International celebrity and singer Shakira sent an important message to Latino youths: education and bilingualism are keys to success.

Shakira, who is pregnant with her second child, said education can level the playing field of success because it has an incredible return on investment, Fox Latino reported.

"Human potential is limitless, but not if it remains untapped," Shakira said. "The earlier in a child's life that they understand the value of education and how it can change their lives, the earlier they form habits that end up yielding exponential benefits."

But Latinos have an advantage that they should be aware of, she said.

"Being bilingual is a competitive business advantage. Particularly for Hispanic students -- which make up the majority of the English learner population -- limited English proficiency in the early years is associated with low achievement and other poor school outcomes," she said.

Shakira is the embodiment of that idea, as a native Colombian who speaks Spanish, Portuguese, English, some French and Italian, and is learning Catalan.

The international star said languages can open doors to other cultures in a way that nothing else can, Fox Latino reported.

Shakira emphasized the need for Latino students to start on a path to success with early education, and ensure that their families and communities commit to a stronger academic success and reducing inequality by expanding education opportunities.

"Their success or lack of success will have enormous consequences in the future of our society as a whole," she said.

Based on her own childhood and experiences, Shakira said she realized how important both aspects were by observing her environment.

As a child, Shakira said she had a moment of realization where her life came into perspective.

She told Media Planet that when her family experienced a level of financial loss and hardship, it was difficult to process, but she was able to see the potential benefits in education. 

"I saw that just past my door there were children suffering extreme poverty who didn't even have an education to count on to improve their situation. Even at a young age, seeing that gave me a profound sense of the injustice that something so arbitrary as the place you were born could determine your fate for the rest of your life," she said.