Today we’d like to introduce you to Celia E Ochoa.
Hi Celia, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born in Cuba, and in 1993, my family had no choice but to go into hiding for a year. During that year, my father was able to build a boat, and in August of 1994, during the Cuban Refugee Crisis, we escaped. We would spend 18 hours in the ocean before being picked up by the U.S. Coast Guard and then taken to the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp. We would spend ten months there before being sponsored to the United States. That experience in my life, at such a young age shaped me for the rest of my life. It has been the driving force behind everything I have done to build a better future for myself and my family. It has been why I have always worked so hard to accomplish every single goal I have set for myself. And it is a constant reminder to never take things for granted. Today, I’m a wife and mom. I am a Navy veteran working in Corporate Operations. I’m a small business owner and co-owner of a photo booth company, Center Shot Selfies, serving North and Central Florida. And I am an indie author, having published my memoir, Row Your Boat Cuban Refugee, in 2023. I am working on my debut fiction novel and in school for Graphic Design Production. I got to where I am today by using the most challenging experience a 7-year-old could go through and using that as the fuel to aim for better. I used it as motivation to make the most of the opportunity to make it to this country.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road? If not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not at all been a smooth road for me. It has been quite the opposite. Our experiences escaping Cuba and being in a detention camp are one of the hardest things that I have been through. But as is in life, we experience many obstacles and challenges.
Once we made it to the United States, I faced the challenges of speaking or understanding English. I had never been to school before that, and I was 7 years old, starting school for the first time in 2nd grade. If I could catch up by the end of the school year, I would be allowed to continue. I accepted that challenge, and within 4 months, I had learned to read, write, and speak English so fluently that I no longer required ESOL. Accomplishing that took work. The effort that I was putting in caused so much stress that my hair began to fall out in chunks. It was only after seeing a doctor that we learned he attributed it to the tremendous effort I was putting in and the pressure and stress I was putting myself under. I knew then that I would always put all my effort into anything I needed to accomplish.
As a teenager, as all teens do, I went through many obstacles and challenges—many silent battles. Adulthood is no different. As life does, it has consistently thrown obstacles in my way and continues to do so. But as I promised myself as a child, I have continued to face them head-on, always up to the challenge. I have remained consistent in always looking forward and aiming for better.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might need to become more familiar with what you do, what can you tell them about what you do?
While my day-to-day career is in Corporate Operations and has been for the last 7 years, I was interested in art, films, books, and writing from a young age. Reading and writing became a form of escape for me from the complex life and experiences I had been through. This continued to be true throughout my life. In 2023, I published my memoir, Row Your Boat Cuban Refugee, detailing my life in Cuba, the experience of escaping and being in a detention camp, our life after arriving in the United States, and everything I have accomplished since. That same year, my spouse and I opened our photo booth business, Center Shot Selfies. I think capturing moments and memories you can reflect on is so important. Especially when life passes you by so quickly, you constantly wonder, ‘Where did the time go.’ I am incredibly proud of writing and putting my story into the world. It’s scary for someone who isn’t famous or well-known to put out a memoir, not knowing if anyone would even care to read it. What truly sets me apart from others is the experiences I’ve been through and how I’ve used that experience for almost 30 years as fuel for everything I do.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and any essential lessons or epiphanies you can share?
Absolutely. The biggest thing that that crisis taught us all is how quickly our realities can change. That crisis came about so quickly that many of us didn’t even have a chance to process or truly acknowledge how severe it was. It also reminded us all of how fleeting life can be. So many people were here one day and gone the next because of Covid-19. It was just another reminder to never take anything for granted.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/readwithceo
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celiaeochoa/
- Other: https://a.co/d/c0hruSp
