The former U.S. Treasurer shared her journey from farm fields to federal leadership, urging students to embrace education, financial literacy and the “power of one” to change lives.
Anna Cabral stood before a packed room at Colorado State University Pueblo, her voice steady and personal, as she reflected on a childhood few would have imagined could lead to her serving as the 42nd Treasurer of the United States.
“If you knew me as a child, you would’ve never guessed I’d have this opportunity,” Cabral told students. “I’m a Mexican-American, fourth generation of a family that worked in the fields, picking crops and putting food on people’s tables; super poor our entire lives.”
Cabral visited CSU Pueblo last week as a distinguished guest ahead of Hispanic Heritage Month. Her story of hardiness and achievement is something the students understand at the university, where many identify as Hispanic or Latino.
Her Journey to the White House
Born into poverty in California, Cabral often moved with her family, who pieced together income by refinishing furniture or making tamales. She recalled moments when hunger was common and opportunities scarce. A turning point came when a math teacher, Philip Lamb, stopped her from dropping out of high school.
“He knew I was going to run into trouble at some point,” Cabral said. “If I was too close to home, I would run home and give up. He picked a college 300 miles away to make sure I couldn’t (do that).”
Though she left college at 18 to raise a family, Cabral returned, completed her degree, and eventually attended Harvard University with her four children often in tow. She went on to serve in the U.S. Senate, lead the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility, direct the Smithsonian’s Latino Center, and oversee the nation’s currency at the Treasury Department.
Lessons in Finance and Democracy
Her day at CSU Pueblo included teaching two classes: Dr. Sheng-Ping Yang’s Principles of Finance and Dr. Eddie Lucero’s Race and Ethnicity in American Democracy.
In the finance course, she described the race against counterfeiters while redesigning U.S. currency, sharing how counterfeiters once bleached $5 bills to reprint them as $100s. She stressed the need for financial literacy, calling education “one of the few investments you’ll make that will appreciate.”
“Growing up poor costs more,” she said, recalling how her family paid reconnection fees when they couldn’t afford utilities. “Financial literacy is a life skill as important as anything you’ll learn in the classroom.”
In Lucero’s democracy class, Cabral spoke about coalition-building in Congress, her work securing the first federal appropriation for Hispanic Serving Institutions, and her push to frame the U.S. as an “English Plus” country rather than English-only. She also recounted the fear and unity she witnessed in Washington after the Sept. 11 attacks, emphasizing the need for civic engagement.
“It’s better to be in the room with a seat at the table than outside picketing,” she told students. “If you don’t like how things are, get up and do something about it.”
Overcoming Doubt
Despite her accomplishments, Cabral admitted she often battled imposter syndrome.
“Every new job, I was scared to death,” she said. “Do I belong here? Am I smart enough? But I remembered what my parents taught me — you work hard, harder than anyone else, and you can succeed.”
That message struck a chord with students in the room, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college.
A Call to Action
Cabral closed her visit with three lessons: that one person has the power to change another’s life, that education remains society’s “great equalizer,” and that financial literacy is critical to success.
“The power of one is incredible,” she said. “Please go out and be a Mr. Lamb in someone’s life.”
