Bottom Line

Yulyssa Diaz
Talent Acquisition Specialist, Enterprise Holdings 
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Class of 2017 

I was born and raised in Dorchester, MA. Both my parents immigrated from the Dominican Republic and have worked hard to provide for our family, instilling in me and my sister the value of family, consistency, and finding a place we can call home from a young age. I was part of the METCO Program (Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity) from kindergarten through high school, and took a bus to Wellesley, MA to school every day. I believe that being one of the few students of color in my class helped build my character and the person I am today. 

I learned about Bottom Line when I was a sophomore in high school, after my sister went through Bottom Line’s Access program during her senior year of high school. Even though my sister was already involved with Bottom Line, I was still nervous to learn more and enroll but my Bottom Line Advisor truly made me feel comfortable. With the help of their guidance, I applied, was accepted, and enrolled at UMass Dartmouth. I always excelled at math in school and wanted something that I was good at and had passion for, so I chose to study Finance.  

 Throughout college, I focused on building my resume and skills to achieve my goal of becoming an accountant. My Advisor was a great source of support, helping me look for employment opportunities that would help diversify my resume. One of those opportunities was at Enterprise, where I applied for the Management Trainee Internship program during my junior year. Unfortunately, I did not land the role. However, this experience had a big impact and taught me to have an open mind and learn from every “no” or “not right now”. After the initial rejection for the internship, I was very hesitant to apply for the Management Trainee Program again. I was also still focused on finance and was narrowing my job search, not wanting to expand my options. 

Thankfully, and with encouragement from my Advisor, I didn’t let this doubt and hesitation hold me back. I reapplied for the program and got in! And I am proud that since going through the wonderful Management Trainee Program, I have built my career at Enterprise Holdings after graduating college, currently serving as their Talent Acquisition Specialist.  

I listened to the advice of my Bottom Line Advisor and applied for the program, and 6 years later I have an amazing career with an amazing company! At Enterprise, I love the work culture and my team which now includes some of my best friends. At Enterprise, we hire great people and it’s a pleasure to work with them every day. I love that I get to be a mentor for people who look like me and I’m inspired to be able to set an example for all employees, specifically females of color who join the team. 

I believe that Bottom Line’s relationship with corporate partners like Enterprise is impactful as it gives students and alumni the opportunity to learn about career options they may not have known about before, and to apply to roles with a guarantee of having their resumes reviewed. Over the past six years, 49 Bottom Line students have been hired as interns or in full-time roles at Enterprise, including 18 through the Management Trainee Program. 

On my career journey, I have learned how to turn “weaknesses” into strengths. Growing up, I was always loud and outspoken and I didn’t know how to channel that. Learning how to use my loudness to advocate for myself and others and step into my own power has been my greatest challenge but greatest reward.