Val Margarit

Val Margarit grew up in Romania and moved to the United States, on her own, in 1996. Despite coming from a humble background, she attained an MA in Sociology from the University of Central Florida and a Doctor of Education Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. She is a fighter and a woman of great intensity and passion. She lives in Deerfield Beach, Florida.

Val is a women's empowerment advocate, an award-winning educator, entrepreneur, author, and speaker. A committed advocate for global education and women’s empowerment, Val gives back to world communities as a teacher, volunteer, and benefactor. She serves on The Professional Women's Network International Advisory Board, inspires millions of students as she teaches various university classes on sociology, education leadership, and teacher preparation and serves as a dissertation and capstone adviser.

Val facilitates workshops and personal coaching on personal leadership, motivation, and success, and speaks on topics from education equality to self-development, women empowerment, and gender equality.

Val is passionate about and believes in living a holistic lifestyle caring for the mind, body, and soul. She enjoys running and completed the New York City marathon. She is also interested in other cultures and travels widely, visiting some 35 countries so far.

In the future, Val hopes that women and girls around the world will have access to education and economic opportunities to reach their full potential, something her own mother did not have. She believes in living life by design, with purpose, integrity, and meaning. She works hard to ensure women and men achieve equal rights, but recognizing that it is something that must be worked for, she keeps a quote from Estee Lauder firmly in her head

"I didn’t get there by wishing for it or hoping for it, but by working for it."

Val thinks that there is no limit to what we can achieve and that every person has a hidden power to design their life according to their values and beliefs. She is the epitome of the "American Dream", which is that you could come from anywhere and achieve anything in this country. That's exactly what she did and her purpose is to inspire and empower others do the same. As she always says " If I could do it, anyone can" and "What you believe you'll achieve."