TAMIU Student’s Essay Selected for National Conference

Last semester, during her ENG 1301-English as a second language class taught by Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) associate professor Dr. Annette Olsen- Fazi, Sofia Maldonado, a freshman at TAMIU, was asked to write an essay about a person who had a grand impact on her life.

Maldonado’s essay was submitted to Weber State University and was accepted for its presentation at the 22nd Annual National Undergraduate Literature Conference in Ogden, Utah.

“From Revolutionary to Businessman” was among “the finest submitted” by an undergraduate student from every state in the nation, according to Mikel Vause, professor of English at Weber State University, who notified Maldonado of her selection.

“From Revolutionary to Businessman” is an inspiring story about Epifanio Maldonado, her great-grandfather.  He survived the Mexican Revolution, lost his parents and faced many challenges. Through it all, his faith and hard work led him to become a prominent man in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, México.

Epifanio, born in Concepción del Oro, Zacatecas, México, never attended school, but taught himself mathematics and thrived for knowledge. He traveled to different cities looking for work, but no matter what job he had he tackled it with a good work ethic, maintaining that: “Good customer service leads to success.”

After gaining experience at his future father-in-law’s grocery store, he decided to open a grocery store in Nuevo Laredo, which became a great success and inspiring Maldonado’s essay.

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– This story by Student Intern Rebecca M. Martinez

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