York University grad finds home with CVA

Adriana Fajardo was not familiar with the midwest and definitely never pictured living here. Fajardo grew up in the Dominican Republic until she moved to Georgia at the age of fifteen. Being fifteen, she wasn’t sure about the move to a different country; she had to begin a new school, in a new place, with no friends.

Beginning high school in a new place is rough for anyone, but for Fajardo there were more hurdles than for most. She struggled with English, making it difficult for her to reach out to her peers and create relationships. That is until she began playing sports. “My second year of high school I played a lot of sports,” said Fajardo, “I think that is truly how I learned English and started to make friendships.”

Little did she know, sports would continue to have an impact on the trajectory of her life. In 2019, Fajardo reluctantly attended a business conference in Texas. At that conference, she made a connection with Diego, her now friend, and they began talking about soccer. Fajardo was currently playing sports at a junior college in Georgia and Diego offered her a scholarship for both soccer and Professional Business Leaders (PBL), a nationally recognized business organization. After giving it a lot of thought, Fajardo decided to take him up on his offer to attend a small college located in the middle of the country.

A few months later, Fajardo moved to York, Neb. to play soccer and join the professional business club at York University. She graduated from York University in December of 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Upon graduation, she began her career at a business in Lincoln for a few months, before finding a job back in the York community.

In June of 2022, Fajardo began working for Central Valley Ag Cooperative (CVA), located in York, Neb. She is the local tax specialist for the company and handles the sales and use tax for Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, and South Dakota. She is very thankful to be working for CVA which allows her to be involved in the community. “I am active all the time and I want to be involved in the community through coaching,” said Fajardo, “CVA allows me to attend practices and make my hours up. I am able to have a life outside of work.”

Fajardo currently coaches both basketball and soccer and will soon be teaching English to adults at the Southeast Community College Learning Center. Another opportunity she plans to pursue is joining a young professional club. She appreciates the opportunities that York provides to be involved and to improve yourself. She continues to create new relationships in the community and widen her circle of connections. Fajardo wants to make sure she is truly getting the most out of what the York community has to offer.

While she is thousands of miles away from her family, the York community has made her feel comfortable and she truly enjoys calling this town home. “You don’t see the family-oriented environment in bigger cities,” said Fajardo, “York is like a big family.” Fajardo is convinced she has found her home away from home here. “The York community has been so welcoming,” said Fajardo. She believes that she would not have the connections or opportunities that she has in York in any other town or city.

Fajardo hopes to continue to be involved in the community and capitalize on the opportunities that come her way. She is looking into master’s programs as well in hopes of soon obtaining a master’s degree in data analytics and accounting. She plans to stay here in York for as long as she can: her home away from home.

Provided by Bella Chaffin, Content Coordinator | Central Valley Ag