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The American Dream Through Factory Dust
For Francisco Moreno, a sixty-three-year-old Mexican immigrant from Salvatierra, Guanajuato, the thought of his children graduating from US colleges is what fueled his American Dream. This is what got the father of four through a lifelong career of manual labor in a candy factory.
And his children delivered. Deanna Moreno Hernandez, Francisco’s second born child, earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. She also earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Northwestern University—one of the top business schools in the nation.
Today, Moreno Hernandez, thirty-five, is a field marketing officer for multinational food chain giant McDonald’s. She represents the Midwest region of the US, overseeing and optimizing marketing plans across five states in the region. That means she’s accountable for 1,700 stores, $6 billion in revenue, and a marketing budget of about $66 million.
But just seventeen years ago, Moreno Hernandez’s life changed overnight when she discovered she was pregnant.
Teen Mom: A Different Kind of Fast Track
“You grow up fast,” Moreno Hernandez says on what she remembers most about her teen pregnancy. “As a kid of immigrants, you grow up fast anyways. But having to be an adult when you’re still a teenager, a kid, provides such a different perspective. In hindsight, it’s one of my superpowers.”
It can be easy to applaud and oversimplify Moreno Hernandez’s experience after beating the odds of becoming another teen pregnancy statistic, which often points to poverty, low-levels of education, and single parent households. Moreno Hernandez stands apart. Today, her corporate career is on the fast-track to the top with a resume that includes brand work at Hilton, Ace Hardware, and Walgreens.
Moreno Hernandez is an anomaly in the best way, even without considering her teen pregnancy and first-generation status.
Beating the Odds
Latinas represent just under 3 percent of the top three tiers of leadership, according to the Hispanic Association of Corporate Responsibility. But Moreno Hernandez isn’t just another corporate employee. She’s a leader in a space few Latinos have ever been in. That doesn’t seem to scare her, though. And that’s largely because this wouldn’t be the first time she’s defied her situation in order to live the life she envisions for herself.
“As much as there was tons of anger and disappointment from my parents, specifically my dad, they knew me well enough to know I’ve always been a self-motivated kid who wants to be the best at whatever I’m doing,” Moreno Hernandez says. “Even though there was apprehension and fear around this surprise pregnancy slowing me down, they were quick to acknowledge—and so was I—that this is just one other facet of me, and everything was going to be fine.”
Progress is Progress: Building a Support System for Success
With a baby on her hip, a full college course load, and a part-time job, Moreno Hernandez completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. She credits her community of family, friends, and coworkers for providing her with the support and safety net she needed to help her keep moving forward.
She married her high school sweetheart. The two welcomed their second child in 2017, just as she was beginning her MBA program. Ask her about her first born, and Moreno Hernandez gushes. “She’s the best kid. She’s in two high school sports, AP classes, and has Ivy League aspirations. She’s a great kid.”
One thing about Moreno Hernandez? She’s going to celebrate the little things in life. In doing so, one can get farther in life than they might ever imagine. Her advice: take opportunities as they come and be present in the moment.
“Progress is progress,” Moreno Hernandez says, like a prayer. “As long as you put one foot in front of the other, you’re going to see growth. That’s the energy I had. I just kept going. I still have that now. I may have a rough week or month, but I’m committed to moving forward. One day you look back, and there’s pride in seeing the journey and how far you’ve come.”
Latina in the C-Suite: Why Representation Matters
Today, Moreno Hernandez holds a senior position for one of the world’s largest and most iconic brands, McDonald’s. She started out at the company as a senior manager for digital offers and loyalty. Then, she was promoted to field marketing officer this past November. In this role, she works to boost sales and increase brand awareness at the high level. Plus, she works to foster diversity and inclusion in the workplace for Latinas.
Moreno Hernandez knows who she is. As such, she speaks in a way that shows she trusts in her ability to create the reality that best serves her.
And it’s that very same spirit that has led her to the success she has. Hopefully, it will carry on to her next big career milestone—whenever that comes.
The Drive to Create Change
“I’ve done deep work to understand what drives me beyond my family,” Moreno Hernandez says, with aspirations to make it to the C-suite. “I do what I do to see more people like me—women, people of color, Latinos—in these spaces that they deserve to be in. That’s why I wake up every day and work my ass off. When you’re guided by that kind of clarity, you find ways to get things done.”
More Than Degrees on the Wall: A Father’s Pride
As for her father Francisco, there’s no doubt he’s proud of his daughter and his three other children. They are all graduates of the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.
“He hangs our four college degrees right behind his computer,” Moreno Hernandez says. “It is the sweetest, sweetest thing to think he achieved his dream and is seeing the fruits of all his labor.”
