The fact that I graduated with an AA from HCC and with a finance degree from the University of South Florida is a testament to HCC’s excellent EAP (English For Academic Purposes) program. I arrived in the United States from Cuba in 2010 without knowing how to speak English. I earned my GED in Spanish the same year and applied to HCC’s EAP program. HCC’s Barbara Smith-Palinkas, my HCC mentor, guided me through the process of learning a new language and getting acquainted with the culture. Thanks to her, I became an international student ambassador, assisting first-year students through the same struggles I had. After graduating from USF in 2017, I accepted a position at Ditech Holding as a financial analyst. I have recently accepted a position at Goldman Sachs and will soon be moving to New York City, thanks in great part to the excellent education I received at HCC.