Age: 24
Location: Elmwood Park, New Jersey
Occupation: Corporate strategic partnerships manager
Do you believe in the American dream?
The American dream, in the way my parents and their generation saw it, does not exist, in my opinion. My parents are a testament to that: They immigrated here, they had big goals, and they tried their best. But they just didn't have the resources — the social mobility — to become wealthy owners of a house with a white picket fence.
So, if you ask me what the "American dream" is today, it's more about creating my dream: What is "Jorge's dream?"
My dream is to have a job and make the money I need to do the things I love, like hiking, traveling, or taking my mom back to Puerto Rico to explore her hometown — which we're doing for the first time in June.
What is the purpose of a career?
A big part of my identity is being a first-generation American, which has really informed how I view a career. It's always been a means of stability, security, and survival. My goal was to find a career that would allow me to live the most stable life.
When I was a full-time freelancer after graduating college, I didn't have that stability. I was building a brand I was excited about and working on interesting projects. But being a freelancer and never knowing how much I'd earn or where that money would come from was stressful, especially because I was also helping to support my mom.
When I landed my full-time job this year, I was reminded of the freedom that a job was meant to offer, even if it was a 9 to 5. Of course, I'm excited about the income, but I'm actually more excited about the possibilities outside of the job. I was like, "I'm going to book this trip. I'm going to hit up this friend," instead of being stressed by the role or thinking, "I have to hit these deliverables."
That's been a shift of purpose in my mind.