Pathways to Success Testimonial: Grace Rodriguez

Grace Rodriguez Gomez (University of Puerto Rico) had a BE epiphany. “When I was in high school, I wanted to major in Art at a community college. When friends and family told me I couldn’t earn a living with an Art degree, I enrolled in a Computer Engineering program,” she said. When her creativity wasn’t exercised, her grade point average suffered. She then switched to Computer Science, and her grades improved when she realized artistic aptitude enabled her to design more attractive and functional computer user interfaces. Because she switched majors, she’s a few years older than her peers. “I was ashamed of my delayed progress until I heard Dr. Leung’s presentation. She talked about obstacles she had overcome in life, and it made me realize that I wasn’t alone; it’s OK to move at your own pace,” she added.