Correia talks about her family in her favorite CIA memory. When she was promoted to CIA’s Senior Intelligence Service, she reflected on how she got there by standing on the shoulders of her strong, courageous Latina ancestors: her mother and grandmothers. Her family, including her father, were able to attend her promotion ceremony hosted at CIA headquarters.

“My family emigrated from Peru when I was a child, and being a member of the immigrant generation has been empowering for me throughout my life,” she shares. “Every day, I draw inspiration from my family’s immigrant values such as a strong work ethic, resiliency, and courage to navigate professional challenges, advance in my career, and continue to grow as an intelligence officer.”

Growing up, the CIA appeared to be a distant place where people who were not like her worked. However, upon visiting their website while looking for a job, she discovered that they were hiring for a wide range of positions and would consider applicants with multiple qualifications. Correia still maintains ties to her Latina background today, particularly through her Spanish language skills.

“When I was growing up, my parents insisted my siblings and I spoke only Spanish at home, which I thought was a pain in the neck at the time,” she shares. “But now I’m grateful for this beautiful gift they gave me because not only does it connect me to my heritage, but I’ve been able to leverage it often for personal and professional pursuits. To keep up my skills, I read Spanish literature (I love magical realism), watch Spanish language movies and TV, and I’m always eager to chat with Spanish speakers”

Correia strongly believes Latinas bring a multicultural perspective, which is highly valued and sought-after by an agency that collects and analyzes foreign intelligence. Many Latinas also bring foreign language skills and the knowledge to operate in different cultural settings. According to Correia, to stay ahead of their adversaries, it’s critical that officers have the language abilities and cultural expertise necessary to handle both emerging and current national security challenges.

“Our Nation’s strength is our diversity,” she shares. “And as the Nation’s first line of defense, CIA needs officers from all backgrounds and walks of life to accomplish its mission. For us, it’s not a “nice to have,” it’s a mission imperative. And at CIA, every officer is charged with advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the workplace. “Intelligence is a team sport,” is what you’ll hear a lot here at CIA. My greatest career accomplishments have revolved around nurturing collaborative partnerships, creating space for teams to succeed, and serving as a champion for others to discover innovative solutions to mission challenges.”

CIA offers a myriad of opportunities to perform corporate service, help make this a better place to work, and make a real impact in the workplace.

Consistently championing diversity and inclusion efforts throughout her career, she served as the Chair for CIA’s Hispanic Advisory Council, CIA’s affinity group for Latino/a/x officers and allies, and currently serving as a Senior Champion for both the Hispanic Advisory Council and the Latino Intelligence Network, the Intelligence Community-level affinity group.

“These leadership roles have given me the opportunity to have impact as an advisor, coach, mentor, champion, facilitator, and advocate for? our community,” she shares.