Look Who it Was Random video

Now making robots, instead of pan (bread): Cynthia Erenas at TEDxBoyleHeights 2014

3,446 views · Published 10 June 2014 · 7:21 · Indexed 14 October 2026

Channel: TEDx Talks · 2014 · Nonprofits & Activism

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"To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure, but risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing" ~ anonymous.

Each wave of immigrants has enriched the country.  The peril of their journey is worth the risk seeking a better life. They are driven by hope with hard work to earn the right to compete for an opportunity.   

Cynthia is a 16-year-old immigrant.  Imagine yourself as a 7-year-old little girl attempting to cross the border to join her dad without a visa; that is her story.  Where were you at 7 years old?  

Now living in Boyle Heights, in High School she heard that the U.S has a deficit 80,000 of engineers and heard President Clinton's challenge for youth to engage in STEM careers.  Her sight is set on MIT.

Cynthia's goals are inspirational; she perseveres and excels with focus and determination honoring her fathers' dreams for her.

Cynthia is a High School student pursuing her dream to enter MIT to become a Mechanical Engineer. She is an undocumented student, a Dreamer* and program manager for the Robotics Team now competing in the regional FIRST national competition founded by Dean Kamen.

*a Dreamer is a young immigrant person who was brought to the U.S. as children, often as infants for whom the United States is the only country they know.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

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