Salma Hayek was born in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico to Sami Hayek, a Mexican-Lebanese oil company executive, and Diana Jiménez, an opera singer. Hayek's paternal grandparents were Mexicans of Lebanese Arab descent, while her mother is of Spanish descent. Raised in a wealthy, devoutly Catholic family, she was sent to the Academy of the Sacred Heart, Grand Coteau, Louisiana, at the age of 12. She was also an accomplished gymnast aspiring to compete in the Olympics. Salma Hayek in a scene from Miracle Alley Citing behavioral problems, the religious sisters running the Academy ejected her, so Hayek returned to Mexico. She was later sent to live with her aunt in Houston, Texas, where she stayed until she was 17. She attended college in Mexico City, where she studied International Relations at the Universidad Iberoamericana. To the chagrin of her family, she dropped out to pursue a career as an actress.