“Born to immigrant parents from Colombia, I was a child raised to work hard and believe in achieving to be the best I could be. My mom came to New York City in the 1970s and I was raised in the hood. The goal was always to get out of the hood. All four of my siblings were able to achieve the best that we could be and have made it out of the ghetto. Without my mother’s hard work and dedication to her own children I would never be where I am today. It is my only desire that my son is instilled with the same values my mom taught us so he can achieve his goals.”