Hispanic Heritage Month: This is me, Francisco

Sept. 15 – Oct. 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the history, rich cultures and traditions of Hispanic heritage.

This year, we spoke with Francisco Aguayo, an Employment Law Department Manager and member of the UNIDOS Employee Inclusion Network based in Houston.

Meet Francisco

My name is Francisco, and I joined TC Energy in 2013, beginning my journey in the Employment Law group supporting operations across both the U.S. and Mexico as a trained U.S. employment attorney.

Outside of work, I’m a father of two daughters, ages eight and five, which means most of my weekends are filled with family activities like basketball or gymnastics. I’m also passionate about grilling and smoking meats. I’ve even competed in my local little league baseball fundraising barbecue competitions and won first place for my brisket entries!

For me, barbecue is more than just cooking—it’s about connection. Food is universal—and across cultures, it brings people together around a table to break bread and connect through conversation. They say the party usually ends when lawyers show up, but for me, a barbecue is the perfect way to break the ice.

Francisco enjoys smoking meats in his free time.

Opening doors

As a first-generation Mexican American growing up in the late 80s and early 90s, higher education wasn’t a common choice in my predominantly Mexican American inner-city neighbourhood. Everything changed for me in high school when I joined Math and Science for Minority Students (MS)2 at the prestigious Phillips Academy Andover, an educational outreach summer program held for academically talented African American, Latino and Native American students who come from Tribal Nations and communities that are underrepresented in math/science fields. Selected as one of four students from Fort Worth, Texas, for my class, I spent three consecutive summers with other talented students and amazing teachers who opened my eyes to possibilities I’d never considered.

My family hails from the land of corn, beans and cattle in southern Zacatecas, Mexico where my parents only received a rural third grade education. For me, education and the boundless opportunities in the U.S. have been the most powerful tools to change my family’s trajectory in one single generation. Education is that powerful. My older brother and I became the first in our extended family to attend university. As the youngest, I’ve always looked up to him—not just as my brother, but as a trailblazer. He paved the way for me, alongside the teachers who opened doors and guided my journey. Despite the odds, I attended Brown University, while my brother attended Stanford. Achieving this success made me even more determined to honour and preserve our cultural identity.

Pride in heritage

Hispanic Heritage Month is a celebration of our heritage, and it’s deeply personal to me. I proudly celebrate Mexican traditions like the Day of the Dead, also known as Día de Muertos. It’s a meaningful way to reflect on and celebrate the lives of loved ones we’ve lost. We ensure there is always barbecue, a piñata, singing of happy birthday in English and in Spanish, and the occasional mariachi at birthday parties. This month is a blend of identities—American, Mexican, Hispanic, Latino. All these layers make up who we are and embracing this rich heritage is important to me.

I’ve made it a priority for my daughters to attend a full Spanish immersion elementary school. Understanding where you come from is key to understanding who you are, and I want them to embrace and celebrate their roots as much as I do. This past summer, instead of enrolling my daughters in various camps around Houston, they attended art camp in San Miguel de Allende, a small colonial town in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. I wanted my kids to fully immerse themselves in both the Spanish language and local culture. Surrounded by Spanish-speaking peers, they were able to speak the language and live the culture first-hand. My girls both loved it! Watching them connect with their roots reminded me why it’s important to create opportunities for the next generation.

Francisco’s daughters attended an art camp in San Miguel de Allende.

Sending the elevator back down

For many minorities, climbing the ladder of success comes with responsibility. I subscribe to the elevator analogy of mentorship: Don’t reach the top, shut the door and leave others behind. Instead, send the elevator back down and help others rise with you. Each one of us stands on the shoulders of giants where it is crucial that we mentor the next generation—sharing knowledge, opening doors for others and fostering an inclusive workforce where everyone can thrive. Inclusion initiative groups play a key role across all professions—not just for networking and ensuring inclusion when opportunities arise, but also for paving the way for others to succeed.

This philosophy drives my involvement with UNIDOS at TC Energy. It's important to share our stories because it demonstrates that the more we learn about each other, the more we discover that we all have a lot in common. When we sit down at the same table, break bread together—and truly listen to one another—we build genuine connections and opportunities for one another.