Alfredo Oballos Diaz

Alfredo Oballos Diaz was born and raised in Venezuela. In 2014, he stopped his career in international studies at the Universidad Santa Maria, Distrito Capital, and fled to Miami due to the socio-political instability in his home country. His mother followed a year later. Alfredo worked numerous jobs – from washing cars and waiting tables to working as a teller at Wells Fargo.

He earned his associate degree from Miami Dade College, interned at the Spain-U.S. Chamber of Commerce and enrolled at FIU as an Honors College student.   

While at FIU, Alfredo interned at the Adrienne Arsht Center for Performing Arts and was a research assistant for one of his professors and mentors, Ralph Rosado.

Through the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute’s Global Leaders Fellowship program, Alfredo interned at the office of Congressman Darren Soto in Washington, D.C., where he worked on legislation that included a bill to extend Temporary Protected Status to Venezuelans.  He also learned about blockchain technology and enrolled in an online blockchain professional certificate at UC BerkeleyX.

Alfredo applied for jobs in D.C. and one week before his internship ended – and a few months before graduation – he landed a job at the Global Blockchain Business Council’s D.C. office.

Alfredo credits his mother for his success, as she worked various jobs at a time to help pay for his studies and supported him fully on his educational journey.  

By Gisela Valencia
Junior Account Manager, Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs