Through our work we have had the good fortune of seeing firsthand how success comes in every shape, size, color, faith, and orientation. More importantly we’ve learned that success is often the result of people embracing their unique backgrounds and so we’ve asked the community to tell us about their background and how it has impacted where they are today.

Lizette Roman | Bilingual Education Consultant

Growing up in Los Angeles as the child of immigrants, I learned early on that education was a priceless treasure. My Cuban father’s words, “They can take everything away from you, except your faith & education,” became a guiding principle that shaped my journey. Despite the challenges of being an unidentified English Language Learner (ELL), my parents’ unwavering commitment to education profoundly influenced me. Their dedication, coupled with my experiences both of academic struggle and moments of success with overcoming challenges as a bilingual student impacted me to be who I am today. Read more>>

Andrew Bourguignon | Marketing Company Owner

I am from the city of New Bedford, a small town in MA. My parents had me very young – both at the age of around 18, and this seriously caused a lot of stress on my parents to grow up fast. They weren’t mentally or physically prepared to take care of a child. This caused me to be alienated from my parents due to a stressful upbringing, and led me to spend a lot of my childhood with my Grandparents. I started working full time at 16 and felt independent very early on. I knew I wanted to get into business because I knew it would be a way to get freedom. Read more>>

Elsa Romero | Interpreter by accident, attorney by vocation, cultural facilitator by essence.

I was born in Worcester Massachusetts, of Colombian parents. My father had won an scolarship to Clark university, and found out about it after already married and my mom expecting me. Read more>>