>>LAUREN VERNO: WELCOME BACK EVERYONE SO THIS MORNING WE’RE CONTINUING A CONVERSATION THAT
YOU MIGHT HAVE CAUGHT
LAST NIGHT ABOUT WOMEN AND THE
OBSTACLES THAT THEY CAN FACE IN
THE WORKPLACE.
LAST NIGHT AT 10 O’CLOCK WE
INTRODUCED YOU TO 2 VERY
POWERFUL LOCAL WOMEN WHO HAVE
BROKEN THAT PROVERBIAL GLASS
CEILING. THEY ARE BOTH IN
LAW ENFORCEMENT THEY WORKED
HARD TO EARN LEADERSHIP
POSITIONS WITHIN THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT HERE IN
NORTHEAST FLORIDA. AND MANY
TIMES THEY WERE TOLD THIS IS
SOMETHING THEY COULD NOT DO.
AND THEY SAID WE CAN
SO JENNIFER BRADSHAW IS THE
AREA PORT DIRECTOR FOR US
CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION
HERE IN JACKSONVILLE.
WE HAVE RACHEL ROJAS WHO WAS A
SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE OF THE
FBI’S JACKSONVILLE OFFICE.
JOINING US THIS MORNING.
THANK YOU LADIES AND
QUITE THE STORY THAT YOU’RE
ABLE TO TELL INSPIRED A LOT OF
WOMEN LAST NIGHT I KNOW AND MEN
BECAUSE IT TAKES US ALL TO MAKE
THIS WORK. YOU KNOW RACHEL I
WANT TO START WITH YOU ABOUT
SOME OF THOSE OBSTACLES THAT
YOU DID OVER COM AS A WOMAN
FIRST TO EARN THE RESPECT OF
YOUR MALE CO-WORKERS.
>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY OVER
COMMENTS THAT YOU’RE DIFFERENT
RIGHT YOU’RE DIFFERENT YOU’RE A
FEMALE IN A MALE DOMINATED
INDUSTRY. BUT YOU ALWAYS HAVE
TO REMEMBER YOU’RE NO DIFFERENT
THAN ANYBODY ELSE RIGHT YOU’RE
HUMAN AND
IT I THINK YOU EARN THE TRUST
AND THE RESPECT OF THOSE THAT
YOU
WORK WITH AND I CAN TELL YOU IN
THE FBI, I DIDN’T THINK OF
MYSELF AS A FEMALE SPECIAL
AGENT. I WAS A SPECIAL AGENT, I
WENT TO THE ACADEMY LIKE
EVERYBODY ELSE I GRADUATED JUST
LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE I GET UP IN
THE MORNING, I’M GOING TO SERVE
MY COUNTRY AND I’M I’M PRIDE
AND I’M PROUD TO DO THAT.
SO THERE ARE OBSTACLES A LOT OF
PEOPLE MAY NOT BELIEVE YOU MAY
BE CRITICIZED. >> AND THAT’S OK AND NOT HAVE PLENTY OF MY OWN FUMBLES AND
BUMBLE’S THROUGHOUT THE
PROCESS. YOU KNOW WHAT
SOMETIMES AND
YOU FAIL. YOU ACTUALLY LEARN
IT’S A NEW STEPPING STONES I
ACTUALLY USED EVERY EVERYTHING
THAT CAME TO ME AS A CHALLENGE
OR OBSTACLE I LEARNED
FROM IT.
>> AND I CHANGED THE WAY I DID
THINGS AND I REALLY JUST WANT
TO IMPROVE BECAUSE I WANT TO
MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND BEING A
FEMALE BEING THE FIRST HISPANIC
LATINA ASKED SPECIAL AGENT
IN CHARGE.
>> THAT’S A PRETTY BIG
ACCOMPLISHMENT. BUT I REALLY
REALLY HOPE FOR THOSE WOMEN
THAT ARE BEHIND ME JUST TO SHOW
YOU CAN
DO IT. JUST HAVE THAT
CONFIDENCE YOU CAN ABSOLUTELY
DO IT, YEAH, IT DOES START WITH
BEN AND THAT SELF TALK TO SAY
THAT YOU CAN DO IT JENNIFER
WANT TO BRING YOU IN THE
CONVERSATION,
YOU KNOW.
>>LAUREN VERNO: I HEAR FROM A
LOT OF WOMEN’S LIKE I’M HAVING
A BABY I CAN’T EVEN THINK ABOUT
NEW RESPONSIBILITIES ARE
NEW JOBS. BUT YOU SHOWED US
THAT THAT IS CERTAINLY NOT THE
CASE YOU DID IT YOU HAVE
ACHIEVED SO MUCH AND YOU HAVE.
>> FOR CHILDREN. THIS IS AN EASY BUT WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR WOMEN WHO DO KIND OF WANT
THAT BOTH A CAREER AND A
FAMILY. I
THINK IT.
>>MELANIE LAWSON: IT TAKES A
VERY STRONG FAMILY SUPPORT
SYSTEM AND IT’S NOT JUST THAT
INTERNALLY YOU KNOW WITH
YOUR YOUR INTERNAL FAMILY, BUT
YOUR EXTENDED FAMILY, YOUR WORK
FAMILY IT REALLY TAKES YOU KNOW
THE OLD CLICHE AND IT TAKES
A VILLAGE AND THE OF MY CBP
FAMILY WAS WAS HUGE AS I SAID
IN THE INTERVIEW AND I HAD MY
FIRST CHILD ABOUT 6 MONTHS TO
THE DAY AFTER 9.11.
AND IT REALLY TOOK THOSE
RALLYING AROUND ME THE MEN THAT
I WORKED WITH TO SAY YOU CAN DO
THIS YOU KNOW I THERE WAS A
TIME I WANTED TO GIVE UP IT
WAS DIFFICULT AND I WANTED TO
GIVE UP BECAUSE I JUST DIDN’T
KNOW YOU KNOW YOU HAVE THAT MOM
GUILT I DIDN’T KNOW IF I COULD
DO THAT IF I COULD WORK THEY
1618 HOUR DAYS AND FACE THE
CHALLENGE AND THE DAUNTING TASK
THAT WE WERE DOING AT THE TIME
AND REALLY KIND OF THE EVIL
THAT EXISTED IN THE WORLD AND
LOOKING AT THAT THAT CHILD WHEN
I
WENT HOME. IT ONLY TAKES
EVERYONE TO TAKE SURE YOUR
FAMILY AT HOME AND TAKES YOUR
FAMILY AND WORK TO BE ABLE TO
DO THAT AND
AND I REALLY HAD THAT SUPPORT
WORK AND AND THAT’S REALLY WHY
I’M STILL HERE TODAY AND
4 CHILDREN LATER BEING ABLE TO
DO THAT AND HAVE THE SUPPORT OF
MY LEADERSHIP AND REALLY KNOW
AND THEY STAND BEHIND US THEY
NEED US IN THE WORKFORCE AS FAR
AS WOMEN INCLUSIVITY IS SO
IMPORTANT THE WORKFORCE AND AS
RACHEL SAID I DON’T THINK
AND GENDER IN THE CONTEXT OF
WHAT I DO EVERY DAY I HAVE A
ROLE I HAVE A ROLE I HAD A
MISSION. WE HAVE
RESPONSIBILITIES AND WE JUST GO
FORTH AND WE DO THAT WHEN I GO
HOME, I’M A MOM
AND THAT’S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
HAD TO TRY TO BALANCE THAT
PUTTING THE PHONE DOWN
LISTENING TO MY CHILDREN WHEN
THEY’RE TALKING TO ME
SOMETIMES THAT’S DIFFICULT
THEY’VE HAD TO REMIND ME ON
OCCASION BUT I’M FORTUNATE THAT
I HAVE VERY MUCH OR CHILDREN.
QUITE THE AGE GAP OF 3 OLDER
CHILDREN YOUNGER CHILD, SO
SOMETIMES AS DIFFICULT TO
BALANCE,
YOU KNOW TEENAGERS IN HIGH
SCHOOL AND HAVE ONE IN COLLEGE
AND THEN A
5 YEAR-OLD.
>> BUT THEY’RE FREE CHALLENGES
EVERY DAY ARE VERY UNIQUE, YES,
HAVE
TO DO.
>>LAUREN VERNO: BUT AGAIN IT
JUST TAKES AN EXTENDED TAKE
SUPPORT FROM THOSE WHO SURROUND
YOU EVEN YOU HAVE A RACHEL’S A PARTNER AND THOSE WOMEN THAT ARE REALLY JUST GOING TO
ENCOURAGE YOU THAT YOU CAN DO
THIS YOU CAN DO IT SO FOR THE
YOUNGER GENERATION WHO’S
LISTENING RIGHT NOW CONFIDENCE
AND BUILD YOUR TEAM THAT’S UP.
AND THAT’S GOING TO SUPPORT AND
WITH
YOU UP. YOU ARE PHENOMENAL.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND
TALKING WITH US AND SHARING
YOUR STORY TO
INSPIRE OTHERS. SO IF YOU
MISSED JENNIFER AND RACHEL’S
STORY LAST NIGHT ON THE 10
O’CLOCK NEWS. YOU CAN FIND IT
THEY ARE NOW I SAY SHARE THIS