I grew up in a very poor section of Havana, Cuba, where the challenges of life continuously threaten any attempt to pursue a professional career. However, I went to school where the lack of supplies, budget cuts, or economical disparity never discouraged teachers from offering a message of hope, their best smile, and their most interesting lesson every day. Since I was a child, my parents taught me that education was my ticket to a better life. I was dedicated. With the support of my teachers and parents I excelled both in secondary education and the college level. Since I was black and poor, many believed I was not going to make it. Now I am glad to see that they were wrong.

It has been almost five years since I immigrated to the U.S. At the beginning I found myself in a situation that I now know is common among immigrants. No one cared that I had a degree in nuclear engineering, or how many awards I had earned. My English was very poor and that seemed to be the most important factor in the way people viewed me. Many of them assumed that I was stupid and uneducated. Fortunately, I began to learn the language rather quickly, which allowed me to move from my job at a restaurant to working as a teacher.

I am passionate about teaching. I am currently teaching at Jefferson High School in Portland. There is nothing more rewarding to me than watching as a student begins to understand a new mathematical concept. As I have worked in different facets of the educational system in this country, I have interacted with students from a variety of backgrounds. One of the most interesting questions to me is, what is it that allows and/or motivates people to learn? This question is asked most often when working with immigrant children.

I believe that a strong foundation in mathematics is essential. However, it is indeed the subject that most students dislike. I would like to study why this happens and change that perception. I have helped Chinese immigrant to understand math in English. I have coached African Americans to take the SAT so that they may be the first in their families to go to college. I believe that I have the most important job in the world. I want to empower more students to have the opportunities to change their lives the way I have been able to change my own.