"One Must Have a Dream"
“One must have a dream.” So proclaims Natalia De Andrade, a recipient of this year’s Suzanne Macaoay Memorial Scholarship. Natalia has a dream, a dream that has been propelling her forward for many years.
Natalia was born and raised in a small town in Brazil. Her mother, a teacher, encouraged her to learn English and Spanish as well as Portuguese, her native language. To learn English, she would read the subtitles of English-language television shows and movies and then say them out loud. Years of practice resulted in her fluent, accent-less English.Natalia received a college degree in international business, a practical choice for a career-oriented woman. But her heart was elsewhere. “As a child, I had a lot of health issues because I didn’t nourish my body enough.” These difficulties led to a desire to understand nutrition’s role in human health. “I am fascinated by the science behind human performance and how the right fuel can change everything in an athlete’s competition,” says Natalia. Her interest in athletics does not stem from her childhood experiences – while her classmates were playing on sports teams, her mother was sending her to book clubs.
To pursue her passion, Natalia moved to the United States four years ago to become a nutritionist. “I left everything behind. I haven’t seen my family since I arrived here.”
For two years, she worked multiple jobs so she could pay for her education. Natalia then enrolled in Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC), taking as many courses as possible to earn an associate’s degree in biology as quickly as possible. She gets extra motivation from biology professor Madhavi Shah, who has taken Natalia under her wing. “She believes in me,” says Natalia.
Natalia herself believes in giving back to the community. She volunteers with Rock Steady Boxing, which helps people with Parkinson’s disease fight their symptoms through non-contact boxing practice. She also is an English-Spanish translator at a local food bank.
“I have goals. I have dreams. I have things I want to accomplish. As a foreigner who left everything behind to build a new life, the Suzanne Macaoay Memorial Scholarship helps me make my mission possible. It validates all the sacrifices I have made so far.”