Gabriela Maldonado Estrada - June 2020

A few weeks ago, I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Brigham Young University, and I now have a job at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Right after finishing my last final, the first thing I did was call Mr. Justice to thank him for giving me the opportunity to be part of the Equity family. Without them, I would not be where I am today.

At Equity, I received an excellent education that prepared me for college and helped me excel in all those scary calculus classes. I was ready to write a 15-page research paper during my freshman year, and I was able to ace every short essay that was assigned. Equity gave me the tools to face any academic challenge that was presented, and I will forever be grateful for that. However, I got much more than a simple academic education. At Equity, I learned to appreciate different cultures, to be adventurous and try new things, to accept different points of view, to lead by example, the importance of developing a creative mind, and the list goes on. These were the lessons that helped me build significant relationships, make difficult decisions, and make a difference in my community. These lessons helped me get to where I am today.

What I am the most grateful for is the family I found there. I felt like I could count on anyone in this school. I also made friends that I still consider my family today. Although we all live in different countries now, we still keep in touch and teach each other how to enjoy life, despite all the trials.

Graduated in 2015 from Equity American School