With Mika Brzezinski, Ohioan & DACA Beneficiary Daniela Pierre-Bravo is Helping Women to “Know Their Value,” Advance in their Careers
Cleveland, OH – Lima, Ohio native and DACA beneficiary Daniela Pierre-Bravo is out with her first book, co-authored with Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski, entitled Earn It! Know Your Value and Grow Your Career, In Your 20s and Beyond.
A producer at MSNBC, Pierre-Bravo was undocumented until the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program made it possible for her to get a work permit and opened up doors that had previously been closed.
At Refinery29, Pierre-Bravo writes about how she turned those challenges into opportunities:
I was 17 when I realized I wouldn’t be able to apply for students loans because of my undocumented status. Affording to pay for college was going to be an uphill battle, but I learned something important about creating your own luck and being empowered to define your own narrative. I began to see “No” as an opportunity to find creative solutions around challenges. I refused to believe I couldn’t afford college, so I enrolled at Miami University of Ohio anyway and took each semester one payment at a time; applying for private scholarships, entering creative writing contests, working short-term cash-paying jobs, and finding ways to minimize the costs of room and board. There were semesters I had to take off altogether when I didn’t have enough money to pay tuition. But instead of completely giving up, I forced myself to think of those obstacles that left me feeling defeated as bumps in the road, rather than an end-all. I taught myself that Yes was only a few No’s away. The was key to moving forward.
This is the quality of advice that Pierre-Bravo and Brzezinski dispense in their book Earn It! The duo has been making the rounds on TV promoting their book and teaching women that the key to career success is to “know your value.”
As Brzezinski wrote in a Tweet:”🔥🔥For young women in marginalized communities or with underprivileged backgrounds, working hard is only half the battle…..Sometimes you have to be your own best supporter and harness your strength from your core.”
Read more about Pierre-Bravo’s journey–part immigrant story, part Ohio success story, and all American–in this article at Refinery29.
Follow the Ohio Immigrant Alliance on Twitter @tramontela