I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, and Spanish is my first language. There was no Nickelodeon or Disney Channel so I learned English watching Sesame Street. My gift was math and science, and after studying hard and graduating from Yale, I worked in investment banking. Urgency, competitiveness, and a desire to achieve it all was the daily order in my early career; getting admitted to HBS was my ultimate goal.
What is your favorite memory from HBS?
My favorite memories from HBS: My little loft apartment at Soldiers Field Park; the pub inside the gym (yes, it is true! We had an Au Bon Pain inside the majestic Shad Hall); the cylindrical, copper-clad modern chapel on campus; the work-hard play-hard treats with so many friends; and the not-so-favorite, but understandingly necessary, humbling feeling that I was going to get called on, at any time, ready or not.
How has your MBA prepared you for your post-HBS career?
At HBS I learned to prioritize, and that included personal goals. I learned that self-worth was NOT driven by my salary or recognition. I learned that cultural differences were a gift and an asset. I learned women don’t take the back seat. I learned that I could do anything I dedicated energy to, because I had just completed the most rigorous program there was. Most importantly, my new self-awareness gave me a whole new perspective and opened possibilities.
What I am most grateful to my HBS experience is the ability to break free from the traditional path. I’m not intending to minimize my entrepreneurial ventures, or my governmental service. However, over the years I have become an advocate for condominium titleholders’ rights. I defend, teach, and motivate thousands of titleholders who are abused by their homeowners’ associations, condominium administration, and even other neighbor titleholders who mistakenly use their board posts. The feeling of reward from doing what is right is unmeasurable. HBS gave me that license to do what I feel is right (including taking time to raise my two sons!).
How did you get involved with the HBS Latino Alumni Association?
There was no HBS Latino Student Organization back in 1992-1994, so my Latino friends and I met anyway, just unorganized. Years later, I was offered the opportunity to serve on the HBS Latino Alumni Association (HBSLAA) Board of Directors, where I currently dedicate heart and soul. I have immersed myself with a group of other type-A Latin men and women and discovered another level of professionalism and philanthropy all at once. The group truly strives to help Latinos get to HBS and succeed thereafter.
I am a Latina and, like all the Latinos I know from HBS, we want it all. Just like everyone else!!! Our hurdles are a little more obvious and annoying than those presented to others, but with support from HBS and HBSLAA, the mission is to level the playing field.
What advice do you have for prospective MBA students?
MBA Latino students: There is nothing like HBS. Latinos come in all colors and the same diverse socioeconomic backgrounds as the rest of America. Make friends, lots of them. Stay connected. And above all, be a proud Latino citizen and bond with each other. You won’t regret it.