Rocha, Fernando, 1994-

Coming from Durango and Tijuana, Mexico, Fernando Rocha’s parents met in Los Angeles in the mid-90s. Working in the sheet metal industry, his father’s career would take them to Las Vegas during the boom of the early 2000s to the slot machine industry where they would establish their family in Sunrise Manor. Little did he know that his son would later become a corporate banker working alongside the same industry with Wells Fargo.

Growing up catching baseballs in his backyard from the games at Eldorado High School, Fernando was tightly connected to his community and strove to pursue higher education. From a young age, his confidence began to grow from his role as a translator in his family and continued as a student in the Law magnet program at Canyon Springs High School.

Between mock trial sessions and his studies, Fernando also found the time to co-find the Nevada Youth Coalition to further uplift the Latinx students in the area through professional and educational development. Counselors Leo Morietta and Richard E. Barbow in the GEAR UP program (also known as Upward Bound) would later propel him to apply and ultimately earn the Gates Millennium Scholarship.

During his time studying economics and mathematics at Hofstra University, Fernando found himself as a member of the mere 5% of the student population identifying as Latinx. Staying close to foreign exchange students from Latin America to maintain his Latinx connections, he became aware of how “being Latino and Hispanic is more of a spectrum”—one that extended much wider than the Mexican demographic he had been exposed to in Las Vegas. As a sophomore in college, his social network continued to expand through his engagement with Wells Fargo. A series of internship programs with the company allowed him to fulfill his goal and secure a full-time position with the office in Las Vegas. His experience in the field shows how banking in Vegas is “much more than just the casinos and slot machines.” His connection to the community drew him to come back to support the journey of other students.

Fernando Rocha’s efforts have allowed him to pave the way for other Latinx students as a mentor who believes that a student is more than the zip code they grew up in. His work serving on the board of the Latin Connection with Wells Fargo and the Association of Latino Professionals of America (ALPFA) Nevada Chapter, has allowed him to re-engage and help those who want to break the cycle of poverty. Reflecting on his years in Hofstra as a “closeted Latino,” Fernando advises his students in ALPFA and the CSN Nevada Promise Scholarship program to embrace their Latinx identity, values, and culture. He tells them to “bring that sort of pizzazz and that spirit that the Latino community has and bring it to your everyday work and establish it as a norm.” As a proud Nevadan, Fernando continues to embrace the diversity of the city and seeks to continue paving his journey and breaking down the barriers that have impeded the success of the Latinx community.