Student Profile: Regulo Moreno
By Wayne Jurgeleit | Observer Contributor
One can Google terms like “global citizen” to find eloquent descriptions of those who are inquisitive about human cultures, economies, and environments, and how they are all interconnected, transcending arbitrary boundaries. Similarly, “lifelong learner” refers to someone dedicated to acquiring knowledge and skills—both personally and professionally—throughout their lifetime to improve their own life and the lives of others. To meet Regulo Moreno is to know someone who truly exemplifies these ideals.
Born in Madrid in 1969 to a Venezuelan diplomat father and a Colombian musician mother, Moreno’s cultured and educated family influenced him from the very start. His father studied international law at the University of Salamanca. His parents courted one another with poetry at the El Prado Museum in Madrid. The Latin American toddler uttered his first word, “anne” (ah-neh), Turkish for Mom, while the family was stationed in Ankara in 1972. Travel and cultural immersion were second nature to young Moreno. “It was huge in helping me appreciate how people express themselves through art,” said Moreno.
His father’s work for the Venezuelan Consulate meant living in many different places—including Europe and South America—through the 70’s and early 80’s. Moreno gained an appreciation for Latin American culture; the importance of the cena navidena (Christmas dinner), tying hallacas (tamale-like delights wrapped in banana leaves) and playing the cuatro (similar to a ukulele). “I finally felt Venezuelan!” he recalled fondly.
Moreno attended high school in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, so he learned Portuguese. Desiring to study international affairs like his father, he studied and passed the TOEFL, a rigorous test to assess whether or not a person is ready to study in an English speaking university. He knew that “you only learn a language by living it,” and entered the prestigious dual language program at American University, Washington, D.C. in 1988. An uncle with whom he was staying convinced him to expand his study with more of an economic focus, and after moving yet again, he graduated from the Universidad Central de Venezuela. A successful career in the country’s oil industry began.
But the political landscape in Venezuela would eventually change. Hugo Chavez’s Bolivarian revolution was devolving into autocracy, and the oil industry became inefficient and corrupt, ruining the long thriving economy. With what Moreno calls “naive political thinking,” he signed a petition with thousands of other Venezuelans calling for more transparency. Within a week, the retribution began, and it was brutal. Protesters were beaten and tear-gassed, supporters of reform were terrorized. Moreno was followed and a literal gun to the head was the final persuader. “It was the worst feeling of powerlessness. I was really afraid I was going to die,” he said. He fled immediately, leaving his wife and everything he knew behind, first to Colombia, where family connections procured a passport for him, and then to the United States to seek asylum. He had only $300 to his name, yet had faith he would eventually reunite with his wife, and drew strength from that to endure.
It was not easy. Saving money was difficult while navigating the asylum process, and Moreno worked multiple jobs in hospitality and gig economies in Chelsea, MA. In 2015, his father passed away, and he made the terrifying, clandestine return to Venezuela to mourn with his family. “To see my father for the last time and be with my wife again was more powerful than any consequences or fear,” he said proudly. His wife came to the US soon after, reuniting with Moreno in Acton, MA.
Moreno, now successfully running a restaurant, and his wife, who was an internationally trained dentist, finally settled into a degree of contentment. But the long hours compelled him to return to banking. He found employment as a small business banker with Bank of America. Naturally gifted with people, he excelled. “Every year and a half, God [has] promoted me!”
Happily living in Leominster, MA in 2020, with a desire to improve upon his interpersonal and communication skills, he discovered Mount Wachusett Community College. Intrigued by the curriculum and qualified for the Transitions to College program, Moreno now studies marketing and public relations, hoping to transfer to Fitchburg State and eventually get an M.B.A.
A life of learning, formal and informal, from lessons harsh and beautiful, have only inspired Moreno to continue. He emphasized, “It’s a learning process that never ends.”
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