Beating the odds

By Chris Wyman

HARDYSTON — On Sept. 10, 1949, a little girl was born in the southwest corner of Puerto Rico. Living in a plantation shack, Sylvia Montero's story could have been one of poverty and hardship. However, through perseverance and a determination to change her circumstances, Montero's story was one of success.
The 1950s saw a great many Puerto Rican citizens emigrate from the island to the United States. Montero was no exception as she started her new life in the projects of New York City’s Lower East Side.
But the little girl was determined to escape from a potentially dire situation and, as Senior Vice-President of Human Resources for Pfizer Global, eventually became the highest-ranking Latina in the company’s history.
Last Sunday, speaking to a sizeable and attentive group of members and guests of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), Montero used Hardyston’s Cava Winery as the venue to share her incredible journey.
Looking much younger than her years, a perfectly coifed and immaculately dressed Montero captivated the audience with the details of her life experiences and lessons in how best to overcome adversity. The Sparta resident’s body language and hand motions helped to enthrall each listener as she answered questions with the advanced knowledge of how to succeed even though the odds attempted to insist and even demand otherwise.
She credits some of her success to a progressive New York City public school and library system and her parents’ decision to migrate their family to New York and in turn to give their family a chance to rise to the American middle class.
Montero’s recently released book, “Make It Your Business: Dare to Climb the Ladder of Leadership,” details her experiences and resulting wisdom. The book has been released in both English and Spanish, the sales of which benefit the Grand St. Settlement, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of people living in the communities of both Manhattan’s Lower East Side and Bushwick in Brooklyn.
Montero’s presentation was part of the AAUW National Recognition Diversity Outreach Program and helped to highlight September as National Hispanic Heritage Month. AAUW’s goals include bringing together people who believe in diversity and empowering women to advance in America society. Montero herself is an AAUW-NJ Sussex County Branch member and a strong supporter of the organization’s efforts.
According to Michele Guttenberger, the AAUW-NJ Vice President of Communications, the group’s president, Sally Goodson, initiated the presentation of Montero since “her story of challenges she had to overcome such as immigration, learning a second language, being a minority, poverty, failed marriage, single motherhood, failure, and layoff” was of great value to the community. Montero will also be a key speaker at the AAUW National Convention being held in New Orleans in June 2013.
Guttenberger shared that besides having a local presence in the communities and counties of New Jersey with AAUW Branch locations, the organization is gaining recognition on a national level and in cyber communities as well. All AAUW locations have ongoing interaction and a strong connection with their national headquarters in Washington D.C., which keeps them focused on their mission and designs and helps fund programs to be promoted through diverse venues nationwide.
The AAUW gathers information about social activism on topics such as pay equity, access to health care, sexual harassment at work and school, student debt, bullying, sexual trafficking, the promotion of women in selected fields and in elected and appointed public office. More information about AAUW can be found on their website, www.aauw.org.