My scientists name is Angela Santos. She was born in Santo Domingo, which is the capital of the Dominican Republic. She lived with her father, her mother, her sister, and her grandmother. She was a very successful person and made her family proud. Her father, Marino Rodriguez, was self-employed and worked to support his family. Eventually, problems started to stir up in the family, and Angelas parents decided to get divorced. When they got divorced Justina Mueses, Angelas mother, had to work full time at the hospital, spending no time with her daughters.
She went to work early in the morning, and came back from work very late at night. The girls stood home with their grandmother, Isabel, who taught them how to cook, clean, and take care of each other. Isabel taught the girls that even before they started thinking of getting married a woman should be educated and know how to take care of her house. Isabel played a big role in Angelas life, of course being her grandmother and everything, but she was there when she needed her and Angela appreciates all the help she got from her dear old grandmother.
Isabel only went up to the third grade; however, Angela learned a lot from her grandmothers experiences and stories. Maria Virtudes Rodriguez, Angelas sister, studied accounting, English, cosmetics, and managed to keep a GPA of a 3. 25 in all her classes. She is a single mother, and is currently working at a restaurant in Downtown, Manhattan. She just came from Dominican Republic a year ago, and she is trying to support her son, Anthony, so that he gets the chance of studying in America.
Maria is a hard worker, and spends most of her time at work; however, she always manages to spend time with her son because she knows it is essential. She gives thanks to the Lord everyday for her life, since she was about to lose it. Maria has sickle cell anima, and in giving birth to Anthony she lost a lot of blood. The doctors gave no hope for her or the baby, but praise be to the Lord almighty she was able to live through such a tough situation. Angela had a younger brother, but he died at the age of 3. He also had sickle cell anima, and it advanced so much he developed tuberculosis and died at such a young age.
Justina, Angelas mother, also had a miscarriage, she was expecting twin boys, but unfortunately, she lost them. Through all these tough situations her mother was going through Angela assumed the position of the older daughter and comforted her mother and family; however, through all these tough times she never did poorly in school. As child Angela was a tomboy, she used to climb on top of trees to knock down the fruits. Also, she use to play with the boys around her block, snick out the house through the window, throw rocks just like the boys. Most of her time she spend it talking to her grandmother.
She loved to hear her grandmothers stories about when she was young, and about what all her family went through. Angela recalls that some of the stories were funny, but also some were very sad. Her grandmother taught her to always go for the best, and not to settle for mediocre things. It was very hard to accept the fact that her grandmother died in January a few years ago. As Angela grew up she became more and more interested in school, and one of her favorite subjects was chemistry. She was always a good student and never gave any problems to her teachers.
One day on her way to school she bumped into this guy on the streets they started to talk and became good friends, little did she know that the guy she had just became friends with was going to be her future husband. One, unexpected day Ramon, her future husband, asked her if she would marry him, and she accepted. They got married on December 29, 1980; she was only eighteen when she got married. After they got married, Ramon came by himself to New York. He got a job and an apartment; he was getting ready for when Angela came from Dominican Republic.
In 1982, Angela finally came to New York, and started a new and different life next to her husband in the Big Apple. When she came to America she did not know how to speak English, she did not know her way through New York and she wanted to finish school. She saw many different things in New York that her country did not have. She states that, Every time I heard the sirens of a fire truck, I would go running to the window to see them because in Dominican Republic it unusual to see them. Also, the trains, in Dominican Republic there are no trains so, of course, it caught my eyes.
In her decision to go back to college, she decided to go to Monroe College. However, while in college she finds out she was pregnant, but that didnt stop her from going to college. She went to school in the mornings and to work in the afternoons. After work she would go home to cook for her husband. On April 28, 1983 she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Madalyn Aileen Santos. Her mother in law, Ramona Rodriguez, took care of Madalyn while she worked. Two years later, January 28, 1985, she gave birth to another beautiful young girl, Xenia Charibel Santos. Mrs.
Santos says that Xenia was her birthday present because her birthday is on January 27, on the day of Angelas birthday she went into labor. However, she never got discouraged in her studies, and her house and her family was always taken care of. She would sometimes have to take her daughters to school with her, and then take them to their grandmothers house. Moreover, her husband never complained. Angela graduated with a 4. 0 in computer science. Her professor saw how dedicated she was, and what a hard worker Angela was that he got her an interview with Peter Martinez, the head boss of Master Fire Prevention.
Master Fire Prevention is a company that installs fire instinguishers for restaurants, stores, any commercial place, and houses. Angela went for the interview and got the job. She is currently working in Master Fire Prevention, and is now one of the head secretary managers. She has been working in Master Fire for sixteen years. She is happy with her job; it has helped provide for her family, and gives her many benefits. She continues to be a hard worker; sometimes she even goes Saturdays to finish her work. Everybody at Master Fire acknowledges and appreciates Angela Santos. Angela has accomplished a lot in her lifetime.
She managed to learn English, she is one of the managers in Master Fire, she has managed to keep her marriage for 20 years she says, many people say that if you come from a broken family then your children will also have broken family; however, I come from a broken family and I have been married for 20 years, thanks to God. Also, she has been able to raise four children-Madalyn (18), Xenia (16), Cynthia (13), Ramon Jr. (12). She brought her mother from Dominican Republic so that she can experience what it is to live in New York. Also, she always sends money every month to her father.
Her father has had a few strokes, so she pays for his medical bills and his expenses. Many daughters would hold a grudge on their fathers if they had left their mother; however, Angela, knew what was going on, and even if her father had divorced her mother he never forgot them and did help out with their expenses. Angela is a true believer in God, she is an evangelical, and goes to the Church of God of Prophecy in Dover, New Jersey. She gives thanks all the time to the Lord for giving her the strength she needs to keep on. She says that is hard to work all day and come home tired, and sometime she doesnt even get to see her children.
However, she knows that her children understand that in order to eat you need to work. One of her most favorite lines she likes to tell her children is: We are Hispanics, and Hispanics are mostly discriminated against in many places. Therefore, you need to do good in school so that you can demonstrate to the whole society that we Hispanics can make something of ourselves, and that we are not only here to take up space. Especially, you girls-you are not only Hispanic but you are women and women are also discriminated against so you have to work even harder to demonstrate to society that you can make something of yourselves.
Furthermore, as a woman, a Hispanic, a Christian, Angela Altagracia Santos tries to live life right and day-by-day. Always asking God to take care of her and her family no matter what. Angela may have not won a Noble Price or a medal, but she has shown a good example to her children and that is worth more than a medal. The reason is worth more is because she at least made a difference in her children, by teaching them morals and respect, and by doing that she has made this world at least a better place. One of her favorite Bible versus is found in Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
