Gladys Espinosa has worked in a multitude of environments throughout her lifetime. As a pageant winner, public servant, business owner, and HR representative, it seems there's nothing Espinosa can't do.
Espinosa is a former Miss Teenage Chicago, Miss Puerto Rico, Illinois (Ill.) special event planner, Ill. consumer affairs and citizens assistance personnel, Ill. department of insurance personnel, certified minority female business enterprise recipient, and owner of Sue’s Bakery and Catering in Portage, IN. Currently, Espinosa is a Human Resources (HR) personnel for a skilled learning facility that educates individuals to receive an A class Commercial Drivers License (CDL).
Espinosa’s Miss Teenage Chicago award was presented to her in 1985. In the beginning, Espinosa had no interest in even entering the Miss Teenage Chicago competition. It wasn’t until she decided to join a Puerto Rician committee from a television advertisement that she later realized she wanted to join the local pageantry. While being a part of Miss Teenage Chicago and the local Puerto Rican committee, Espinosa realized just how much being an advocate of and for the community meant to her.
“I realized that I wanted to work with the community, whether that be socially, economically, etc. I wanted to help all individuals in need and help advocate for programs that help people,” said Espinosa.
The following year, 1986, Espinosa was flown out to Costa Rica for local representation of Chicago. Espinosa got to meet women all around the world, and for her it was not only the experience of a lifetime but an eye-opening one at that. After being awarded the title of Miss Puerto Rico, Espinosa went back to her hometown of Chicago and got right to work helping the citizens of Illinois in the best way she saw fit: government.
During her time in the Illinois governmental system, Espinosa worked under mayoral, governmental, and lieutenant figures to help the community the best she could. Then in 2003, Espinosa decided to move to Portage, IN and make a change in her career; all while still assisting the public.
In 2003, Espinosa purchased Sue’s Bakery in Portage, IN from the original owner, Sue Williams. Espinosa decided to uproot her Chicagoland roots and move to the Region because she was looking for a business that would feed her passion for baking. Since she lived in a multicultural neighborhood growing up, Espinosa was able to eat, breathe, and learn how to create different cultures and styles of desserts. When Espinosa found the opportunity to indulge and establish a place that would nurture as well as push one of her oldest passions, she was more than willing to sign the dotted line. For Espinosa, owning her own business was an additional step in her life and personal growth.
Today, Espinosa is an HR personnel for a skilled learning facility for CDL licenses. Some of her responsibilities include interviewing possible students, figuring out why they want to become certified, finding out if the students want to do full or part-time, and learning what type of vehicle they plan to operate under their certification. Espinosa’s current position in HR makes her very fulfilled due to her love of giving back and assisting the community.
“Working for the skilled learning facility has really brought me back to my roots of helping people. The more I work there, the more I love it. It’s really been a life-changing experience for so many individuals, but also to see that progression is so life-changing as well,” Espinosa said.
Aside from her rewarding community outreach career, Espinosa spends her time making wine, swimming, hiking with her dog, going on the trails, camping, and kayaking. Espinosa encourages everyone to keep pushing through and live each day to the very fullest.