As a minority woman growing up in an underserved Hispanic community, I always wanted to pursue a career that would bring positive change in other people's lives. I wanted to pursue a career that would allow my imagination and theories to become explainable and hopefully real, some day in the future.
Growing up in a community where you are exposed to two different languages, and a becoming bilingual at a young age was a struggle, but a the same time is was a blessing. My parents spoke only Spanish, therefore my first language was Spanish. But then as I began going to school, where I was placed in ESL classes that would teach me English. Coming home to a only Spanish household from an environment where English was the main language, was sometimes difficult, because at that age I wanted to fit in with: my classmates, the outside communities, and speaking Spanish was not a way to connect with them. Therefore, I wanted to speak English only, and didn't want to speak Spanish. But my mom refused to learn English, because she was afraid that we would forget our Spanish, and along with forgetting our Spanish would include forgetting our roots. At the time I didn't realize the importance of knowing both languages, and I only cared about fitting in to the "American ways".
Being bilingual in a close knit Hispanic community was an advantage because everyone within the community asked you for help with interpreting even the simplest things such as asking for directions. I would always find my self translating for my parents, friend of the family, our own family, and even strangers. I still remember the multiples times, that I found myself translating at the local clinic; I was so small but feeling so big and important while walking across the waiting area towards the patient rooms: the healthcare provider needed a translator to discuss the health of a stranger who didn't understand their treatment plan. I was only in fourth grade at the time, and had barely begun learning to read and write and even speak basic English, yet here I was trying to translate medical terminology and questions to and from my native Spanish; because there were so few bilingual speakers, I found I would often fulfill the role of interpreter. As I grew older, the scope of the language and cultural barriers that existed within my Latino community became clear. It was a this young age when I realized that being bilingual was a necessity, and that I had to do my best at being fluent in both languages, so that I could some day help others.
When in elementary school, I had a difficult time in my math class; writing and reading were also challenges especially because I was bilingual. Even though my parents could not help me because they were only able to obtain a middle school education, I practiced constantly to become a better student. I feel that practice can help you improve anything that you put your mind to because with practice you begin to develop a routine, and then a habit.
At a young age, I constantly practiced math, writing, and reading. Practicing my writing was the easiest and most enjoyable because I would pick a book on any topic that I liked, and would copy sections of that book, and then re-write them on paper. Soon, I began to learn that writing was not only helping my grammar, but it was also improving my reading and expanding my understanding and interests. Most of the topics that I was interested in during this time, included: Native American History, History of Egypt, and History of the Holocaust. When I was not practicing my math, reading or writing, I was practicing the piano or learning how to swim. However, I couldn't continue with my piano lessons because my parents could no longer afford them and no longer had the time to take me to my lesson due to their rigorous work schedule.
Immigrant parents (including my own) often have multiple jobs in order to make means with a minimum wage salary that does not include benefits and they most likely do not have the time to implement academics at home. Additionally, because they themselves only obtained up to a middle school education, having the knowledge to understand academics is difficult. However, most parents (including my own) do encourage their children to do well in school and teach them the importance of participating and completing school activities, but it can be a challenge for students to actually implement an academic routine at home, especially when their parents are not around to help.
Living in the era where technology was picking up was a great thing because children had a good balance. We were still exploring our community, environment, and neighborhoods by being outside with our friends (something that is very rare now-a-days). This was happening while at the same time, we were using technology and learning about it in school. My favorite past time as a child was swimming or exploring, in fact while exploring, I would collect ants or rollie pollies for my ant and rollie pollie farms.
In middle school my favorite classes were language arts, geography, and science, but not math. My interest in science began while being a part of after school science club. During the end of my middle school experience my life changed when my youngest brother was born with Down syndrome, a genetic condition caused by a mutation in chromosome 21. At a very young age I wanted to learn about the best ways to take care of my youngest brother.
Based on my experiences at a young age, the advice that I have for younger generations is:
1. Read a lot, Write a lot and Explore a lot.
2. Find something (or someone) to take care of on a regular basis because this will keep you engaged, connected, happy, and fulfilled.
3. Stay stubborn because this will help you be persistent about your goals as you grow up.
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