First-Gen Brazilian Yasmim Barros to Attend Harvard

We love to see Latinas pursue their dreams and blaze a trail for themselves as daughters of immigrants. Brazilian student Yasmim Barros moved to the United States when she was just 11 years old with limited knowledge of English and is now set to attend Harvard University this fall on a four-year, full ride scholarship. Barros, who is the first to attend college in her family, was born in a rural village in Northern Brazil. At just two years old, her mother, Glaucia Barros Dos Santos, moved to the United States first with Barros being raised in Brazil by her grandparents and older brother, according to People. Almost a decade later, Barros and her brother joined their mother, who was working as a housecleaner in Newark, New Jersey, when they traveled with their father to Newark. 

“This is not just my achievement. I didn’t get here just because I’m me — it’s because they’ve all given me the opportunities that I needed and they helped shape me to who I am today,” Barros said in an interview with People.

Barros graduated from East Side High School in Newark this past June after an impressive high school career. Not only did she graduate as class president and captain of the track and cross country team, she was also the yearbook editor, and a member of the National Honor Society, the Portuguese National Honor Society and the Math Honor Society.  She has also taken time to give back through community walks, fundraising efforts, and more philanthropic work.

In her People feature, Barros credits the people in her life who have shaped her journey and given her the opportunities along the way to become who she is today. During college application season, she drew inspiration from her grandfather for an essay. She submitted a piece in her application about the lessons he taught her about watering plants.

“You have to have patience and you have to understand those plants. And some plants need a lot of water, some doesn’t really need any water. And I took that lesson and I applied it to my relationships with my friends and, really, everyone around me.”

Barros is starting school next month and plans to study at the Institute of Politics, majoring in political science with hopes of attending Harvard Law School—practicing either constitutional law or international law. This first-gen Latina’s story isn’t just inspiring, it’s a reminder of the power we have within ourselves and the importance of believing that we can achieve anything. As Barros says, “I believe in myself and I believe that I can do whatever I put my mind to. If I didn’t believe in myself, I would have likely not even tried going to Harvard.”