Born and raised in a Cuban American family, the values of hard work, courage, and dedication are integral parts of sophomore Ani Unzueta’s heritage. She also inherited a profound thirst to succeed that carries her every day through the Florida Polytechnic University campus.
“Being Hispanic and a woman on campus, it kind of makes me shine,” said Unzueta, a second-generation American. “I am able to stand out and really make the most of everything that’s available to me on campus.”
Unzueta is pursuing an applied mathematics degree, following a passion for numbers inspired by her math professor mother.
“I’d listen to her tutoring students, and she said I would grab a notebook and start writing symbols, like X-something,” Unzueta said. “I figured out I had an aptitude for it.”
She hopes that one day her high-skilled degree from Florida Poly will carry her to a thriving career in healthcare sciences.
“While I don’t think I could be in medicine – I faint at the sight of blood – I would like to be creating concentrations for new drugs, researching vaccines, or maybe working with medical machines,” said Unzueta, who grew up in Miami, Florida.
When she’s not studying, Unzueta stays busy finding ways to carve her own path as a leader on campus. She is an admissions ambassador, a peer learning strategist, and chief of staff for the Society of Women Engineers at Florida Poly.
Leading and getting involved come naturally to Unzueta. She learned from her family the determination of making her voice heard, and her fluency in Spanish helps her connect with more people on campus. She’s confident these abilities will help her soar into an accomplished future.
“What if one day I’m a businesswoman for a company in Spain and they need us to do a talk about hematology. I could do it,” she said. “I’ll be a valuable asset for knowing a second language.”
For the time being, Unzueta wastes no time waiting for the future and seizes every potential opportunity for personal success. Recently, she met a Johnson & Johnson recruiter who was touring the University, and she didn’t hesitate to ask about possibilities with the company.
“My mom calls it the gift of gab,” Unzueta said. “I talk and joke around and sometimes the doors start opening.”
Editor’s Note: This story is part of a series of feature stories that highlight diversity on Florida Poly’s campus and celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month.
Contact:
Lydia Guzmán
Director of Communications
863-874-8557
