The Association of Latino Professionals for America, a national nonprofit, has spent 54 years expanding Latino career growth and leadership all over the country.
The Baruch College ALPFA Chapter works to increase Latino representation on Wall Street.
Founded by Mexican American accountant Gilberto Vasquez in 1972 in Los Angeles, ALPFA has grown into a national organization that today serves 100,000 young Latino professionals. The organization, often based around college campuses, is known for hosting guest speakers and networking events.
Baruch sophomore and finance major Jackeline Yanza is a dedicated ALPFA member.
“I joined during my second semester of freshman year through the Mentorship Program, and that’s what really got me involved,” Yanza told the Ticker. “As a first-generation student, having mentorship early on helped me understand the finance world and start building my network.”
For Yanza, a highlight of her time in the ALPFA chapter was attending the ALPFA Women in Consulting panel event.
“At the time, I didn’t fully understand what consulting was and felt nervous,” Yanza told The Ticker. “I spoke honestly with one of the panelists, and she took the time to explain the different roles and share her experience. ALPFA creates an environment where asking questions is encouraged and supported.”
At Baruch, ALPFA is divided into two main programs: the Mentorship Program and the Accelerator Program.
While the Mentorship Program focuses on one-on-one mentorship under various industry tracks such as consulting, marketing and finance. The Accelerator Program is more technical and focuses on finance. It teaches economics, valuation methods and Excel models.
Despite some progress, Latinos remain significantly underrepresented on Wall Street. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, less than 3% of certified financial planners are Latino and nearly 80% of large venture capital firms don’t have any Latino employees.
“A lot of Baruch students are first-generation and don’t have that representation when they are starting their careers,” Baruch senior Kristopher Centeno, the vice president of the Baruch ALPFA chapter, said. “Seeing first-generation professionals at ALPFA motivated me to keep going and put in the work.”
Centeno mentioned that the Baruch ALPFA chapter often partners with employee resource groups at major Wall Street firms to highlight successful Latino professionals.
“When we did an event with Lazard, we collaborated with Somos, which is the ERG for Hispanics at the company,” Centeno said.
In addition to these partnerships with ERGs, the chapter frequently hosts office visits and panel events featuring Baruch alums.
“At the end of every ALPFA meeting, there is an open networking session where students are able to rotate around different tables and speak to various professionals,” Centeno said.
Over the years, ALPFA’s headcount has increased steadily, with acceptance rates for both the mentorship and accelerator programs falling under 20% at Baruch today. The club is Latino-based, but events are open to all Baruch students, offering unique opportunities for professional growth. Looking ahead, Centeno’s goals are to “increase membership, expand from finance and accounting and make ALPFA more fun for students.”
