I grew up in a city but remained closely connected to the farm, as my father is a cattle breeder. During my high school holidays, I helped out on the farm, which sparked my interest in agricultural work. This led me to pursue a degree in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Caldas (Colombia). During my degree, I completed an internship in Brazil, which inspired me to pursue a Master’s degree in Animal Breeding and Genetics at São Paulo State University (UNESP), Brazil. After completing my Master’s, I began working as a professor at Uniagraria (Colombia). It was during this time that I discovered statistics and its pervasive use in quantitative genetics and breeding aligns with my interests in biology, maths, and farming. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to mentor younger students, which not only deepened my understanding of the field but also sparked a passion for teaching and research. This naturally led me to pursue a PhD in Animal Science, also at UNESP. During this time, I had the opportunity to spend time with the Livestock Genomics Group at the University of Queensland (Australia). There, I developed experience with genomics and its use in animal breeding. After the PhD, I returned to Uniagraria to continue my academic work. This international journey eventually led me to Sweden, where I currently have a postdoctoral position at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, working on a project focused on heat resilience in dairy cattle.