(PHOENIX, AZ) – In October 2015, Reynaldo (Rey) Bujan Figueredo left the small town of Las Tunas, a province in Cuba, to join his family in Phoenix, Arizona. Although Rey arrived to the U.S. with limited English skills and a somewhat inaccurate perception of the American culture, he quickly adapted to his new environment.
“The U.S. was totally different from everything I had seen before,” he said. “I was introduced to credit cards, differences in politics and the economy, and social norms. I had to redesign my thinking from everything I was taught in Cuba about the U.S.”
While Rey navigated this new beginning, he eagerly embraced every new opportunity presented to him. One day, Rey and his father were driving around looking for schools, and they saw a sign for ұ that said, “Go Far, Close to Home.” This phrase stuck with Rey because this was all he ever wanted to do in life. At that point, he enrolled in English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) classes at ұ to improve his English skills.
“My experience at ұ was nothing but fantastic,” Rey said. “ұ has enriched me in every way, making me ready to succeed and thrive in the personal, professional, and social world.”
Rey discovered that ұ had so much more to offer him than he first realized. In addition to completing his ESL classes, Rey graduated with two degrees, an Associate in Arts and an Associate in Science. While academic life was certainly important to Rey, he also honed his leadership skills by joining a number of clubs and organizations. He was a member of the International Club, STEAM Club, Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) International Honor Society, and Pre-Med Club. Rey also participated in the Global Leadership experience and social justice events like the Latinx Fishbowl and Tunnel of Oppression. He also credits his undergraduate research and opportunity to study abroad as milestones throughout his journey at ұ. Rey’s involvement in a number of activities made him a well-known figure at ұ, and in 2018 he was elected as the ұ Homecoming King.
Rey not only took full advantage of his experience at ұ, but he also encouraged others to see its benefits as well. Rey was honored to serve as a ұ Ambassador. In this role, he gave tours to prospective students and participated in many different events and ceremonies.
“ұ has nourished my life in every aspect,” Rey mentioned. “It did not only give me the opportunity to elevate and advance in my education but also provided employment. I have learned so much from the caring and inspiring faculty and staff. I have learned that nothing is impossible and the only barrier that separates us between our goals is in our minds. ұ allowed me to feel at home since I stepped on campus for the first time, which evidently helped me to learn the language faster.”
Rey attributes his success at ұ as the first step to accomplishing his goal of becoming a doctor. In August 2020, he transferred to Arizona State University to pursue a degree in Medical Studies.
When offering advice to other English-language learners, Rey suggests being proactive and moving out of your comfort zone.
“Sometimes the conditions to start learning English or pursuing a higher education might not be as perfect as we would wish, but rarely are things perfect. The most important thing in achieving our goals is to take the first step towards it, no matter how small, and gradually increase the pace. Besides having a proactive attitude and going out of the comfort zone to talk to people, we can make small changes in our daily life such as having all entertainment in English, which will have an incredible impact on the long run.”