By Nicole Chavez, CNN

(CNN) - As a college student, Claudia Lyon didn't know what a casting director was, let alone that one day she would be the head of casting at one of the largest networks in the country.

Lyon grew up in New York, navigating her childhood in a family with roots in Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago and South Asia. Her love for TV and film grew over the years to the point that she found a way to get jobs as an intern and assistant even without connections.
While her future in the industry was still unclear, Lyon took a leap of faith and traveled to Los Angeles to take a temporary job as a casting assistant on a movie.
"I don't think any of us thought I was going to stay here," Lyon said about she and her family.
But quitting was never an option for her, Lyon said."