Puebla, Mexico, is a long way from Southlake — 1,126 miles to be exact. At one point it was my home. Looking back, I can’t help but ask “How in the world did I get here?”
At 18, I decided to take advantage of a remarkable opportunity to attend college in the United States. And like any other college student, I had to get a job after I graduated. But I wanted more than just a job. I had big plans and big dreams. So with a fresh degree in hand, I considered the decision in front of me: Do I go back to my family in Mexico, or do I stay here in my new adopted country and work toward making my lofty dreams a reality?
If you grew up in a different country or even in a different state, you know that decisions like this are not easy. There are pros and cons to weigh equally, and no one holds a crystal ball. I was terrified, but in the end, the tug of my dreams pulled the hardest. I decided to stay and work in the United States, and work I did! Eventually, a friend and I started our own oil and gas company — two women in a man's world. I worked 16-hour days and fought hard to get everyone in the industry to take me seriously. After a few years, I earned the position of vice president of land and acquisitions for an electric utility company that owned, operated and developed Class II saltwater disposal facilities in Oklahoma.
Life rarely sits still though, and soon I was faced with a new decision. Should I continue on the corporate path or pursue a new direction: staying at home with my two young children? This time, the family tug won out, and I traded the drills and contracts for diapers and carpools. For five years, I relished the title of mom as I raised my beautiful babies from home and supported my husband in his growing career.
In 2020, ever moving onward and forward, I found myself facing yet another decision. The tug toward corporate work came pulling again, and for those of you that have found yourself choosing between career and home, it can be a complicated one. With much thought, I decided to take a different direction and try my hand in the title insurance business, jumping in feet first as vice president of marketing for Blackstone Title. New job. New title. Same internal drive.
Today, as a partner in my title company, I continue to ask the same old question from above: how in the world did I get here? Never in a million years would I have thought that an 18-year-old girl from Mexico would be given the opportunities to make so many of her dreams come true in America. Today, I claim Southlake as my home, and I am grateful for the journey that led me here — one decision at a time.
Denise Overstreet is a business executive and mother to two young dragons.
“In 500” is a monthly department written by members of our community in 500 words. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Southlake Style.
If you are interested in submitting a piece, please email Editor@SouthlakeStyle.com.