--- title: "Never Give Up: What Hispanic Heritage Month Means to Me" description: Hector Mejia shares a Hispanic Heritage Month reflection on perseverance, creating your own path, finding mentors, and opening doors for others. image: https://trucks.express4x4truckrental.com/hubfs/EXP%20-%20Blog%20Image%20-%20Never%20Give%20Up%20Hispanic%20Heritage%20Month.png --- [Skip to content](https://trucks.express4x4truckrental.com/blog/never-give-up-what-hispanic-heritage-month-means-to-me#main-content) [![Express 4x4 Truck Rental](https://trucks.express4x4truckrental.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Express_Logo_Flag_New.png?width=1200&height=455&name=Express_Logo_Flag_New.png)](https://www.express4x4truckrental.com/) - [Our Service](https://express4x4truckrental.com/our-service/) - [Why Rent](https://express4x4truckrental.com/why-rent/) - [Truck Lineup](https://express4x4truckrental.com/truck-lineup/) Show submenu for {{ link.label }} - [Pick-up Trucks](https://express4x4truckrental.com/trucks-categories/pickup-trucks/) - [Flatbed Trucks](https://express4x4truckrental.com/trucks-categories/flatbed-trucks/) - [Utility Trucks](https://express4x4truckrental.com/trucks-categories/utility-trucks/) - [Passenger Vans & SUVs](https://express4x4truckrental.com/trucks-categories/passenger-vans-and-suvs/) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Our Service](https://express4x4truckrental.com/our-service/) - [Why Rent](https://express4x4truckrental.com/why-rent/) - [Truck Lineup](https://express4x4truckrental.com/truck-lineup/) Show submenu for {{ link.label }} - [Pick-up Trucks](https://express4x4truckrental.com/trucks-categories/pickup-trucks/) - [Flatbed Trucks](https://express4x4truckrental.com/trucks-categories/flatbed-trucks/) - [Utility Trucks](https://express4x4truckrental.com/trucks-categories/utility-trucks/) - [Passenger Vans & SUVs](https://express4x4truckrental.com/trucks-categories/passenger-vans-and-suvs/) - [Contact us](https://express4x4truckrental.com/contact-us/) [Contact us](https://express4x4truckrental.com/contact-us/) Share: [facebook-f icon](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://trucks.express4x4truckrental.com/blog/never-give-up-what-hispanic-heritage-month-means-to-me) [linkedin-in icon](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://trucks.express4x4truckrental.com/blog/never-give-up-what-hispanic-heritage-month-means-to-me) [Twitter icon](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://trucks.express4x4truckrental.com/blog/never-give-up-what-hispanic-heritage-month-means-to-me) # Never Give Up: What Hispanic Heritage Month Means to Me [Hector Mejia](https://trucks.express4x4truckrental.com/blog/author/hector-mejia) *Originally published on the [AFLA](https://www.afla.org/) Insights Newsletter by Hector Mejia, Director of Operations, Express 4x4 Truck Rental* I started working at my current company as a teenager, cleaning vehicles, while I was on a full ride to St. Joseph's University, trying to live out my mom's dream of having a doctor or a lawyer in the family. It didn't take long to realize that wasn't my path, and my first year of college was a reality check. While I figured out my next move, I continued my job detailing vehicles at what was then Express Car and Truck. Watching the counter staff, I realized I could do that job too, and my manager at the time encouraged me to ask for a promotion. So I wrote a letter to the company president, telling him I could do more than clean vehicles and that I could learn the business from the counter and grow from there. He gave me an interview, and I had no expectations beyond that. Decades later, I'm Director of Operations at Express 4x4 Truck Rental, overseeing a national logistics network we built out of one location in the Northeast. This Hispanic Heritage Month, I wanted to share that story because I think it's for anyone who isn’t sure whether it's worth asking for an opportunity. ## **From El Salvador to Philadelphia** This Hispanic Heritage Month, I reflect on my upbringing. My parents are both from El Salvador. They knew of each other back home, but it wasn't until they'd each immigrated separately to California in their early 20s — with no plan, a couple of dollars between them, and maybe two or three English words — that they actually got together. That's where I was born. But it got expensive to live out there, so we followed my uncle, who'd found work on the East Coast. My dad went first and got settled, then my mom followed while pregnant with my younger brother, who was born in Philadelphia. I grew up in North Philly and went to a predominantly Hispanic high school, where I was lucky enough to be part of a college-prep program that exposed me to more than our neighborhood. My mom had always pictured a doctor or a lawyer in the family, and for a long time, I assumed that was the path I'd take too. Looking back, that program is what made me want to achieve more on my own terms — I wanted to create a path I could call mine, the same way my parents created one for themselves when they immigrated to this country. ## **Building a National Footprint from One Storefront** Once I realized how much I enjoyed the work and was fully committed to Express, I knew this was the career I wanted to invest myself in — on my own terms, not anyone else's. Now, years in at Express, the accomplishment I'm most proud of comes from when we were still a brick-and-mortar store in the Northeast but wanted a national footprint. That request landed on my desk: how do we move vehicles from where we are to where our clients’ businesses operate? So I dug into transportation, drivers, the whole logistics side, and we ended up building it in-house instead of relying on the traditional broker model. That let us control our costs while still having national reach from one office in Pennsylvania. My leaders trusted me to take that on and find a solution, and we did. Growing up Latino, I learned to commit myself to every job you have. I take ownership of what's given to me — if somebody hands me a task, it's because they believe I can get it done. That's how my parents lived too. They risked everything on a better future for their kids, and I never wanted to take that for granted. ## **A Leadership Philosophy Built on Open Doors** As a leader, I know what I know, but I don't know it all, so when a problem comes up, I want input from everybody in the room. No idea is a bad idea; bring your ideas, and we'll talk about them and pick them apart together, because one might be the next thing that moves us forward. My job as a leader is to clear the obstacles so my team can make decisions without waiting on me for every call. That matters to me because it's how we built this company: taking on tough tasks, working through hurdles, and moving forward. ## **Why This Month Matters to Me** Hispanic Heritage Month makes me think about the trailblazers who broke down barriers before I got here, the people who opened doors so somebody like me could walk through them. I'm not limited by my background or where I grew up — the door is open as long as you're willing to put in the work. When I had the opportunity to tell my story to AFLA, I was flattered, but what stuck with me afterward was thinking about the entry-level person who might read this and not realize how far the commitment can take them. I wrote that letter to the president without any expectation of moving up — it was just the first step. If this story gets one person to take their own first step, that's what it's all about. My advice to anyone hoping to grow into leadership: ask for mentorship. Find people who know more than you do, who've seen more than you have, and ask them for their time. This Hispanic Heritage Month, remember that wherever you’re starting from, whatever door looks closed right now, keep pushing on it so your door may open. 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