The Cuban guy Ruddy Guerrero Alvarez, a computer science enthusiast who trained at Santa Clara University, is now a prominent professor in Pamplona, Spain, after receiving a scholarship to complete his master's degree there.
The 29-year-old Cuban computer engineer, in an interview with Navarra Diary, explained how his tenacity and commitment have been rewarded by becoming a teacher in a small town on the Iberian Peninsula.
Ruddy went from earning 34 euros a month as a teacher in Cuba to having a better-paid job teaching at the Public University of Navarra and at the Algorithmics academy. He specializes in teaching Python, a high-level programming language.
It was not easy to achieve this, he had to go through other jobs and currently his working day is completed with a job at the Sumitomo company. This new life is the result of a series of personal and family challenges and sacrifices that began in his homeland, but that he assures have been worth it.
He recalled that his passion for science began as a teenager in Cuba, where the practice of computing was a test of patience with technologically obsolete equipment that, according to what he says, "you gave them a run, you went to have coffee, you came back and "It was still charging."
Despite coming from a middle-class Cuban family, equivalent to poor by international standards, Ruddy stood out in computer science Olympics, won nationally, and qualified for a trip to compete in Australia but it was canceled due to lack of government funds. .
However, he achieved subsequent achievements in China, where he placed first with the Cuban team in the Caribbean. After graduating, he began his teaching career at Santa Clara University teaching Optimization, but the monthly salary made it clear to him that there was no prosperous future there.
Ruddy wanted to advance academically and professionally, something that the Cuban government has not favored in its university graduates for decades. So he applied for international scholarships and was accepted with one of 6,000 euros to study a master's degree at the Public University of Navarra.
He computer engineer He did not have the resources to pay for the trip and his family supported him financially so he could fulfill his dreams. His grandmother took the money she had from the bank and, along with other savings from Ruddy's parents, managed to buy him a plane ticket to Spain.
The young man arrived in Pamplona in November 2020, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. He faced an unknown and cold academic environment, marked by the social distancing that the moment imposed.
"At the university there was an empty chair and on the other side the classmate. 'No one loves me,' I thought, but my mother told me on the phone to be calm, that it was because of COVID-19. Soon I made friends," Ruddy said.
Despite the difficulties, he forged new bonds and adapted to life in the city, especially valuing its nature and the beauty of its urban landscapes.
However, time is running out and being left without a scholarship could mean something very serious for your immigration status. Aware of the need to extend his stay in Spain, he found a job opportunity at Sumitomo, which allowed him to finance his life and change his visa for a work visa.
In addition to his role in the industry, he is dedicated to teaching future generations of programmers, celebrating the successes of his disciples, such as that achieved by the young Ariadna Puertas, who took second place in the Navarra Computing Olympiad.
Ruddy feels gratitude for the support and welcome he has received in Spain, where he has never felt separated because of his Cuban origin. Although the longing for his family and his homeland persists, especially when winter arrives, this Cuban does not doubt how opportune the path chosen was.
"I have met great people in Navarra, who are willing to help, faithful to the principles. My grandmother wanted me to be a baseball player, but if I go back, I do the same, I am an engineer."
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