I was born in Guantánamo, Cuba, a town the late commander-in-chief Fidel Castro once joked was the “third world of the third world.” As a child, I heard one phrase that I have carried with me my whole life: “Your future depends only on you, educate yourself.” It was my mother, my role model and one of the smartest and most driven women I know, who taught me this. She became a doctor through the Cuban education system, where
despite economic hardship, Cuban citizens are gifted with exceptional free education.
As I grew older, I lived in different countries and noticed that children of color often did not have the privilege of seeing their own people succeed, much less obtain a great education. So, when I dream, I wonder, “If every young child, regardless of their skin color, had a role model encouraging them to achieve great heights, what would the world look like?”
With my mother’s support, at the age of 14, I moved to the United States for my education. I did not know which school I would attend, nor who would house me, but I knew I had to succeed. I studied in a field that combined everything I had come to love: science, computers, and math. I ultimately received my graduate degree from one of the best universities in the world. I believe that education is the key to creating the world we want to show our children, so I began my work in educational technology at an amazing company called UWorld. I lead a science team in the development of educational web-based platforms that use active learning methodology to teach students at the high school and college level. My goal is to help all students succeed in Advanced Placement science exams and the Medical College Admissions Test.
These affordable e-learning platforms help students gain acceptance into their dream schools, especially those struggling financially. I dream that the products I help build will transform young students who look like me into accomplished professionals, and that these new professionals will become role models like my mom was for me. Because a world where all young children have amazing role models is a world that guides them all into greatness, regardless of their skin complexion. What unlimited dreams await the children of that new world?