Latin Times Magazine Vol 14 No 4 | Page 12

en la communidad Oxalis B. Garcia first choice, but God had other plans and directed me to be the type of attorney I am today. Please tell us about you familia and where you are from I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, the west side of the island. My father is a periodontist and my mother is a school psychologist. I have 2 siblings. My entire family lives in the island with the exception of me and my brother. I moved the states in 2009. Prior to living in Florida, I lived in Maryland, but quickly discovered the islander in me did not like the winters, so after a couple of years there we moved to Orlando, Florida and then to the Tampa bay area. What in your opinion has been your greatest achievement in your life in your professional career? My greatest achievement has been to participate as a guardian ad litem for a child who was very blessed because many individuals loved and wanted him, but they were hurting the child with the animosity amongst them. I intervened as a gal and help the courts see what the courts were not able to see due to their limited access to information and made recommendations which ultimately help heal a family and protect a you child’s emotional wellbeing. Attorney at Law What did you want to be as a child? I always knew i wanted to be an attorney. Tell us how you got started in your career as an attorney I wanted to make a difference, help people with the many injustices I witnessed and thought a career in the legal field would allow me that opportunity. What kind of law do you practice, and why? I mostly practice family law, plus I do some criminal and immigration work as well. Honestly, these areas of law were not my 12 Latin Times Magazine What has been your greatest obstacle, and how did you overcome it? My greatest obstacle is myself. I constantly doubt myself and feel I have not done enough, but then I remind myself I am only human and although I wish I could do miracles or wave a magic wand and get the client what he/she wants, sometimes that is not possible, whether it be because the facts or the law is not on their side or on occasions because the client itself has failed to follow the legal advice provided to them. Although that doesn’t change how I feel, it www.latintimesmedia.com does make me a better attorney and I always strive to be better. What inspirational message can you say to someone that wants to become an attorney? This is not a job, it is a devotion. Many attorneys are not millionaires, that is the image presented on television, and in the movies, but it is a farce. If you are not dedicated to the legal cause, find another profession, because being an attorney is a 24/7 job. Who is your Hero/Role model (living or deceased) and why? I don’t have one in specific. I admire individuals who make a difference who do not fear to stand up for themselves even when the rest of the world seems against them, diminishes them and/or rejects them. Those are my heroes, the ones who truly make and take affirmative steps to make a difference. Oxalis B. Garcia, Esq. Licensed: Florida, Maryland & Puerto Rico Byrd & Gonzalez P.A. Phone 407-580-0036 [email protected] Abraza el calor de tu cultura!