A: I remember it like it was yesterday even though it was in 1994. I had always dreamed of visiting the U.S. When we first came to the US we lived in Miami for about 9 months. I loved it there because everyone spoke Spanish, it was warm weather and we were near the beach very similar to home. I was impressed by all the buildings and high rises, the organization, traffic and how different it was from where I am from in Venezuela.
A: I’m from Venezuela. I grew up in Maracay a beautiful city which is 2 hours from the Capital and near the Caribbean Coast. Maracay is beautiful, full of valleys and mountains. Being near the coast, some of the most beautiful beaches are only 45 mins away.
Bo, what are some priorities you have been working on?
B: I have been working on a number of development projects. Atlanta is still a growing city and there are many areas inside the perimeter that are on their way to becoming prosperous. One of the projects is Hotel Cameron on the Westside near Mercedes Benz Stadium. A 100 room boutique hotel with a rooftop restaurant and bar. Additionally, we are exploring senior living facilities, multi-family housing, and unique workplace environments. Additionally, through the Andrew Young Foundation, we are working on pilot programs with aquaponics, and duckweed to create opportunities for food security in the city but also across the world.
Why are you investing in education through your family scholarship? Tell us about the legacy you want to build.
A+B: In our family giving back is important. We want to impact the Latino Community directly and help provide opportunities for growth. We want to help smart kids achieve their dreams to success here in the U.S. It is important to support and give back to our community and help one another especially youth minorities because we understand it’s not easy. We all have a role and responsibility in creating more opportunities for these young students.
Our scholarships will support Latino students under financial duress/stress who show an outstanding record for the school overall, including community service.
What are some recommendations you have for families raising multicultural children?
A: As a Latina mother you must teach your children to be bilingual; it’s an imperative. There are so many benefits of learning / speaking two languages for children, not only they will be able to speak and connect with all sides of the family, it will incredibly useful academically and professionally. We have 2 beautiful bi-racial children and educating them to embrace the beauty of it, is of great importance to their development.
A+B: Atlanta continues to grow into truly a world-class city. The city continues to become more multi-cultural and exceptionally tolerant of all backgrounds and beliefs. We hope that Atlanta will continue to be a model for the world to see that everyone can live in harmony together as brothers and sisters of one race, the human race.
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Awesome story! Muchas felicidades! 🙂