Anaís García Figueroa has spent 11 years of her life at the San Lorenzo Club, she considers it as her second home. It was the place where she developed socially after moving from the United States at six years old to live with her grandmother. “The Club came into my life at the right moment because through the different experiences and support from the leaders, I was able to find the stability I needed”, said the 17-year-old.
“One of the experiences that has impacted me the most in the Club is the “Semillas de Triunfo” project: A Girls Ambassador STEM Program, that gives workshops to girls interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Through this program, I took upon myself to send a message of empowerment that can inspire other women to fight for their goals and equality in various areas of their lives. On the other hand, the Club also gave me the opportunity to discover one of my greatest passions: dancing. Through this art I have been able to express my emotions and my true personality, as well as being an inspiration to other children who I’ve been able to help, guide and make them fall in love with dance, just like I did,” states Anaís, who has actively stood out in community projects and represented her Club and Puerto Rican youth in different forums in Puerto Rico and the United States.
One of Anaís’ goals is to become a mechanical engineer and create her own company. “I am aware that this is not something common in the workforce. However, this is what leadership is about, believing in something and putting it into practice to be able to influence other people through my example”, says the defender of gender equity. This issue preoccupies her because, as she was raised by a single mother along her two sisters, she saw how society boxes women in certain careers and men in others.
What obstacle or challenge have you experienced?
“One of the biggest obstacles in my life was the arrival of what I believed love was, I was only 13 years old. That age comes with many insecurities, where we dive into a constant struggle to find acceptance and a place to fit in. This, while overlooking who we really are along taking us to live a life blinded by the opinions of others does not allow us to see those red flags that are signs that something is not right and that lead us directly to live a life full of insecurities and low self-esteem. It was a toxic relationship”.
From this experience, she confesses that she learned the importance of being independent in order to sufficiently value oneself to not have to depend on someone else’s love. She learned to get to know people well, not to accelerate living experiences that require more maturity to face them and recognize that one must first love oneself.
What characteristics a leader must have?
“I believe that a leader must be an empathic, helpful and fair person”