Nancy Cambron Perez earned her BA in Latina/Latino Studies and Sociology from UIUC in 2012. Reflecting on her decision to major in Latina/Latino Studies, she explained, “I was passionate about understanding the diverse history, culture, and experiences of the Latinx community.” She also credits her interaction with LLS faculty in shaping her decision to major in Latina/Latino Studies, noting, “Meeting and connecting with faculty members Isabel Molina-Guzmán, Julie A. Dowling, Jonathan Xavier Inda, and Mirelsie Velázquez shaped my decision to major in LLS. They made me feel like I could make an impact.” Nancy’s decision to double major in Sociology further informed her work in Latina/Latino Studies. Describing the relationship between her two majors, she highlighted how “Sociology paired with LLS helped me understand how norms, cultures, and organizations can shape the behavior of different generations of Latinx employees and how they overcome challenges.”

After graduating from UIUC, Nancy earned an M.Ed. in Higher Education from Loyola University Chicago. She also completed the SHRM Essentials of HR Management and Applied Program Management certificates from Northwestern University School of Professional Studies and the Mastering Sales certificate program from Kellogg School of Management Executive Education. Additionally, she graduated from the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement Emerging Leaders Program and was selected to be part of the Kinnevik Young Talent Program. She was also recognized as part of Untapped’s Top DEIB Leaders list and joined 99 other DEI colleagues selected to their top 100 ‘Walk the Walk’ leaders list.

Following graduation, Nancy led and developed Diversity & Inclusion recruitment, retention, and programming efforts in higher education. This included federal TRIO programs, human resources, and graduate admissions teams for Columbia College Chicago, Northwestern University, and Kellogg School of Management. Her background in Latina/Latino Studies was crucial to these roles. She expressed how “LLS equipped me with the knowledge to advocate for the needs of employees – encouraging building initiatives with an empathic lens and understand power structures to create and implement policies that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

Nancy currently works at Teladoc Health, a telemedicine company, as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager. She focuses on developing the DE&I enterprise strategy and refreshing the Business Resource Groups operating model and framework. Additionally, she manages all DEI initiatives to support a culture of inclusion and belonging, attract talent, and help cultivate courageous, socially responsible, and empathetic employees. Her degrees in Latina/Latino Studies and Sociology continue to inform her work. She explained, “A combined background in LLS and sociology encouraged me to use data to track progress, measure the effectiveness of our team’s initiatives, and indent areas for enhancements. I utilize my background in LLS to lead collaborations across departments to advocate for policies and practices that promote equity and inclusivity at all levels of the organization.”

Reflecting on how her degrees have shaped how she interacts with and views the world around her, Nancy asserted, “My degrees provided insights into human behavior, social interactions, and group dynamics - crucial insights when managing people and teams within an organization. For me it was my launching pad to learning how to use these insights to foster inclusion, a core value I use in my everyday role at Teladoc Health. It has provided me valuable insights into social awareness and justice, identity, politics, and the economic impact of underrepresented communities.”