50x50: Cubana Libre

What happens when a young Cuban refugee arrives in America, earns a scholarship to Harvard, builds an international career, and ultimately finds herself questioning the very country that gave her a new beginning?In this deeply personal episode of 50x50: Whatever Happened to the Harvard Class of 1976?, Michael Conniff sits down with Teresita Alvarez-Bjelland to explore a remarkable life journey that spans Cuba, Miami, Harvard, corporate leadership, Norway, and global philanthropy. Teresita shares vivid memories of growing up under Castro’s regime, her family’s escape from Cuba, the opportunities America provided, and the transformative impact Harvard had on her life. She reflects on identity, immigration, leadership, motherhood, ambition, and the difficult tradeoffs many women of her generation faced between family and career.Along the way, she offers candid thoughts on modern America, lifelong learning, public service, gratitude, and what it means to live a life defined by curiosity, generosity, and integrity.A moving conversation about resilience, belonging, and the enduring search for home.