About Carlos Ojeda, Jr.

He’s been called one of the most dynamic speakers under thirty in America today. The remarkable journey of his life began in the streets of Newark, New Jersey and later to Reading, Pennsylvania where his immigrant parents saw opportunities for themselves and for their first generation Puerto Rican children. Growing up proved to be a difficult task, particularly school. Not understanding his socio-economic and cultural background, many of his high school teachers told him he would never amount to anything. One teacher once called him, “the greatest piece of garbage he had ever seen.” Yet his drive, passion and dreams led him to overcome those obstacles and pursue a career of life learning and educational success, being the first person in his family to graduate from college with honors. His experiences have led him to always remind Latino youth to, “never, ever, ever let anyone tell you who you are or what you will become. That’s your destiny to fulfill, no one else’s.”

His mission to live life completely and passionately is only rivaled by his desire to share his message. Because of this he has become a published writer, poet and speaker. His ability to extend the touch of mere spoken words, to transform them into powerful thought-provoking, emotionally charged commentaries about life, education and society have been highly praised from print media to public radio after his first speaking engagement as the Keynote speaker at the Pennsylvania Statewide Latino Coalition Conference in 1997. Like his praises, he continues to represent a model of transformational leadership throughout the community, speaking on issues of education, empowerment, and progress.

He lives his life according to the saying, “life is not measured by the breaths that you take, but rather by the moments in life that take your breath away.” And adds to it by proclaiming, “it doesn’t matter how long you live, it matters what you do while you live.” It is his belief that human progress comes through the determined efforts to promote education, social activism and entrepreneurism in our youths. According to him, “every second that you live, every breath that you take, is a second and a breath that you have to turn it all around.” He sees now as the time to transform the youth into leaders of today, not tomorrow.