My Experience
I've been able to learn so much through the different opportunities I've had within all the programs, jobs, and even my personal experience. A few of my highlights that are included in this page are my internship with Northwestern Mutual, my participation in the Lead Scholars Academy, and my personal experience being Cuban-American in a professional world.
Northwestern Mutual
CFR Summit
I was given the opportunity after continuous hard work and the education from my mentors and joint work partners to qualify and win a spot in the list of the top 100 interns in the country. We attended a series of educational & inspirational sessions in New York City that taught us more skills and allowed us to connect with mentors and other interns from across the country. I am grateful for the opportunity that pushing myself to make the top 100 gave me, and having qualified for this will remind me that nothing is impossible and I can do things that I never would've imagined.
Lead Scholars Academy
I joined the Lead Scholars Academy in my first year at the University of Central Florida as an open-minded experience to the start of my college journey. I'm so proud of myself that I took the blind leap and joined this program because it has given me so many amazing lessons and experiences. The professors I had the privilege of learning from and getting to know taught me so much about leadership, the kind of leader I want to be, and how I can implement my skills in real-world settings. I had these chances through volunteer opportunities, different events LEAD hosted for members, and also being a peer mentor and helping freshmen adjust to UCF. Even though you are only a part of the Lead Scholars academy for the first two years of undergrad, I'm grateful for all the memories and relationships that I have developed, and everything I learned will give me all the tools I need for every professional role I take.
Northwestern Mutual
Annual Meeting
I had the opportunity to attend our annual conference meeting at NM headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I qualified as a titanium intern and was honored at the internship award show, as well as being a part of the #1 college unit in the country. This conference had a plethora of amazing speakers, from our top advisors to Mel Robbins, and it reminded me of the importance of what our company does and that it's critical to always push yourself to be the best version of yourself. Additionally, I got to have many insightful conversations with people in positions that I normally would've never had the opportunity of speaking with. While there, I was also able to start conversations about provoking change within the industry for women and to work hard to inspire other women. I'm happy I was able to meet so many wonderful people from all around the country, and got to connect with people I can learn from.
Billingual Experience
My family came from Cuba in the 1980s to escape from communism that had erupted in Cuba. Even though they came to America, they wanted to make sure they kept their culture and traditions while adjusting to life and customs in America. My grandparents had different experiences once they came, but none of them ever spoke to me in English, so the only way I could talk to them was in Spanish. When I was younger, I wished they were able to speak English, but growing up, I was able to understand how amazing it was and that I could use the experience in my career. Within my internship, I learned very quickly that I was able to help twice as many people as my fellow interns and some senior advisors couldn't. I'm grateful every day for the family that God gave me and the women that they made me today by being there for me and giving me all the resources that they didn't have growing up in communism.