From HS Parent to HR Manager, welcome Blanca Flores to her new role in the agency.
Are you a Parent? Were you or are you a HS/EHS parent?
I am a parent. I have 2 boys, my oldest Fabian just turned 11 and my youngest Matias will be turning 3 this June. Fabian had the opportunity to attend Junction City and Fairfield Head Starts. Head Start got him connected to a speech therapist early on, which helped his journey through Elementary school. He will be graduating from 5th grade this year.
Are you from Oregon?
I am originally from Honduras (Central America). My family moved to the US when I was 10 years old. I lived in Los Angeles for a few years and made our way to Oregon in 2007, where I graduated from High School and attended college.
What is your position in the agency? Have you been promoted within the agency?
I am the HR manager for HSOLC. I started my Head Start journey as a teacher at Brattain, later got promoted to ERSEA assistant and lastly held the HR Specialist role for 7 years. I have taken every opportunity to grow professionally and have been very fortunate to have mentors within the agency that have supported my career path. Head Start is my home. I love what I do and my favorite part of this job is when parents share how impactful their HS experience was, it is what drives every single one of us to come to work every day.
I am the HR manager for HSOLC. I started my Head Start journey as a teacher at Brattain, later got promoted to ERSEA assistant and lastly held the HR Specialist role for 7 years. I have taken every opportunity to grow professionally and have been very fortunate to have mentors within the agency that have supported my career path. Head Start is my home. I love what I do and my favorite part of this job is when parents share how impactful their HS experience was, it is what drives every single one of us to come to work every day.
What surprised you most about Head Start?
How important parent input/involvement is. In HR for example, we invite parents to be part of interview panels and policy council approves all new hires.
What would you tell parents about HS/EHS you think they really need to know? HS teachers are superheroes. They come to work every day with the purpose of providing your children with the most memorable experience. They also provide resources to the families as Head Start believes parents are the first teachers in a child’s life.