Ericka Carmona-Vega grew up in Los Angeles, California in where her bilingual and multicultural upbringing helped forge her identity within the Mexican-American and Latine community.

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Ericka's passion and commitment to education led her to study under remarkable minds. Ericka received a BA degree in History from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MA degree in education from the University of California, Los Angeles. She has held various leadership roles in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. 

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Ericka is a Disrupt HR Chicago Alumni Speaker. In 2016, Ericka received recognition as 100 under 50 Emerging Executive Leaders from Diversity MBA Magazine and was named the 2021 Dana Wood Chaney Writers Fund recipient.

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After twenty-five years of building a rewarding career in human resources leadership, Ericka was ready for a pause, a time to recalibrate and refocus. She decided to take a break from the corporate world, and the idea of a Corporate Gap Year was born. Ericka provided her employer with a two-month notice and kicked off this opportunity of a lifetime.

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This blog intends to document the gap year process. Ericka has nicknamed her Corporate Gap Year as Xipe in celebration of the Mexica, Aztec god of renewal, and out of the respect she holds for her ethnic roots. 

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Follow her on this journey if you are curious about a Corporate Gap Year concept, see how it helps her on her path towards personal and professional fulfillment.