Grandville — If someone had told 4-year-old Miguel Rojas in Venezuela that one day he’d find himself with an acceptance letter to the top-ranked Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan … Well, he probably would have believed it. There’s just something in Miguel that sees possibility in everything — as long as you’re willing to put in the work. And he has.
Now a senior at Grandville High School, Miguel’s parents moved his family to the United States from Venezuela when he was 5 years old. He started kindergarten in Florida and later moved to Oklahoma and then South Carolina, before the family settled in West Michigan at the start of his fifth-grade year. Once here, Miguel attended middle school in Kelloggsville Public Schools before deciding to transfer to Grandville for high school.
“Moving to so many places and so many schools definitely sucks, but I know now that it was the best thing for me. It helped me be who I am today,” Miguel said. “In the moment you don’t often see the benefits of doing something hard. But it’s something that my parents would tell me all the time, and now that I am more able to reflect on my life, I can see that it’s true. And it can be true for anybody.”
Throughout his many moves, a constant in Miguel’s life has been his desire to become, as he put it, “a successful businessman.” But that’s not the only goal he’s set for himself. SNN spoke with him about his dreams for the future, that fateful acceptance letter and the family inspiration that drives him to succeed.
What is your dream? “I want to be an example to others that no matter where you’re from, no matter what position you’ve been in, you can always change and work and adapt to become who you really want to be. No matter how you start, you could always finish strong.”
Miguel acknowledged change can be scary — “everything comes with some sort of risk” — but said he wants to inspire others to take those risks.
“My parents took a risk in moving (to the United States), so I know that I wouldn’t be here without risk. … If I always played it safe, I wouldn’t have applied to (the University of Michigan). I would have kept thinking, ‘Maybe I can’t. Maybe I don’t belong.’ Sometimes your mind gets the best of you. But if you have aspirations to do something with your life, and you keep studying and focused on it, I believe you’ll end up getting what you want in return.”
What is your dream career? “My dream is to be a CFO, a chief financial officer, working as the head of financial operations for a corporation. I want to see what’s going on with how they run the business and help make the best decisions that will have the best outcomes for everyone. I would want to make sure that everyone is benefitting (from those decisions) and that I wouldn’t be acting selfishly. … The position of CFO has always sounded so big to me, and I’ve always wanted to be in those shoes to see how it feels, being one of those fancy men in suits.”
Why is this your dream job? Miguel’s dreams have been inspired by his grandpa, his father’s father, who worked as an accountant. Although he died before Miguel was born, his memory has been kept alive through photos and stories shared by Miguel’s parents.
“I have always heard about the great man he was, how he was such a sophisticated businessman, and I have always felt drawn to him. He’s this man I never met, but who I look up to. Every time I do something business-related, dressed up in a suit, I think I get closer to him. … I’ve always been in love with numbers (and) finance, and so I think that aspect of (wanting to work in) business comes from my grandpa and wanting to be like him.”
How are your teachers or your education helping you achieve your dreams? Miguel said he’s felt cared for by teachers in every grade and every state, starting with his kindergarten teacher in Florida who helped him learn English.
At GHS, he credits counselor Lucas Inman with helping him get into more business classes and prepare for college.
“Mr. Inman helped me pick and choose the right classes and make sure everything looks good in my schedule, but he also gave me a lot of advice; (he) made sure to tell me that it wasn’t going to be easy. He would always remind me that I was preparing for college, that I have to keep my momentum even though I’m approaching the finish line. … I’m grateful every day that I’ve had someone taking that extra step for me, who truly cares about me.”
What was it like to be accepted to the Ross School of Business and take the next step toward achieving your dreams? “It felt like all that hard work, all the moves (my family) made, all of the time I spent reading and studying about business topics, all of that was worth it. I think that was the moment it became real — not just a hobby or something I like to do, but an actual dream come true.
“My parents are astronomically proud. They tell me all the time that they’ve sacrificed everything for their children, and to see me succeed like this is their definition of success. … To be able to say I’m going there is breathtaking. Seeing everything pay off is a feeling I can’t explain; it’s something I wish everybody could feel.”
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