“I remember my mother would always sleep during church services because street vendors did not get to sleep at night. Nighttime is when they sell food at the truck stop. My mother would cook all day to sell all night. I helped her many nights, starting at the age of nine. The rest stop was a demanding environment populated with night travelers, night workers, and people without homes. I was too young to understand the dynamics and the danger that existed in this place at the time, but I was old enough to realize that what my mother was doing took remarkable strength and faith. 

It was this legacy that I carried when I traveled to the United States. I tapped into this strength when I worked to rebuild my career in a new country. Through hard work and faith in GOD, I obtained a graduate degree from the University of Southern California, earned professional designations, founded three small businesses, and have been recognized both locally and nationally for my contributions to the accounting profession. 

Living in two very different countries and experiencing different learning environments has helped me as I teach financial accounting and taxation to college students. A spirit of resiliency helped me navigate the US immigration process toward my journey to become a US citizen.”