Learn more about Breakthrough Behavior staff and their background as we celebrate and honor National Hispanic Heritage Month.
Megan Angulo, M.S. BCBA | Seminole Clinic
What is your background and where is your family from?
My family and I are proud Cuban-Americans! My family escaped the Cuban communist regime in 1960 and relocated to Union City, New Jersey, where they lived for over thirty years before my immediate family (parents, abuelos) moved to Miami in the 1990s where they still reside!
How is your Hispanic heritage important to you?
My Hispanic heritage is important to me because of all the sacrifices my abuelo and abuela made for me as a child. I value my culture and roots by working hard every single day to ensure that my abuelos know just how thankful I am that they have given me the chance to reach the American dream!
Who were your role models growing up?
My abuelos and parents are my role models! My abuelo and abuela uprooted their entire life during the 1960s to escape the brutality of the Cuban government to ensure our family would have a better and free life. I am forever indebted for their strength and courageousness. Without them, I wouldn’t get the opportunity to do what I love every single day. My mother and father are also my role models because my mom was a first generation college student and overcame so many barriers to help inner city children in the Dade County areas. Because of her, I found my love for children and my go-getter attitude to achieve all I can to better the communities I serve. My father inspires me to do better every single day—his hard working ethic has proven to be a part of my everyday life and to never take a single thing from granted. These individuals have provided me a solid foundation to value the freedom so many individuals take for granted and I am so grateful for my abuelo, abuela, and parents.
Why do you work in the behavior analysis field?
I work in the field of ABA to provide functional communication to those families and children who may feel like they’ve lost all hope. My “why” stems from giving families the hope they need to improve their parent-child interactions and show them just how brilliant their child is, just by switching their lens.
What advice would you give to other Hispanic Americans looking to start their career in this industry?
Never shy away from your cultural background. As one of the only fluently Spanish speaking analysts in the Seminole County clinic, owning your roots connects you to so many different kinds of families. I have found that my childhood and my family’s history relates to so many incredible individuals within our communities. I have fallen in love with ensuring that every child and their families feel valued, no matter where they come from.
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