Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before diving in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us some of your cultural heritage and upbringing?

I was born in the Dominican Republic and lived there until I was 13 years old. I am currently 28. Growing up, I spoke Spanish at home with my parents and a mix of “Spanglish” with my little sister which was pretty helpful for me as an ESL student.

My migration story is a bit complex and long. I came to this country on a visa as a dependent of my mother. My mother came first and my sister and I arrived about 5 months later which meant we had two different cases with Immigration. In September of that year (2008) I started high school in the Bronx and soon after my family moved out of the house we first came to know as home in the United States. Because we were new in the country and knew little to no English we didn’t know we had to change addresses on our case. Due to a missing document in our case and a notice that was returned to the post office, my case ended up in an immigration Limbo. Things got a little worse because my mother and step father at the time separated and even if we could send this missing document and fix the issue, we no longer had a sponsor or a petitioner. Nevertheless, since my mother came first, she was able to fix her legal status and get a green card and eventually became a US citizen. Once a citizen she was able to fix my sister’s status but unfortunately she couldn't fix mine as I had already turned 18. I felt crippled by this as it was extra hard for me to attend college but my mother was relentless and told me even if she had to work three jobs I was going to get an education. I remember being so overwhelmed by the amount of classes I took but I had to take as many classes as I could fit into a semester to avoid paying more money. I was able to finish both my associates and bachelors thanks to my mother's hard work. I would never be able to repay her for what she did for me, all while being a single mother to two kids in a very harsh neighborhood. Later on, I met my wonderful husband while doing my bachelors at the City College of New York, we married back in 2016 and thanks to our marriage I was recently given legal status in the US.

What is one memorable moment that you have with Dr. Beato? Why was it memorable for you?

As a cohort, we were mostly assigned to Dr. Beato all throughout 9th-11th grade but once we were in 12th grade we didn't have many activities with him which made us sad. It felt like our dad was not in the picture much more. On the day we graduated, as a class we all agreed to thank him when it was our time to take the podium and it was such a special moment because he had done so many things for us guiding us through college applications, essays, and advice.

What 3 words best describe you in this moment?

If I were to describe myself in three words now they would be thoughtful, resourceful and empathetic. Back when I was in high school I think I was none of these as I was very immature in a way. I thought I knew more than the actual adults (like any other teenager does) and didn't think of others when making decisions that could affect those around me. I think that I would have reached my career goals much sooner than I did if I had learned to listen to those around me.

In what ways do you think you’ve grown the most?

Being kind, compassionate, and understanding of others is something that I have learned to do. We often judge others and most of the time people are doing their best to fit in a judgmental society. It is not my job to judge others, everyone has their own battles at home that we know nothing about so my approach to life as of now is being empathetic and showing kindness to those around me.

What is one mistake you made in college or work? How did that shape you are today?

I let my immigration situation define my career choice. I always dreamed of being an architect and I was accepted into a program at my latest school but I was afraid that it would be a wasted effort given that I didn't have legal status. I knew there were certifications I wouldn't be able obtain because of this. I opted for a “safer choice” and even though I don't feel like I failed I think I could have found a way to make it work. Because of that, nowadays I try to be as resourceful as I can be and I always look for ways to achieve what I want, even if it takes a little longer.

What was the most difficult thing for you about going to college or starting in the workforce?

The most difficult thing about going to college was the financial part of it. I didn't have any help to pay for it or any assistance to pay for transportation or food so I was often in school for a whole day because I couldn't afford to go home and come back more than once a day. Joining the workforce was difficult simply because at the time I finished college I was still in the process of getting my immigration situation fixed. While I was waiting, I decided to become an entrepreneur and it worked well but being part of a company was something I wanted and thankfully today I am part of a great company. So perseverance is key.