Ultimate advice for college students
Stop Waiting for Permission: How I Made College the Launchpad for My Life
When I stepped onto American soil after defecting from Cuba, I didn’t know how to drive, barely spoke the language, and got lost in a Walmart. A year later, I was married and starting college with no clue what I was doing. Fast forward a few years, and I’d had a baby in my sophomore year, joined a Greek club, won a national Kia commercial contest, and started my own production company—all while supporting my family back in Cuba. If I can do that, you’ve got no excuse to waste your college years waiting for life to start. Here’s my story and the ultimate advice I wish every college student would hear: stop waiting for permission and take control of your life now.
From Cuba to College: No Time to Waste
I arrived in America with nothing but a dream and a sense of urgency. College wasn’t just a new chapter—it was a foreign world. Most of my peers were American, fumbling through simpler challenges, while I was navigating a new country, a new language, and a marriage. But here’s the thing: nobody knows what they’re doing at first. The difference? I didn’t let that stop me.
Too many students treat college like a waiting room—four years to “figure it out” before the “real world” begins. That’s nonsense. The real world doesn’t wait for your diploma, and neither should you. I saw college as my shot—a chance my family in Cuba never had—and I wasn’t about to waste it.
Family, a Baby, and No Excuses
By my sophomore year, I had a son. Most people would’ve slowed down, but I sped up. I was still supporting my parents and brothers back home, juggling diapers and deadlines, and refusing to let life’s curveballs define me. I joined a Greek club, went to parties, and made friends—proof you can have fun and still chase your dreams.
The secret? I operated with urgency. Time doesn’t care about your circumstances, and neither does opportunity. If you’re waiting for the “perfect moment” to start that business, launch that YouTube channel, or write that book, you’re already behind.
Turning Homework into a National Win
One of my first college assignments was to create a spec commercial—think fake ads for Doritos or Subway. Everyone else played it safe, but I saw a chance to go bigger. I wanted a real gig. I cold-called local businesses to shoot a commercial for rent money, but no one bit. Then I stumbled across a Kia contest: make a music video, win a car.
I was crazy enough to try it. With no budget, I borrowed a camera, rallied friends from church, and roped in a production buddy. We shot the video, submitted it, and a few months later, I—a 21-year-old immigrant who’d been in America less than a year—won a brand-new Kia Soul. That hamster-mobile changed everything. It wasn’t just a car; it was proof that anything’s possible if you’re bold enough to act.
Building a Production Company in Class
That win lit a fire under me. I started my production company while still in school, shooting music videos and commercials—neck-and-neck with pros twice my age. I didn’t know how to run a company, but I figured it out by doing it. College wasn’t a shelter to hide in; it was my launchpad.
Here’s the kicker: no one outside school cared I was a student. The world doesn’t check your credentials—it rewards results. By the time I graduated, I was making more money than my peers, raising a kid, and running a business. All because I didn’t wait.
My Advice: You Owe It to Yourself
If you’re in college—or about to be—listen up. You don’t need a professor’s blessing to start living your life. You’re already in the real world, so act like it. Here’s what I learned:
Know what you want. Don’t buy the “it’s okay to not know” line. Pick something and run with it.
Act now. Start that project, that side hustle, that dream—today.
Be exceptional. Regular is fine for some, but not you. You’re capable of more.
Have fun, too. Ambition doesn’t mean misery—I partied, joined clubs, and still crushed it.
You’ve got four years that can either be a limbo of wasted time or the foundation of an epic life. I chose the latter, and I owe it to myself—and my family—to make every second count. You owe it to yourself, too.
Take Control Today
College isn’t a prerequisite for permission—it’s a platform for action. I went from a lost immigrant to a dad, filmmaker, and entrepreneur in those years because I refused to wait. Whatever your goal—a business, a creative passion, a bold move—start it now. The clock’s ticking, and the world won’t wait.
