Alejandra Alberti is having a good year.

The 23-year-old’s dreams of becoming a successful singer are starting to come true. She launched a music career two years ago, released a self-titled pop-rock-R&B album last year and on Nov. 8, she will find out if she is the winner of this year’s “Best New Artist” Latin Grammy Award.

“It’s exciting,” she said. “I totally didn’t expect to be nominated.”

As if that were not enough, the Mexican-Cuban Nashville, Tenn., native will receive her bachelor of arts degree in marketing from FIU in December. She says she plans to incorporate aspects of her field of study into her music career to make herself a well-rounded professional.

FIU is so proud that this young woman is a member of the Golden Panther family that we are featuring her in a “Best in Class” ad campaign that is running in The Miami Herald.

The campaign began with a spotlight on this year’s valedictorians who chose to attend FIU. We recently expanded the campaign to include FIU faculty and researchers, scholar-athletes, student scholars and alumni.

Recently, we met with Alberti and asked her a few questions about herself and her future plans.

My passion:
My music career started two years ago. I released a Spanish pop-rock-R&B album titled “Alejandra Alberti” last year, and I’ve been working and traveling a lot ever since. I was really excited when I found out I’d been nominated for a Latin Gramy™ in the “Best New Artist” category.

On choosing FIU:
There’s a great atmosphere, and I’ve enjoyed learning from my professors. They’re all so knowledgeable. Their different backgrounds and ethnicities add a whole other level to your learning.

On balancing school and work:
It is difficult! I’ve been going to school full-time while trying to get my career off the ground. I’ve taken online classes whenever possible and that’s been a big help. Every day is different and hectic. I just try to balance my music life with my school life and personal life.

My dream:
I want to get my degree. I want to continue with my music career and songwriting and working with different artists. And eventually, I would like to have a family and children.

“FIU has been so convenient and flexible. It’s everything I wanted right here at home.”

To view the ad, which ran October, 29 in the The Miami Herald, please click here to download a PDF file.

You may download Adobe Acrobat Reader from here if needed to view the file.