Marcia Romero

It’s Never Too Late to Lean Into Who You Are and Pay It Forward

As the Mariachi band tuned up their instruments, Marcia Romero approached the stage with
anxiety, pride and joy as she and her fellow dancers prepared to take their places, feeling the
energy from the musicians, dancers and multi-cultural audience who had come to watch them.
The opening performance that night was the culmination of weeks of evening rehearsals with a
group of dancers assembled from throughout the United States and Mexico convening to shine
a spotlight on Denver’s Latino community and its history of social justice. For Marcia that, alone,
felt like something to celebrate; being able to combine two of her greatest passions, dance and
cultural representation, made it even better.

Marcia, a proud Denver native, was born into a close-knit, working class
Mexican-American family. Her mother made sure her daughter had the opportunities she had
longed for and lacked in her own childhood – a Catholic school education and dance classes –
and from the time Marcia began dancing at the age of five, it was clear she had talent, a talent
she went on to explore through Mexican Ballet Folklorico, which became her specialty.

Always a strong student, Marcia received a full scholarship to the University of Denver,
making her the first in her family to attend college. It was a tremendous accomplishment, but not
one Marcia was able to revel in for long. Just as she was settling into her freshman year, cancer
took her mother’s life. Marcia remained at home to help care for her siblings and returned to her
classes feeling simultaneously unmoored by the devastating loss yet also motivated to honor
her mother’s memory. She wanted to blaze the kind of trail she knew her mother hoped she
would, even though there was no one in her family to help guide her along the way.

After graduating with a degree in International Business and Spanish, Marcia landed a
job with Merril Lynch. The learning curve was steep. With nothing in her upbringing to prepare
her for the world of wealth her clients came from, she had to work extra hard to master both the
different culture and the financial tools of the trade. It did not take long, however, for Marcia to
establish an ease with her new role, and she went on to a successful 10 years with the
company.

Building her career was not all Marcia was doing during that time. In addition to her
demanding work with the brokerage, Marcia auditioned for one of the coveted spots as a
Denver Broncos Cheerleader. While her dance background was broad, she did not have the
depth of experience many of the girls at the audition had, and retaining the complicated dance
sequences they were expected to pick up in an instant was daunting. It was the hardest thing
she had ever done, and she didn’t like her chances going in but, much to her surprise, she was
chosen. Getting to perform for such large audiences (her second season with the team brought
her to the Super Bowl) and being able to represent her roots, speaking Spanish with Latino fans
at community events, gave her a tremendous sense of pride and accomplishment, realizing the
importance of representation. Marcia ended her time with the team after her second season,
but she never stopped dancing, nor did she stop finding ways to support and represent her
community.

Following the birth of her twin sons, Marcia embarked on a new professional track,
taking a position at Colorado’s Children’s Hospital Foundation. With the guidance of a trusted
mentor, one of several she had had throughout her career, she further developed her skills in
communication and marketing, eventually transitioning to a new role in Community Affairs with
U.S. Bank. Through her work with the Bank, on nonprofit boards, and in her personal capacity,

Marcia serves as a mentor to younger Latina women, championing their ability to harness
educational opportunities to become women who help other women.
Today, with her sons in college and on the verge of being launched as the independent,
empathetic, good humans they’re flourishing to be, Marcia is considering her own return to
academic life to gain a deeper understanding of her cultural roots. She intends to keep
representing who she is and where she came from, extending a helping hand to those coming
up behind her. And she will keep taking the stage, listening for the music to begin, hitting her
marks right on cue.

It is never too late to lean into who you are and pay it forward.