Irma Becerra is president of Marymount University, a comprehensive doctorate-granting university known for its innovative curriculum.
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Adversity is a given in the human experience. But our greatest difficulties afford us the most valuable life lessons. When we look at challenges as learning experiences, setbacks become opportunities, hurdles to clear rather than roadblocks in our path.
No stranger to adversity, I left my homeland of Cuba in my parents’ arms as an infant at a time of great uncertainty and political unrest. We arrived in the United States with no possessions or money since my parents intended to return home as soon as it was safe to do so. Their plans were dashed by Castro’s regime, leaving them to begin life in America with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
I am grateful for the challenges and setbacks I faced early in life. Every hardship I survived left me with crucial life skills to conquer my fears and push past many…