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Cuban Immigrant Says Debate Helped Make Harvard Dream a Reality

by Roberto Carmona

Roberto Carmona, a senior at Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School, immigrated to the U.S. at 13 and joined Miami-Dade County Public Schools in 2021. After excelling in the ESOL program, he developed a passion for International Relations and Debate. For the past two years, Roberto has been an active participant in the Miami-Dade Urban Debate League, competing in policy debate tournaments and honing his advocacy skills. He also led South Florida's first team to place in the top 10 at the National Academic WorldQuest. In 2022, Roberto founded the Hispanic Learning League to empower immigrant ESOL students, implementing programs like the ESOL Integration Program through Mathematics and ESOL Student Assemblies.

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MDUDL

Jan 27, 2025 At 03:51 PM EDT

In the weeks leading up to December 12, 2024, "Harvard University" was a dream that escaped my sleep. Visions of crimson walls and the magical glow of Annenberg Hall appeared periodically, as if teasing me with glimpses of a future just out of reach. I could almost smell unfamiliar scents that felt like the colors of Harvard Yard—a strange, preemptive déjà vu. Each day, the visions grew more vivid, weaving into my routine, habits and anxiety. By December 11, they were almost tangible.

Roberto Carmona Teams

Roberto Carmona (third from the left), a high school senior in the Miami-Dade Urban Debate League (MDUDL), holds a trophy with other debaters at a debate tournament at Florida International University. Roberto Carmona (third from the left), a high school senior in the Miami-Dade Urban Debate League (MDUDL), holds a trophy with other debaters at a debate tournament at Florida International University. MDUDL

When the decision finally arrived, paranoia set in. For a second, I wanted to reclaim Harvard as a dream. In the midst of my visions, the possibility of failure took the form of a sentient hourglass. I saw each second fall before my eyes until 7:00 p.m. arrived—my heart fluttering the instant the "view update" sign appeared on my screen. The next thing I remember is the fullness of the word "congratulations," the world around me exploding with the confetti that spilled from the laptop's screen.

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At 7:01 p.m., the hourglass stopped, and as Harvard absolutely abandoned the realm of my dreams, I thought of the four years that had led up to this moment.

On the same screen from which the confetti escaped, I could see the teenager who'd left Cuba behind without understanding the gravity of immigration. I remember the pain of every mispronounced English word, the isolating wall they built and the fear that I might never assimilate. I didn't know then that debate, a lost memory of my academic life in Cuba, was the unlikely key to breaking through this wall of fear and isolation.

During my first-ever Miami-Dade Urban Debate League (MDUDL) tournament, I was convinced that my yet-incomplete understanding of the English language would translate into failure. My first speech was hesitant, my tongue mourning the comfort of Spanish. The fear of failure transformed into an eight-minute timer, and half of my information got lost in my still-present Cuban accent.

Roberto Carmona Miami high school debater

Roberto Carmona, a senior at Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School, immigrated to the U.S. at 13 and joined Miami-Dade County Public Schools in 2021. He was recently accepted into Harvard University. Roberto Carmona, a senior at Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School, immigrated to the U.S. at 13 and joined Miami-Dade County Public Schools in 2021. He was recently accepted into Harvard University. Miami-Dade Urban Debate League

Each tournament was a message of resilience, a reminder that no barrier is impossible to break, including language. Through MDUDL, I not only gained public speaking and argumentation skills, but also a new trust in my dominion of the English language that transcended my initial insecurities and further consolidated my path toward Harvard University.

Now, as I prepare to step onto Harvard's campus, I bring with me the conviction that debate not only strengthens, but also reconfigures the mind. As I look to the future, I'm reminded that the most extraordinary dreams are the ones we dare to pursue, no matter how distant they may seem.

Roberto Carmona, a senior at Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School, immigrated to the U.S. at 13 and joined Miami-Dade County Public Schools in 2021. After excelling in the ESOL program, he developed a passion for international relations and debate. For the past two years, Roberto has been an active participant in the Miami-Dade Urban Debate League, competing in policy debate tournaments and honing his advocacy skills. He also led South Florida's first team to place in the top 10 at the National Academic WorldQuest. In 2022, Roberto founded the Hispanic Learning League to empower immigrant ESOL students, implementing programs like the ESOL Integration Program through mathematics and ESOL student assemblies.

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