Latina Movers N Shakers ! end
Clara granada
NAME : Clara I . Granada PROFESSION : Flooring Specialist COMPANY : Carpet Store YOUR COUNTRY : Colombia HOMETOWN : Cali
Carmen alfaro
Name : Dr . Carmen Alfaro What is your Profession : Pediatrician Company : My Tampa Bay Pediatrics Your Pais : Venezuela Hometown : Caracas
Latin Times : How did you get started in your career ? Dr . Carmen Alfaro : I went to medical school at “ Luis Razetti ” Medical school in Venezuela , I finished my first pediatric residency in Venezuela at “ Miguel Perez Carreño General Hospital ” and then I moved with my family to USA . In 2005 , I finished my second Pediatric Residency at Driscoll Children ’ s Hospital in Texas . I was very fortunate to be named and hold the position of chief residents at this Hospital for 15 months .
Latin Times : What do you enjoy most about you what you do ? Dr . Carmen Alfaro : I love my patients and I take care of them as they are my own children . I see patients of all ages between 0 to 18 years and I get to see them growing . Also , I have great interactions with all my families and I know them really well .
Latin Times : Please tell us about your biggest obstacles , and how you have overcome them . Dr . Carmen Alfaro : I have to study very hard to get certify as a foreign doctor and to be eligible to enter into an USA residency and later to be able to work as a pediatrician . I ’ ve proved
to myself that if you have discipline , perseverance and study hard you could reach all your goals regardless where you came from .
Latin Times : What separates YOUR medical office , from the others ? Dr . Carmen Alfaro : We offer a personalized care with high quality . With two pediatric residents , bilingual and 5 years as an USF medical school faculty member , I think I can say we offer some experience too . We also provide accessible , comprehensive , coordinated and compassionate care to all children and youth , including children and youth with special health care needs .
Latin Times : Please tell us about your family . Dr . Carmen Alfaro : I have a wonderful husband , Gustavo who has been beside me in my entire career and is helping us to build and coordinate our new practice . I have 2 children : Gustavo Jr . who is 14 years and enjoys baseball and plays the viola and my daughter Veronica who is 10 years and likes gymnastics .
Latin Times : Who is a hero / role model that you admire ( Living or deceased ) and why do you admire them ? Dr . Carmen Alfaro : “ God ” who has giving me the courage , perseverance and motivation to be a better person and pediatrician every day and my family who gives me strength and happiness .
Latin Times : What do you enjoy most about what you do ? Clara Granada : Meeting different people every day is definitely a plus , every day we get to help the contractors , builders , designers and retail customers with their flooring needs . Most of them are friends now , we see them more often than our own family ! The Carpet Store is very involved with the Latin community and we participate in all kind of events which is wonderful , I have learned a lot about the different customs , foods and regionalisms from all the Spanish speaking countries .
Latin Times : Please tell us about your biggest obstacles and how you have overcome them . Clara Granada : I would say the economy ! After the housing market plummeted our sales have declined , some of our competitors are even out of business ! Our sales are very stable but , as the rest of the country , could be better .
Latin Times : What exciting plans do you have for your services ? Clara Granada : Last year the company implemented the RRP system which is basically an automatized referral card where the contractors / builders / designers / retail customers can refer us other customers and make 2 % out of the sale . Word of mouth is our main referral source .
Latin Times : Please tell us about your family . Clara Granada : My immediate family is composed by my husband and two daughters . We enjoy going to the movies , walking our dogs , going to the park or the beach , taking the girls to different sports or activities such as dance and soccer classes , gymnastics , shows and of course Disney World !
Latin Times : Who is a hero / role model that you admire ( living or deceased ) and why do you admire them ? Clara Granada : Among the Latino community there are many heroes that help people in need every day and I think all of us that left our native countries are heroes in our own way . I have known parents that have left their children in their country looking for the “ American dream ”, years passing without being able to give their kids a hug . I see ourselves as plants that have been transferred from one pot to another , It take years for the roots to start to attach to the new ground , little by little every day we get adapted to the different food , weather , customs and of course language . I am grateful to live in this wonderful country and I am sure all the millions of people from the Hispanic community feel the same way .
But if I I have to mention the name of a role model I would have to tell you a story . I visited Memphis , TN , with my family . During that trip I had a chance to visit the National Civil Rights Museum . The museum gave me a powerful and realistic view of how life was before the inspirational movement that took place in the late 50 ’ s guided by Dr . Martin Luther King Jr . His speech “ I have a dream ” it ’ s an inspiration for me because he showed us that we all could live in a color blind society . His legacy lives for all the minorities in the country .