In honor of Latino Heritage Month, the Rams will celebrate the contributions and achievements of the Latino/Hispanic community through the inspiring stories of their staff.

We continue that celebration spotlighting Associate Manager of Partnership Management Mia Hernandez.

Growing up, Mia Hernandez watched her parents set a strong example every day, and as her role models, authentically demonstrate the values of hard work, dedication, and support to give her and her siblings opportunities they didn't have. That influence was so powerful, it paved the way to Hernandez – a second-generation Mexican American – becoming a first-generation college graduate.

"Without my parents' guidance and example to look up to," Hernandez said, "I would not be where I am today."

That work ethic has also carried Hernandez into her current role with the Rams as Associate Manager of Partnership Management, one earned after initially starting with the organization during its Super Bowl LVI-winning 2021 season as a seasonal intern for the Partnership Management team. She accepted a full-time role as a coordinator following that season before being promoted to her current role as an associate manager.

As a member of that team, Hernandez's job is to manage the relationships of the organization's corporate partners and bring to life all aspects of the partnership, including gameday incorporations, community events, social media series, and digital content.

"The best part of my job is constantly building relationships with people in different internal departments and brands," Hernandez said. "Each partner account I work with comes from a different industry and has different goals, keeping each day interesting as I collaborate with and learn from other teams to execute each partner project successfully."

Similar to her parents being her role models, Hernandez said her family members are her biggest supporters and motivators, and ultimately what drive her.

"They're the driving force behind me, always giving me the confidence to go after anything I set my mind to," she said. "I've been fortunate to be given so many great opportunities in life, and knowing that my family is always cheering me on inspires me to continue to dream big and take advantage of whatever comes my way."

According to Hernandez, family plays a central role in Mexican American Culture, fundamental to their identity and support system. Those strong family ties naturally lead to several family gatherings to celebrate birthdays and other milestones.

"My family places a great emphasis on getting together to celebrate all birthdays," Hernandez said. "One tradition at our birthday parties that I hold near and dear to my heart is the singing of both Las Mananitas and Happy Birthday. As I get older and potentially grow my own family, I plan to pass down many of our traditions and values, including our birthday songs."

Hernandez said of the biggest cultural misconceptions she has to explain is the stereotype of a singular narrative about her culture, when in reality it's a diverse community filled with a variety of traditions, passions and interests.

"The media often presents us through typical stereotypes that place us in a box," she said. "By showcasing the variety in our community, we move away from reducing Latinos to a single narrative."

To that end, Hernandez said it's important to celebrate Latino Heritage Month "because it spotlights and celebrates our community's contributions, history, and culture."

"The Latino community has a rich history, and when we shine a positive light on our people, we empower and inspire future generations," Hernandez said.