As Miriam Acevedo Davis reflects on her 20 years as the President & CEO of La Plaza, she takes a moment to practice gratitude.
"I'm one very lucky person. I get to come everyday to a job I really enjoy, to do work that really matters to me," Miriam said.
La Plaza is an organization located on the far east side of Indianapolis that serves the Latino community.
There are three areas of focus: youth and education, basic needs, and workforce development.
"A lot of our families are new immigrants to the city where language or culture may be a barrier," Miriam said.
Miriam says it's a place where everyone speaks Spanish, they are familiar with the culture of their clients and they are there to give a hand up, not a hand down.
"Definitely English is one of the biggest challenges for us," Maria Cristina Torres, La Plaza client said. "Obviously if we don't know English, we can't get a better job."
Maria said the first time she came to La Plaza they opened the door for her, like family.
"They treat everyone the same way, like a family, and for us that we are a really family. So that was feeling really good for us," Maria said.
Miriam was 2-years-old when her family moved to New Jersey from Puerto Rico.
"So very familiar with the immigrant experience. Learning to navigate a new system, a new language, and all that are things my family struggled with that certainly spoke to me and certainly informs my work," Miriam said.
Watch: Miriam tells WRTV about her journey after moving away from Puerto Rico
Miriam eventually became the first person in her family to go to college. She went on to earn two master's degrees, one from Harvard and one from Butler.
Over the years, she worked in different sectors but she says she had a passion for helping others.
"My heart really wanted to work with the Latino community," Miriam said.
"She is amazing. She is a trailblazer. She is inspirational. She inspires me to be better and do more and think of what we can accomplish if we think big," Mariana Lopez Owens, La Plaza's Director of Education said.
Mariana works closely with Miriam and sees how she advocates for the Latino community.
"In rooms of influence, she's the one that's raising her hand and asking, so what about the Latino community? How did you involve them?" Mariana said.
Miriam is working every day to ensure there is increased focus, interest and support for the Latino community.
"When I first came here about 40 years ago to Indiana, Latinos were less than 1% of the population in Central Indiana. This was back in the 1980s and now we're at 12 to 13% of the population. So we've seen significant growth of the Latino community," Miriam said.
For Miriam, Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the contributions Latinos have made in Central Indiana over the years.
It's a reminder that we shouldn't just celebrate it for a month, that we're not here for a month. We're here throughout the year, working hard and giving back to this great community," Miriam said.
Miriam was recently named in the 2024 Class of living legends by the Indiana Historical Society.
WATCH: 20 years later Miriam shares what keeps her going
