 She only attended school until the sixth grade, which was not uncommon due to poverty and customs regarding gender; however she repeated the sixth grade 3-4 times before leaving school, exhibiting an appreciation of reading and learning.In school, she was introduced to important writers, among them Jose Martí—an important figure of Cuban literature and a national symbol of independence.After trying to become a nurse and working as a teacher for a short time, Haydée Santamaría was able to leave the trappings of her conservative family behind, joining her brother, Abel Santamaría, in Havana, Cuba in the early 1950s.