My Best Self: Maria Alexandra Jerez

Maria Alexandra Jerez
Orion U.S., Negotiator, Activation

How do you define striving to be your “Best Self?”
Striving to be my “Best Self” consists of three ingredients: visions, motivations, and actions.

Through my visions I am able to analyze and picture past, present, and future goals. I am able to craft my career goals, individual goals, and family goals. My visions are the art of my life.

My motivations are like the gas in a car, or like the air in my lungs, or like the ocean for the fish – essential for survival. My biggest motivations are my family, my daughter, and my mother. They are the fuel that keep me running, the air I breath every day, and the ocean that allows me to swim on and live.

Lastly, my actions allow me to get my visions running, so that they don’t just stay as a vision, but rather manifest into reality.

All three ingredients combined makes the perfect milk shake, my favorite milkshake, and allows me to always strive to be my “Best Self”.

Where did you grow up?
I was born in Biblian, a small indigenous farm town in “la Sierra,” Ecuador. I grew up there until my eight years of age. It is where I learned to milk the cows, raise chickens and/or pigs, collect wood for fire, harvest potatoes and corn and beans, etc. At the age of eight I moved to New York and have since lived in Queens for over two decades. I love Queens and its diversity – the multiple parks offer their own unique cultures; the food is fantastic! Never running out of choices. The diverse population enables one to experience a different country by simply walking a few blocks apart.

What are your hobbies? 
I enjoy reading a good book at the porch or outside on a rainy day. I also love listening and grooving to folk, country, and rock music. Lastly, long walks, exploring, and getting lost is just me.

Best piece of advice you have received? 
Always give it your 100%, you will have no regrets.

What skill are you currently learning (or would love to learn)? 
I am currently learning more about data science/engineering, and machine learning. I’ve picked up some skills with Python and SQL and look forward to learning more, as well as implementing them. This, thanks to the sci-fi movies watched during childhood, which sparked an interest within me for all data science and machine learning “stuff”. Although, on the complete opposite side, I also have a long-term goal to learn to play the piano and guitar, to play them so effortlessly and in such a synchrony such that it will transcend multiple barriers.