Name: Dr. Cristina González Alcalá

Occupation: Program Director, Connecting People to Prosperity

Employer: Cleveland Foundation

Name of High School and location:  American School of Durango, Durango, Mexico

Name of College #1 and location: University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky

Name of College #2 and location:  The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio (x3)

Name of your favorite teacher and what made the person special to you (any grade level, including college):  
Dr. Raymond Cox.  Dr. Cox was my favorite teacher because he made public service feel like the most practical and limitless thing a person could choose to do with their life. 

What were some of your most enjoyable times in school (any grade level): Learning physics both in 8th grade and undergrad. Because physics, is fundamentally about understanding the invisible forces that govern how things move, connect, and hold together, which is exactly how I approach public service.

Looking back over the years, what advice would you give to your high school self or college self: Showing up beats knowing up. 

The reason(s) you are raising funds to support Project GRAD Akron’s scholarships and programs: I am raising funds because the people who changed my life showed up before I even knew I needed them, and that is exactly what Project GRAD Akron does.

Favorite quote: “That which does not kill me makes me stronger.” Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols, 1888.

Anything else you would like to share or highlight:  Every dollar invested in Project GRAD Akron turns into someone showing up for a kid who doesn’t yet know they need it.