Her academic journey began in the early 2000’s, when she was a student at Hudson County Community College. “I saw the second plane hit the tower from my classroom window,” Cynthia recalled. “Since then, I never wanted to even think about school.”That day marked the beginning of a 20-year pause in Cynthia’s education. It wasn’t until she learned that her daughter’s Spanish teacher wasn’t fluent in the language that Cynthia felt the pull to return to the classroom herself. As a bilingual individual, Cynthia saw an opportunity to make a difference.