Juan Pena

CORONA, the heart of this central Queens neighborhood can be an overwhelming place. Pedestrians, pigeons, busy storefronts, restaurants, and traffic jams all along Roosevelt Avenue, while under the shadows and shrieking brakes of the elevated No. 7 line.

Born and raised in Corona, Queens I was just a kid playing ball wherever I could find space -- in the street, in a field, by the side of the house.

I come from a family of eleven, seven boys & four girls. I am the third yougest. Growing up in Corona was tough for my parents but they made the most of it. My father was a chef and my mother worked from home. It was hard at times, but it makes a kid strong in ways that most people can't understand. It teaches them that even though people are left behind, new ones will inevitably take their place; that every place has something good - and bad - to offer. It makes a kid grow up fast.

I started working at the age of 14 in Flushing Meadow Park. When i turned 16 years old I started working for Terrace on the Park where I became a head waiter. I catered and set up banquets, and provided extensive customer service for up to 300 guests. I performed staff duties and learned how to bartend which I could not practice at the time because I was too young. While I was working at Terrace on the Park I decided to look for more work and thats when I started working for a record company called HMV.

I started working for HMV in 1998, I was a sale associate/ buyer. I managed product inventory to facilitate re-orders, balanced and operated cash registers, provided extensive customer service on a daily basis, and received and resolved customer inquiries and complaints. I worked flexible hours depending on the work flow. It was tough because I had to work two jobs and also attend school. I finally left Terrace on the Park and started working full time with HMV. The company was on the verge of closing down so I needed to find more work. I can type all day about where I've been. I worked in retail, in a warehouse environment as well as sporting events. I am capable of almost anything.

If I believe my ability is small, then my efforts will be shallow and my push will be weak. If I think I am not capable, I will not try with energy and conviction. Without a strong belief, I won't seek the knowledge required to achieve my goals. I will not launch out into the deep or push against obstacles with the force that confidence brings.