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56
WBM december 2012
• T h e PhotographY But the Puente family did survive
to eventually thrive in America. Young
Tony learned the English language and
excelled in his schoolwork. After high
school he enrolled in a community college
and out of necessity fast-tracked his
way through undergraduate, graduate
and doctoral degrees.
“One, I didn’t understand the system,
and two, I didn’t have the economic
resources,” he says. “The deal
was how fast will the system let you
go through it? It’s not what I would
suggest to my own children who are
getting their own PhDs.”
Puente graduated with a B.A. in
psychology from the University of
Florida and a PhD in psychology
from the University of Georgia. He
proudly admits that he is a product
of the American dream.
“That’s beyond doubt. I live
it! And I try to instill that in my
children. … I appreciate the value
of freedom and I don’t take it for
granted. I’m very lucky to be in the
United States,” he says.
“When you have more money than
you can shake a stick at, and then,
you have no money. And the generosity
of people around you — some
people that you never meet — actually
put food in your mouth, teach
you English, give you a ride to activities
— it means something. It means
it is time to give back.”
by joshua curry
Dr. Antonio Puente lectures to a class
at the University of North Carolina
Wilmington where he is a professor
of psychology.