"The best gift to a young girl is the belief that she can do anything she sets her mind to do."

"She will persevere! Minerva Cordero is a Puerto Rican mathematician and Professor of Mathematics at the University of Texas at Arlington. Her research on Finite Geometries has applications to several fields, including computer science and artificial intelligence. She has traveled all over the United States and Europe sharing her research and passion for Mathematics.

When she came to the United States for graduate studies in mathematics, she realized that some people made assumptions about a person's intelligence and scientific ability based on the person's race and gender. She has worked tirelessly to show that those misconceptions have no basis for existing. Minerva worked at the National Science Foundation to develop systemic approaches to increase participation and advancement of women in academic STEM careers and enhance the quality of undergraduate STEM education at Hispanic Serving Institutions. She is also heavily involved with outreach activities to increase the number of underrepresented minority students in the mathematical sciences."