Look who's in the spotlight

From Ballet in Cuba to Criminal Justice in the U.S.

So at the age of 10 you pretty much have a set routine. You wake up, go to school, and play, right? Reminisce … feel the grass squish between your toes. Okay, now that I have taken you back to that time, imagine being uprooted from that life and thrown into a new place and culture. One day you're trying out for a prestigious ballet school in Cuba and were accepted, the next you are living in Florida. Personally, I would have thrown one of those full body tantrums.

Unlike what I would have done, Yanna Llorente student at Southwest Florida College and recipient of the 2007 Imagine America Promise scholarship took it in stride. Everyone's parents hope for a better life for their children. It was this reason that the Llorente family left Cuba in 1998.

Once in the United States, Yanna entered Blake High School in Tampa, Florida. There she was able to continue her passionate love for ballet. Ballet wasn't the only thing on her plate though, not by far. The only thing Yanna didn't do during her senior year of high school was sleep. Seriously! Why you ask? Yanna was busy taking her regular classes, 3 AP classes, dance classes, online classes, teaching dance outside of school and working at the mall. Why would anyone work that hard during their senior year? Yanna, the self professed overachiever was preparing for college.

For all of you out there thinking there is no way I can do all that. Yanna agrees, she says, "I was so stressed out and busy I didn't have time to figure out what college I even wanted to go to. To other students, I advise them not to get so stressed out, because my senior year was the worst."

After graduating from high school, Yanna was finally stress free, but still did not know where she was going for college. "My mom said I had to stop everything and calm down," says Yanna.

Yanna's relaxation lasted for two weeks. There were several schools that offered Yanna scholarships. They just weren't what she was looking for. Through research Yanna found a school that made an impression on her. "I was interested in criminal justice and found Southwest Florida College in Tampa, FL," said Yanna. "I went to the college and was very impressed with the teachers, it was family oriented, the teachers know the students and what the students want and need, I was very impressed by the visit."

In 2008, Yanna will get her associate degree in criminal justice from Southwest Florida College. And, guess what she is not stopping there, by 2010, she plans to have her bachelor's degree in criminal justice. No surprise that this hard worker has been on the Dean's list for 4 consecutive terms and maintains a 4.0 GPA. Impressed? I am. Oh, I almost forgot, she is also President of Alpha Beta Kappa Honor Society.

What does the future hold for Yanna? Washington DC. DC holds a special place in Yanna's heart, since she would like to work in the field of national security with the FBI or as part of the White House staff. This young lady is motivated, hard working, intelligent, and the list goes on. I have only talked about half the stuff she has done, really. I would have to write a book for all of her accomplishments. We at the Imagine America Foundation have no doubt Yanna will be very successful in life.