Source: Morning AgClips
Source: Morning AgClips
Nelly Nelson family and consumer sciences agent for UF/IFAS Extension Manatee County.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Growing up poor in Bogotá, Colombia, Nelly Nelson knows firsthand about the “haves” and “have-nots.” That’s a driving force behind her desire to help the less fortunate as the family and consumer sciences agent for UF/IFAS Extension Manatee County. As we celebrate National Women’s History Month, we talked to Nelson about her background and what led her to work in Extension.
Q: Tell us about your background.
A: We had very little money. My mom worked two jobs — as a secretary and as an accountant to be able to send me, my brother and my sister to a private high school. Cafam High School provided me the opportunity to learn English and French. I got to know many international students from the United States and Canada and get exposed to their different ways of life and cultures. I moved to the United States in 2000. I was working for an electrical engineering company that moved me from Bogotá to Miami. I put myself through school by working full-time for a Swiss company as an electrical sales coordinator in Latin America. It was this job that opened my eyes to different standards of living. I am now the only member of my family who lives in the United Sates.