For 18-year-old Ehren Sixon, learning he was first in his class at Northwest Christian High School came as a welcome surprise. He was especially thrilled to share the news with his mother. “She came from a third world country and worked hard,” Sixon said. “I wanted to make her proud.” FIU is so proud to welcome this ambitious young man to the Golden Panther family that we’re featuring him in an ad campaign to run in The Miami Herald. Recently, we met with Sixon and asked him a few questions about himself and his future plans. Here is an excerpt of the interview

What it took to be the best in my class:
A lot of hard work. My mom has been my inspiration. Through her example, I’ve learned that a person can achieve anything – even what seems impossible – through hard work and perseverance.

On starting college at FIU:
I have friends attending FIU who told me how great it was. They said I’d work hard but that we’d help each other through it.

Where I see myself in five years:
I plan on using the entrepreneurial skills and technical knowledge I’ve gained to start my own computer business.

My dream:
I feel I’m part of a generation that can change the future. I’d like to use my success to help others, maybe even build a church for the whole community.

Here is a video of the interview:

To view the ad, which ran in the July 2nd issue of 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.