Welcome to another edition of Meet the Staff! This month we are going to our Union City office to meet Branch Office Manager, Raquel Peña. Raquel was born to Dominican parents. She grew up in different cities/countries, but was born in the Dominican Republic. She moved with her parents to New York at the age of 8, and then moved to New Hampshire for a short period of time. She returned to the Dominican Republic at the age of 13, and stayed there until she got married at 21 years-old. She has been in New Jersey since.

Raquel first attended Universidad Catolica Madre Y Maestra in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic majoring in legal studies. She then moved back to New Jersey and decided to continue her education, but started from the beginning. She received her Associate’s Degree in Paralegal studies, graduated Magna Cum Laude from Hudson County Community College and then transferred to Rutgers University, where she obtained her Bachelors’ Degree in Science, majoring in Finance.

One of the most influential people in Raquel’s life has been her father, Juan Antonio Hernandez, whom although she was not raised with, she admired. During the time when ex-president of D.R., Jorge Blanco, was being tried, he served as a Prosecutor and she would attend the trials. “It was in the midst of these trials that I just knew I wanted my career to be in Legal field,” Raquel says, “I also observed his charm and his charisma with people, which is why I always had to compete for his attention with all the people that surrounded him.” He was always helping others one way or the other and for that reason there was always someone in his house when she came to visit him. Her stepfather Miguelin Espinal also played an instrumental role in her life. His hard work, dedication to his family, and moral values are embedded in her personality. He had two famous quotes she remembers to this day. One was, “Que no se vea el humo aunque se arda la casa”; meaning that the family issues should never be exposed no matter how difficult they may be. They are to be solved in the home without the slightest indication to the world that anything is going on. Another quote that has stayed with her is, “mi hija, nunca ande con baston”; meaning that whenever possible, she should use her own resources and not depend on others to get things done.

Raquel states, “The most significant day of my life has been the day I came to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.” She says, “It wasn’t until that very moment that the void in my life was filled.” Before becoming a Christian she says she had everything; a loving husband, three beautiful children, health, parents… but she still felt a void inside. She says that when she accepted Jesus into her life and started reading the Word of God, one of the things she realized is that no matter what she does for others she’s done nothing, if she doesn’t do it out of love. God’s love covers a multitude of faults and gives her joy like nothing else in this world.

Raquel loves being able to influence people, making a difference in someone’s life, and being part of the process of helping to solve someone’s problem. One client told her; “When I speak with you, no matter the problem, I know it will get resolved. I feel peace when I speak with you.” She feels that having resources and using them to help people that do not have the knowledge and the resources to help themselves get through difficult situations in life is the most rewarding aspect of her profession. When asked if there are any moments in her profession that make her feel as if she is doing exactly what she was meant to do, she replied, “Every time I see a client come in with a puzzled look on their face because he/she does not know what to do, where to go next or what to expect, and they leave with hope that everything will be ok that they are in good, trustworthy, hands, that is rewarding to me. I love what I do. I love interacting with people. I love helping people in times of need; when they are most vulnerable.”

September will mark Raquel’s fifth year with the Ginarte law firm, and her attitude does not change. She says, “Even when I can’t help the situation, I at least try to change [the client’s] outlook regarding the situation.”