About the Author
Gladys A. Barrio was born in Cuba, raised in Puerto Rico, and now lives in Miami, FL. Gladys was always fascinated by literature, mathematics, and science. She completed a bachelor’s degree in science from the University of Puerto Rico, followed by a master’s program at Ohio State University, and ultimately earned a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. She conducted scientific research in various fields, including Thermodynamics and Groundwater Contamination, about which she produced over twenty-five scientific publications and numerous presentations. Later in her life, she became the High School District Executive Director and the Science Supervisor for the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the fourth largest district in the Nation.
As an adjunct professor, she taught chemistry and Methods of Teaching Science at Florida International University, Miami-Dade College, and the University of Miami. Dr. Barrio has two accomplished daughters and five beautiful grandkids who are the inspiration for many of her stories.
Gladys Barrio is the award-winning author of Empowered by the Dream: A Journey of Resilience and its Spanish edition, El Poder de un Sueño: Una Travesía de Resiliencia. Her work has received multiple literary honors, including the Historical Fiction Award from the International Impact Book Awards (Fall 2024), The BookFest Award (Fall 2024), and the Silver Falchion Award from Killer Nashville (Fall 2024). In 2025, she also received recognition from the Florida Authors and Publishers Association in the Biography category, as well as a Storytrade Book Awards in the Nonfiction: History category. In spring 2026, the Spanish edition, El Poder de un Sueño: Una Travesía de Resiliencia, earned a Bronze Medal from the Florida Book Awards by Florida State University in the Spanish Category and an honorable mention from the International Latino Book Awards.
ISBN
- Paperback ISBN: 979-8-9969143-5-7
- eBook ISBN: 979-8-9969143-6-4
- Audiobook ISBN: 979-8-9969143-7-1 (Coming soon!)
Purchase policies
No returns—No Refunds Policy
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Sales Tax Policy
Welcome to Florida, in the United States! The author does not charge any sales tax on purchases made directly from this website because downloadable e-books and audiobooks are tax-exempt in the US State of Florida, and she has no legal presence in any other State. If you have any legal responsibility to pay any sales tax in your local town, city, state/province, country, planet or galaxy, that is between you and your own government.