Born in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, Edith Perez moved to the United States at 3 years old with her family. For her education, Edith studied at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and double majored in Accounting and Finance. She first got involved with The Tennessee Valley Authority, TVA, as an intern in Financial Services, later gaining a full-time position with the company once she obtained her bachelor's degree. Her current role at TVA is the Community Relations Manager for the Chattanooga east region area. Edith has also joined multiple employee resource groups, including TVA & Amigos, an employee-run resource group catered to Latino employees at TVA, which is also open for employees of all ethnicities to join.
Growing up in a predominantly white community, Edith desired to connect with Latinos in her area and decided to achieve that by joining TVA & Amigos. “TVA has given me the opportunity to be the voice of the Latino community, an underrepresented minority.” As her involvement with the group grew, Edith took on more roles and is now the current leader.
At TVA, Edith initially worked under the Financial Services department due to her experience at UTC. However, Perez always had a passion for making connections with community members. “I find immediate gratification by connecting directly with the community, nonprofits and other organizations.” As her interests were recognized, Edith was transferred and positioned as the Community Relations Manager at TVA, where she gained the opportunity to work closely with organizations that serve underrepresented communities, such as La Paz Chattanooga.
At a very young age, Edith and her siblings experienced the hardships of being the communication bridge between her immigrant family and the American system. “Me and my siblings had to interpret during doctor's appointments, while navigating the school system being first generation college students.” Looking back, Edith expressed her desire for accessible resources in order to support her family and future education.
Perez’s biggest inspiration are her parents and their resilience in their journey through the United States. “They have sacrificed so much to get here. Their story and what they did for me it’s not going to go in vain.” Edith plans to continue her parents’ legacy by taking the responsibility of representing her family, along with her country of origin.
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