“I am an undocumented student. I came from Mexico when I was two. Gratefully, my parents did attend college in Mexico and education was very important to them. After graduating from high school, I originally started college at Sonoma State. I was there for a few weeks and I felt so overwhelmed, I dropped out entirely. But I knew I still wanted to go to school, so I enrolled at the JC.
At one point, I thought I was sinking. I hit a bump in the road and almost couldn’t graduate from the JC. But Tashi (my 10,000 Degrees Fellow) really helped me strive forward, continually saying ‘you’re almost there.’ Throughout the whole transfer process, he always encouraged me. The day I was accepted into Sac State, it was a huge relief. I’m excited to be at Sac State now, and thinking about doing my Master’s in a few years. It makes me sad that my parents can’t use their degrees to better their situations in the US. I don’t only go to college for my family, I also do it for myself. Being the oldest, I am the example for my younger siblings. My sister was really on the fence about going to school, but I said, ‘At the end of the day, it’s going to be for you and will help you in the future. Growing up in a poor community – I want to be able to take care of my family and myself without the financial worries that my parents have.”
