Hector Tejeda made a difference at UnidosNow - and an impact in our community
Since the early 20th century when Owen Burns and John Ringling began to build out downtown Sarasota and St. Armand’s Circle, there was a vision to bring wealthy retirees to the region to live out the best days of their lives – not only among some of the finest beaches in the country, but also in a community seeded with cultural amenities that would rival those of major American cities.
A century later, this allure attracted Harvard MBA and retired Merck executive Hector Tejeda, who moved to Sarasota in 2014. Brought to New York in 1956 as a toddler by his single mother shortly before Guatemala’s civil war, Hector was a “C” student who did not have much ambition or vision for what his life could be after high school. However, for some reason that Hector could never explain, one of his teachers saw something in him and helped him apply for – and receive – a scholarship to attend Marist College and major in accounting.
A similar serendipitous turn in Hector's life happened shortly after graduating from Marist: He was encouraged to apply for the MBA program at Harvard, which was seeking to increase its Hispanic enrollment. It was this Ivy League education that enabled Hector to enjoy a successful and accomplished career in the pharmaceutical industry – one that saw him lead sales efforts throughout Latin America prior to his retirement.
Hector made an impact
While Hector would joke that he didn’t play golf so he had to find something to do in retirement, the truth was that he felt an obligation, like many others in their third age of life, to give back. When Hector saw an ad on Craigslist for a part-time job to work with Hispanic high school students in a nascent college-prep program developed by the local nonprofit UnidosNow, he knew exactly what he wanted to do.
Not willing to risk his resume being ignored via email, Hector went directly to the nonprofit's office and told the small team why he was the ideal candidate for the job. He was hired on the spot and over the ensuing eight years as a woefully underpaid employee – and then as a dedicated volunteer – Hector influenced the lives of thousands of students and families.
From mentoring students to using his systems-level approach to help a new and fragile nonprofit grow into a thriving and major resource for a large segment of the region’s population, Hector made a game-changing impact. It is not an understatement to say that Hector’s contributions, which also included significant financial donations, will ripple for generations.
Hector's legacy embodies the hopes and aspirations we have for all of our local Hispanic and immigrant youths. And it is a model of the social contract we should all embrace if we expect our community and country to prosper.
Hector's story is a lesson in how one individual can positively impact so many lives.
Celebrating Hector's life
On April 28 in the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, we will celebrate Hector's life during UnidosNow’s second annual “NocheUnidos” concert. In all, 85 musicians – representing a fusion of one of the world’s most famous mariachi bands, Mariachi Cobre, with the Venice Symphony – will be on the stage. They will serve as an uplifting metaphor for Hector's life – and also for the work of UnidosNow, which brings together diverse cultures to create something that is new, beautiful and distinctly American.
Please consider joining us for an unforgettable evening.
Kelly Kirschner is a former Sarasota mayor and chairman of UnidoNow’s board of directors. He is also the dean of the division of executive and continuing education at Eckerd College.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Hector Tejeda made an impact at UnidosNow - and across Sarasota
