3B Entrepreneurship Story

I come from a family of Cuban immigrants. When both of my grandfathers came to the U.S. they had to struggle and find a way to provide for their families. My paternal grandfather, Rogelio, immigrated with the Peter Pan initiative. This was a started in Miami to bring children from Cuba to the U.S.  My grandfather came alone at the age of 17. He was never able to finish high school. When he arrived in Miami, he worked in a camp for several years picking tomatoes, until his father joined him. Years later, in 1971, they started a boat upholstery business in a tiny warehouse in Hialeah. Since then they have expanded their client base and the once small business has gained a reputation in South Florida for making the best boat upholstery available. Naturally, because it is a family business, my grandparents had me working there from an early age. Every summer while I was in middle school my grandfather would have me there with him learning and working by his side. I was able to meet many of his clients and learned how to form prosperous relations with customers. The most important thing I learned from Rogelio is the value of hard work and what is possible through entrepreneurship. I enrolled in this class because I want to learn more about entrepreneurship, the single most important thing that has shaped my family's life. I hope to walk out of this class a further educated individual and attain the skills required to launch a business of my own.