Alexandre de Souza Carvalho Pennington

When I was young, I wanted to be important and successful. I would spend hours imagining myself in a business meeting or wearing my father’s suit. I understand now what I did not back then. Success comes from persistence and resilience. I came to the U.S. from Brazil to work as a bellman. Only through some hardships during that time, like not having enough money for food and having to borrow clothes from workmates, I began to understand the importance of a college education.

Thanks to the many resources that Wake Tech has offered me, I am now going to transfer to UNC Chapel Hill through the C-Step program. At Wake Tech, I have been honored to participate in the National Society of Leadership and Success, Phi Theta Kappa, the Honors Program, the Study Abroad program, and served as the president of the Economics Club, all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. Wake Tech and this country have shown me that through hard work and commitment to my college education, I am able to achieve my goals. Thanks to Wake Tech, I have accomplished much more than I ever dreamed, and I am hopeful for the future.