Passion Redefined: How Eduardo Muñoz followed his passion, shifted his career path
Earl Woods Scholar Alumnus Eduardo Muñoz has hit a couple of “speed bumps,” as he calls them, throughout his personal and professional journey. However, raised in a family that instilled in him and modeled unwavering determination, no obstacle ever took him off course. When his own father faced health issues several years ago, Eduardo took from the situation life lessons that have steered him through his undergraduate days at Allegheny College and onto his now former professional career at Edwards Life Sciences.
Passion Fulfilled: How Vladimir Casseus empowers leaders of tomorrow
Boston native and Earl Woods Scholar alumnus Vladimir Casseus grew up instilled with the mantra that education was the key to success. Alongside his parents, who pushed him to excel academically, Vladimir was guided by teachers, friends, mentors, church members, coaches and the extended family he built at TGR Foundation.
With a master’s degree in school psychology from Tufts University, Vladimir has worked as a School Psychologist within Boston Public Schools for more three years. He’s committed to motivating students to surpass their potential and overcome all obstacles.
Passion Ignited: How TGR Foundation empowered Yeon Jin “Grace” Lee to pursue her passion for filmmaking
After being accepted into the University of California, Berkeley, the uncertainty Yeon Jin “Grace” Lee felt around her future at the university and in the United States dwindled as she went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in engineering. From UC Berkeley to NASA, her education opened doors to ignite her career and help her reach higher to obtain a Master of Science in software engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. It was through this experience that she gained her green card and security in her place in America.
From South Korea to Southern California, Grace overcame obstacles in her path as an undocumented immigrant and achieved great success. We recently connected at the flagship TGR Learning Lab in Anaheim, CA to reflect on her journey and how she’s using her platform and experiences to empower other students like her.
How TGR Foundation Empowered Andrés Cuamani’s Journey
Andrés Cuamani still remembers his first day at the TGR Learning Lab fondly. A 5thgrader at Dr. Peter Marshall Elementary School, Andrés spent a week at the Anaheim-based learning lab studying forensic science with his classmates. From surveying clues at a mock crime scene to studying fingerprinting techniques, Andrés experienced a different kind of learning. But what he really left with was the realization that there were countless opportunities awaiting him.
From 7th– 12thgrade, Andrés was a regular in the building, taking after-school classes from aerospace engineering to golf, and forging lasting, impactful relationships with the teachers. At the age of 16, Andrés became a volunteer at the learning lab and soon after, he became an official employee, landing his first job as a golf range attendant. When he realized his passion for teaching coupled with a desire to lend support to students like himself, Andrés took on an added role in Academic Support, a job he still has today.
Scholar Voices: Creating social change through the lens of theatre
My love for theatre started when I was three or four years old and my godmother took me to see a musical, in my hometown of Boston, MA. I do not remember the name of the show or really what it was about, but I was fascinated by the colors and music. Something about seeing the performers act, sing and dance gave them this magical glow on the stage. My young and impressionable mind had concluded that to be so talented you had to have super abilities, and I knew I would be a part of that magic one day.
Scholar Voices: Discovering a New Path to Career Success
Ever since I was a little boy, I loved science. Although I come from a rural, mountainous Chinese village called Qian Yang Cun in Fuzhou, I dreamt of becoming a scientist. I always knew I wanted to use science to help people. As a child, I would collect plants and soil from around the mountain and mix them together to create my own “panaceas,” ready to cure dying plants and insects along my path.
Scholar Voices: A portrait of passion, how art inspired my interest in engineering
As a child, I always found myself consumed in art. Every brush stroke required complete concentration, each colored patch demanded a precise amount of pressure. However, contrary to what art means to others, art was never about expressing myself. For me, it was a way to keep myself busy while my parents worked and my sisters were at dance practice. It made me feel like I was somewhere else in the countless hours that I spent locked inside my home and made time fly.
Scholar Voices: Life as a student, intern and resident in Singapore
“Go chopethat table—it’s open lah!” These are words I heard every day this past summer as I entered the Singaporean hawker centers in search of chicken and rice, like every other local during mealtime. Singaporeans flock to these large hawker cafeterias to fill up on delicious foods that cost about $4 a dish. These food […]
Medical Congress solidifies career aspirations for Earl Woods Scholars
Joining top students across the United States with interest in pursuing careers as physicians, medical scientists, engineers or technologists, Earl Woods Scholars Kayla Fisher and Jesenia Vargas recently had a unique opportunity to attend the Congress of Future Medical Leaders at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell.
The Congress is an honors-only program for high school students who have a minimum 3.5 GPA. Through the program, the Congress honors, inspires, motivates and directs students on their journey to success and helps them stay true to their dreams.
Kayla and Jesenia reflected on their experience and its impact on their professional outlook.
Earl Woods Scholar Program hosts Class of 2023 for pre-college retreat
As the newest member of TGR Foundation’s Earl Woods Scholar team, I hit the ground running this summer, taking part in one of our hallmark events, Pre-College Retreat. In July, our team welcomed 21 scholars from Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Orange County to the annual retreat in Southern California. Spanning three days, the Pre-College Retreat is an integral college-access program designed to prepare our scholars, many of whom are the first in their family to attend college, for their first year on campus.
