For current FNU student Rosa Alina Chirino, the decision to migrate to this country was charged by aspirations of creating a greater future, regardless of the inevitable adversity. Rosa Alina came from Cuba in February of 2016 with limited resources but an abundance of hope. After seeing an ad for FNU on TV, she called right away and immediately began the enrollment process in our South Campus. In May, having lived in this country for only 2 months and still fighting the language barrier, she enrolled at FNU in the Dental program.
“I saw FNU as a great opportunity for someone like me. It seemed to be a great place to get a fresh start in this country.”
Rosa Alina embodies the spirit of our community: hardworking, dedicated and humble. Every day, she takes public transportation to our Hialeah campus and arrives at roughly 6:30AM, giving her some study time before class. After class, she gets back on the bus and commutes to her job at an airport restaurant, in which she typically works until 11PM. While the non-stop grind of day to day life can be emotionally and physically taxing, Rosa Alina embraces the fight: “I believe in the beauty of struggle. You have to know how to stand up when you fall. You have to face life’s adversities and grow from them. Not everything will be easy. If everything was easy, life wouldn’t have meaning“
Being one of the first cultural experiences Rosa Alina had in America, attending FNU was a huge stepping stone for her personal and career development. When asked how her FNU experience has been thus far, she praised the school and showed gratitude towards one of her favorite professors: “The school is marvelous. Studying right away is the best thing that could’ve happened to me. The professors are amazing. Mauricio Restrepo prepares you for not just a dental career, but life and all its difficulties. He’s an extraordinary professor and person.”
The American Dream is unique to all those who feel connected to it. For Rosa Alina Chirino, her American Dream is the story she’s living: studying, working hard, finding beauty in the grind and having the opportunity to succeed.
