5 questions for Sam, CREDO Retention Specialist

Five questions for Sam, Customer Retention Specialist at CREDO, who has been with CREDO since 2012. Sam is on the phone every day with our CREDO Mobile customers, helping them upgrade their devices.

1. What is the best part of working for CREDO Mobile?
I truly enjoy the people I work with. The people at CREDO believe in the mission, and it feels like a family of like-minded individuals. They make it easy for me to come into work every day.

2. Which progressive cause do you care about most?
Currently issues revolving around Black Lives Matter and the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline. Generally, environmental protection, human rights or holding authorities accountable are issues that matter to me.

3. Tell us something surprising about yourself?
A lot of people don’t know I’m of Native American and Mexican heritage. I was born in El Paso, Texas, and spent a lot of time in Arizona before moving to California. People ask me if I have experienced racism, especially since I lived in Arizona, and my answer is yes. I tell them in detail about specific instances of racism that I or family members have experienced. Some people realize that they have never been so close to or known someone who has had a real story to tell about racism.

For example, when I lived in the Phoenix area, the first time I went to visit my brother, a police officer falsely pulled us over because we fit the profile profile of “a car of Mexicans trying to solicit a prostitute and fleeing a police officer on a bicycle.” (We were leaving a Blockbuster where we rented video games and movies.) The officer on the bicycle showed up and said we were not the group of individuals they were looking for. My brother then responded with something like, “You see, you have nothing so let us go” kind of comment. The officer that pulled us over called us racial slurs and proceeded to write tickets for offences that were nonexistent, and later dismissed in court.

My niece was trick-or-treating one year and one neighbor asked her and her friend what country they came from before handing out candy. Some comments were more subtle than others. When I explain this to people it’s interesting to see the surprise on their faces. I think we are a bit desensitized to things like that now.

4. What inspires you?
My niece who is going to college in the Boston area inspires me. She is one of the funniest and most intelligent individuals I know. Knowing she will be a leader in whatever she decides to do in the future gives me hope that the world isn’t going to be in the hands of misguided people.

5. What do you outside of CREDO?
When I’m not at work or involved in something revolving around the political spectrum, I enjoy watching live music. There are a lot of free music options and bands that come through the Bay Area. Venues and parks host a lot of free festivals and block parties that introduce me to new groups, so that is always fun. I enjoy spending my time outdoors, too. I enjoy running and riding my bike around town. I’m fortunate to be in an area of the country that offers access to these things that mean a lot to me.