An American Dream story: my interview with Under Secretary María Otero

Last week I interviewed the Under Secretary of State as part of Hispanic Heritage Month and I wanted to share her American Dream story with you. María spoke of her work with such passion and, as a Latina woman myself, I found it so empowering to hear her story. I hope you find it inspiring too:

"When Under Secretary of State María Otero left La Paz, Bolivia with her family to live in Washington D.C., she could have never imagined she’d be working down the hall from Secretary Clinton one day.

"Otero remembers her childhood in Bolivia with joy. Despite it being, according to Otero, 'a poor, underdeveloped country with enormous political instability,' it was her home.

"But it was also a home where women were not expected to study past high school. 'Instead,' Otero said, 'they were to begin looking for a husband and then have children....'" Read More here.

Top college president credits community college for his success

I recently got the opportunity to interview Dr. Eduardo Padrón for Hispanic Heritage Month. He is the president of the largest community college in the country, and I hope his story of college success will inspire you as much as it has personally inspired me. 

"When Eduardo Padrón left Cuba for America at the age of 15, with his younger brother in tow, he could have never imagined that one day he would be named one of the top 10 college presidents by TIME magazine as president of Miami-Dade College...Read More.

A thank you to my grandma

Below is the beginning of an article I just posted on Fox News Latino about my Grandma who passed away this past Monday. Thinking about where you've come from is such an important step when it comes to thinking about where you're going in college:

"It’s Hispanic Heritage month and my Grandma just died this morning.
What do those two facts have in common?

My Grandma is Hispanic. She is my heritage. And I have no idea how I can ever fully thank her for what she’s done for me...Read the rest of the article on Fox News Latino here.

My grandma Isabel and my late grandpa Tito.

How first generation students achieve the American Dream

As our economy shifts and changes rapidly, more and more people than ever before are needing to go to college in order to sustain the kind of lifestyle that once could be created with a high school diploma. Not anymore. 

More and more students who are the first in their family to attend college will be starting a higher education for the first time. Being the first to go down that path is not easy, but those that do sometimes don't realize how important their steps are. If you are the first in your family to attend college, I hope you know what a big deal that is. You should be so proud. 

I recently interviewed Jesus Moran for the piece below on Fox News Latino. His story is one of hope, one that shows the American Dream is still alive, and one that reminds us all that barriers do exist, but that the right support can help others like him bust through those walls and make new paths:

"Jesus Moran's parents struggled when they arrived to the United States from El Salvador.

His father lost his job in construction during a wave of layoffs and now works at a car wash. His mother has been a housekeeper for 14 years for the same family. So when it came to their children, they wanted them to achieve more...." Read More.

How an unlikely mentorship encouraged one student to pay it forward

I recently interviewed Stephanie Bravo, co-founder of the free national online mentoring service, StudentMentor.org for a Fox News Latino article.

While I've interviewed her for the blog before, this story was about her experience having a mentor who was very different from her, and how the relationship not only helped her get into medical school (which from what I learned is an incredibly daunting year-long application process), but also ignited within her a passion for paying it forward and developing mentorship programs that can break barriers in students' lives, just as the mentoring program at Stanford did for her. 


Check out her story below, and see if your college community (or a professional association in your desired industry) has a mentorship program you can get involved in. If not, perhaps Stephanie will inspire you to start one :)

Latina Stanford Student Creates National Mentoring Program
"Four out of five low-income students fail to attain a bachelor's degree by their mid-20s. As astounding and scary as the numbers are, they motivated one woman to take action. Stephanie Bravo, a Mexican American from San Jose,California....Read more at Fox News Latino

Former Teen Mom Attends Harvard Latino Leadership Institute

Channel Baez inspires me more than I can say, and I today her story is featured in an article I wrote on Fox News Latino. 

I'm in Hawaii this week and so my blogs are set on a schedule; therefore I'm writing this weeks before this post will go live and don't have the exact link. If you go to my Fox News Latino archive you will be able to find it! 

Thank you so much Channel for your sharing your amazing story!

CC Students Win $25,000 to Solve College Dropout Crisis

Below is Part II to the article I wrote last week on the incredible Mobilize.org conference. This one is all about the students and their amazing projects. Check them out and I'm sure you'll be as inspired as I was, remembering that we can all have an impact on our campus, or whatever you call or your small corner of the world. 

"The room buzzed with anticipation as 100 Millennial students waited excitedly for the 13 student presentations to begin at the Mobilize.org Target 2020 Community College Completion Summit in Miami, FL.

"The first group of students stepped on stage to present the first project called Students Helping Students. And for the next hour students stepped on stage, spoke into the microphone, and presented their solutions with professionalism, poise, and deep conviction....Read the rest of the article here.

Students Seek Solutions to Minority College Dropout Crisis

Last weekend I was the keynote speaker for one of the most incredible events I've ever attended - the Mobilize.org Target 2020 Community College Summit. 

I met incredible students who really care about improving their campuses. And I fell in love with them. 

The Mobilize.org model brings students to the table to bring solutions to solve the college completion crisis. And I think this model is one that should and could be replicated at every community college across the country. It starts with you. If you are reading this blog you are exactly the kind of student who can make an impact.

Group of students talking to me about an amazing coalition they are starting to unify the Miami Dade college community  towards civic engagement

You can check out the article I wrote below for Fox News Latino that features the top barriers and solutions that the students identified - and I challenge you to think about what you could do to make an impact. You may not realize it, but there is so much you can do - nothing is too small :) 

Students Seek Solutions to Minority College Dropout Crisis