Alma Morales Riojas: President & CEO.(The Advocates)

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Alma Morales Riojas is a legend in the Latina community because, quite simply, she has successfully dedicated her life to improving the lives of Latinas throughout the United States.

Born and raised in Texas, Alma looks back with some pride for her grandparents, who left Mexico during the Revolution 100 years ago and quietly crossed the border to escape retribution at the hands of both the "revolucionarios" and the "Federales".

With a quiet chuckle, Alma explains: "My grandfather was a newspaper man and he would write articles questioning what was happening on both sides during the Mexican Revolution. Things started to get a bit hot for him--in fact he and my grandmother were chased from town to town--so they both decided to cross the border into Texas for safety and eventually set up home in San Antonio, which is my home town.

"I'll never forget the story of how my grandparents escaped to safety. And, luckily for us, they made their home in San Antonio, which I still believe to be the best part of Texas and a great place to grow up."

As a child, Alma was seldom seen without a book in her hands, totally engrossed in the words and absorbing all the information. She didn't just read the books, she devoured them. "I found I was learning a lot just through reading and discussing the topics", she says. "I read about with my parents, brothers and sisters. So now that I appreciate the importance of life long learning, I tell every young Latina that education is the key to a better life. Never stop learning, try to learn something new every day. Education opens all doors and leads to a much better, more satisfying life. "I suppose my motto would be 'Education, Education, Education'. I can't underestimate the importance of a good education."

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