Gabriela Maldonado Estrada - June 2020
A few weeks ago, I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Brigham Young University, and I now have a job at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Right after finishing my last final, the first thing I did was call Mr. Justice to thank him for giving me the opportunity to be part of the Equity family. Without them, I would not be where I am today.
At Equity, I received an excellent education that prepared me for college and helped me excel in all those scary calculus classes. I was ready to write a 15-page research paper during my freshman year, and I was able to ace every short essay that was assigned. Equity gave me the tools to face any academic challenge that was presented, and I will forever be grateful for that. However, I got much more than a simple academic education. At Equity, I learned to appreciate different cultures, to be adventurous and try new things, to accept different points of view, to lead by example, the importance of developing a creative mind, and the list goes on. These were the lessons that helped me build significant relationships, make difficult decisions, and make a difference in my community. These lessons helped me get to where I am today.
What I am the most grateful for is the family I found there. I felt like I could count on anyone in this school. I also made friends that I still consider my family today. Although we all live in different countries now, we still keep in touch and teach each other how to enjoy life, despite all the trials.