Samantha grew up navigating adulthood earlier than most. She had her first child at eighteen while she was still in college studying nursing, and the pressure to support herself and her daughter pushed her to look for work that offered stability. At nineteen, she stepped into her first job in finance as a customer service representative at a large corporate bank. Balancing school, motherhood, and full-time work was heavy, but the experience opened a door she hadn’t expected.

She started to notice what banking could make possible. The flexibility, the benefits, the room to grow. Little by little, she realized she had found a path that could support her family and challenge her professionally. She stayed, learned, and kept moving. Bank teller. Supervisor. Manager. Then a shift into wealth management operations, where she found a role that matched her strengths.

Today Samantha is an Officer and Middle Office Analyst at The Washington Trust Company, responsible for supporting the wealth team with compliance reviews, reconciliation, trade processing, and risk work.

“I started this journey as a young mother and a first generation Latina, and none of it came easy. But this industry has given me space to grow, learn, and see possibilities I didn’t know existed. Banking helped me build a life for my family, and it keeps showing me there is always another level to reach.”