Meet Ana María Rojas Melo

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ana María Rojas Melo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ana María , appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

My resilience comes from life itself. I got married at 15 because of an early pregnancy and, despite that, I kept studying until I graduated. At 30, I went through a divorce that left me alone, with two small children and no financial resources. Those were very hard years, but instead of giving up, I learned to reinvent myself. I discovered that resilience is not just about enduring, but about having the courage to rise, turn pain into strength, and keep creating paths for myself and for those who depend on me.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am Ana María Rojas Melo, a woman who stepped into adult life very early. I got married at 15 because of a pregnancy and became the mother of two while I was still almost a child myself. At 30, I went through a divorce that left me alone, with no resources and two young children to raise. Those years of hardship taught me resilience, discipline, and faith as the forces that continue to sustain me today. I never stopped studying, and education became both my refuge and the tool that allowed me to move forward.
Today, I am an educator at Austin Community College, where I work with immigrant communities—especially Spanish-speaking women—helping them discover their strength, learn new skills, and build confidence in themselves. I also work one-on-one as a life coach, offering personalized spaces where people can heal, reconnect with themselves, and create new paths.
In addition, I design workshops, programs, and personal growth retreats through my brand Sendero Emocional, a project born from my own life story and my desire to serve others. I am about to release my new book, The Magic of Gratitude, and I am currently working on an online educational platform that will bring together courses on leadership, emotional well-being, and personal growth accessible to anyone, anywhere.
What makes my work special is that it doesn’t come only from theory—it comes from life itself. Everything I teach, I have lived. Each coaching process, class, and book is proof that it is always possible to rise again, to reinvent yourself, and to begin anew.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, I can see three things that deeply shaped my journey:
Resilience. I didn’t learn it from a book; I learned it through life and through my family. Every time I fell, my children were the reason I stood up again. I discovered that resilience is built day by day when you know someone else depends on you.
Discipline. Studying, working, and raising my children at the same time was not easy, but discipline carried me through. For me, it doesn’t mean rigidity—it means consistency and commitment to myself and to those I love.
Continuous learning. I never stopped studying, researching, or developing myself. Knowledge opened doors, but it was my family who inspired me to reinvent myself over and over again to give them a better future.
I don’t like giving advice, because each person has their own path, but I can share a few suggestions: be kind to yourself, cultivate self-compassion, surround yourself with people who uplift you, keep your curiosity alive, and never lose sight of the power of love and family as the driving forces behind who we are.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Throughout my journey, I have learned that transformation is not a solitary path it happens when we share stories, knowledge, and support. That is why I deeply value connecting with people and organizations who believe in the power of education, resilience, and love as tools for building a better life.
I am especially interested in collaborating with those who work to empower women and vulnerable immigrant communities, because I have seen firsthand how access to education and emotional well-being can open doors to dignity and opportunity.
If you feel aligned with this vision, I warmly invite you to connect with me through my website senderoemocional.com
by email at [email protected]
or on Instagram at @anamarialifechanger
Together, we can create spaces where growth, gratitude, and resilience become everyday realities.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Algunas de las fotos son de Paola Aure y otras son tomadas por mi celularr

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