduated lawyer from the University of California, Berkeley and moved to Dallas where she won two Iron Man titles and has run five triathlons.

She is now the organizer of what is now El Paso’s traditional all female race, the Mighty Mujer Triathlon, in which she began in 2012.

These women started out as young girls with a dream are now strong and independent.

They are the women of today and they encourage us to be the women for tomorrow.

As Gallegos said, “Sometimes you have to change the plan!”

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