Hispanic heritage month: Shifting the conversation with Enrique Sandoval

“If you love your work, you’ll be out there every day trying to do it the best you possibly can, and pretty soon everybody around will catch the passion from you like a fever.” – Sam Walton

In honor of Hispanic Heritage month, I would like to share my story of how I came from Honduras to become a first-generation Latino-American. My journey began in the mid-1990s when I applied for a scholarship from the Walton Foundation, funded by Sam Walton (of Walmart and Sam’s Club).  Mr. Walton had a vision of sharing American values in Central America, a region struggling during the Cold War. There I was, a small-town boy from Honduras, competing among hundreds of teenagers. I barely spoke English at the time. This opportunity was highly competitive, open to students from Mexico and Central America, since the winners received a full scholarship to one of three private universities in Arkansas.

To my surprise—I won! The Scholarship Director from John Brown University saw something in me, took a chance on me and completely changed the trajectory of my life. 

Over the next four years, under the direction of amazing and kind professors and mentors, I worked hard, learned English and graduated with two undergraduate degrees.  I learned to say “pants” instead of “trousers,” and I discovered that “football” was very different than “futbol.”  My classmates were incredibly welcoming, inviting me to spend Thanksgivings with them.  My boss at my part-time cafeteria job even loaned me her minivan as a graduation gift, so my friends and I could take a road trip all the way to California and see the United States before returning to our home countries. I will always remember the blessing of her unexpected generosity. Now, whenever I can, I try to extend the same graciousness, because I know first-hand how simple acts of kindness can leave a lasting impact.

After finishing my degrees, I returned to Honduras, eager to serve my people. I worked at Chevron-Texaco Honduras and entered a busy season of life. I was building my career while also planning my wedding to my Texan girlfriend. Soon after, we were making plans to return to the States so I could pursue a master’s degree in finance. When we left for school in Virginia, it never crossed my mind that I would never live in Honduras again. One decision at a time, my wife and I ended up in Texas, which has been a great place to raise our family. 

Twenty years later, my journey at Sabre headquarters began. A friend who worked at Sabre referred me to an amazing opportunity in the Financial Planning Group. During my interview, I was upfront about my accounting background and my desire to shift into finance. Luckily, I found leadership that believed in me and gave me the chance to work hard and grow professionally. 

Having now spent most of my adult life balancing between two cultures, I have great respect for what each individual can bring to the table – I am proud to work for a company that also values this. At Sabre, I have had the opportunity to work with Latino coworkers from the United States, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Chile and Uruguay. I have also worked with and learned from colleagues in Canada, England, India, Germany, Spain, Poland and Singapore. Every person at Sabre has their own unique story, and I am grateful to Sabre for creating spaces where those stories can be shared and celebrated.

Sabre is shifting the conversation with stories from passionate and bold inclusion group members. At the heart of our inclusion & engagement efforts, our eight inclusion groups, and counting, aim to amplify the voices of our team members and create a sense of belonging for all. Together, we celebrate diversity, applaud individuality and embrace unique perspectives to empower our global team members to bring their true selves to work every day. Learn more about our inclusion & engagement mission.