Personal Information:
“As the book titled, “Grit” by Angela Duckworth says, “the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a special blend of passion and perseverance for long-term goals.” If you have GRIT, you can overcome any hurdle!”
Marta Aparicio hails from Providence, Rhode Island. She works as a U.S. Diplomat at the United States Department of State. She has served in Laos and is currently serving in Honduras. A State Department Charles B. Rangel Fellow, Marta obtained a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University. She also received a double Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology and Government from Georgetown University.
Marta’s parents, like many immigrant parents, came to the United States in search of the American Dream and they left her in Guatemala, as an infant. Marta was raised by her paternal grandmother for the first 11 years of her childhood. In 2003, she immigrated to the United States without speaking English and met her parents for the first time. Later on, in 2009, as a 17 year-old teenager, she was forced to leave her dysfunctional household and started working 30 hours a week. As a 2010 high school class valedictorian, she realized that simply living in the United States does not improve one’s life.
Her family obstacles and the need to carve out a better life for herself empowered her, while the United States provided her with the opportunity to start a new life, on her own. Her biggest accomplishments have derived from her dedication to service and fostering a sense of community and sisterhood. For the past thirteen years, she has served her community as a mentor to young high school girls, newly arrived refugees, and unaccompanied minors from Latin America.
