My identity as an immigrant and a Latina has shaped how I see the world and my place in it. I came to the U.S. from Mexico at three years old and have been in the American school system my whole life, but I still don’t feel fully American. Because of my immigration status and experiences, I often feel like I’m in between—never fully belonging here or there. I feel more Mexican than American, even though I’ve never returned to my home country. That feeling of not belonging has made me more independent and aware. I was raised by my grandmother and aunt, without a relationship with my father and only distant contact with my mother. While I’m grateful for the support they’ve given me, I grew up emotionally on my own, figuring out school, college, and life without a traditional parental figure. My background has also shown me how much mental health is stigmatized in my culture. My mother’s struggle with depression was rarely discussed, which pushed me to study Psychology and pursue psychiatry. I want to break those taboos and support people like me—immigrants, first-generation students, and those who feel invisible. I wasn’t handed the tools or guidance, but I’ve built a path for myself. Now, I want to help others do the same.

My name is Allison Martinez, and I’m currently a student at the University of Houston, majoring in Psychology with a minor in Biology. I came to the United States from Mexico when I was just three years old to live with my grandmother. For most of my life, I believed the move was simply to be with family. Later, I learned the real reason: my mother was struggling with severe depression and wasn’t able to raise me. I don’t have a relationship with my father, and I currently don’t live with my mother either—I just have a way to contact her. It’s a strange and difficult thing to grow up without either parent present. I was raised by my grandmother and aunt, and while I’m incredibly grateful for their support—especially financially—it wasn’t the kind of nurturing, motherly environment a child usually hopes for. Even though I’ve spent almost my entire life in the U.S., I still feel like I don’t fully belong here. I’ve never been to my home country, yet somehow I still feel like an outsider—like I’m intruding in a place that’s supposed to be my home. That feeling of not fully belonging has stuck with me and shaped how I view myself and my place in the world. Life as an immigrant student has been filled with challenges. I had to figure out college applications, financial aid, and all the necessary paperwork on my own. Some school counselors refused to help me, and I even had family members who told me not to bother with school at all—that someone like me couldn’t make it. But I didn’t let their doubts stop me. I kept going, even when I felt like I had no one. I now have the support of advisors who believe in me, but getting to this point took strength and persistence. One thing I’ve learned is how resilient I am. Growing up without a traditional parental figure meant I had to raise myself emotionally. I wasn’t given the emotional tools most kids have, but I learned how to build them on my own. I’ve also gained a better understanding of the world. I see why many people leave their home countries searching for opportunities and why some stay behind despite the challenges. Life in the U.S. can be overwhelming and uncertain, especially for immigrants, when you don’t always know who will support you or who might be prejudiced against you. This journey has deeply shaped my passion for mental health. In my culture, mental health is still very taboo—it's something that is rarely talked about, often misunderstood, and too often ignored. I’ve seen how that silence can hurt families, including my own. My mother’s depression was never openly discussed, and growing up I didn’t even have the words to explain what I was feeling. That’s why I want to become a psychiatrist: to break that silence. I want to advocate for mental health in immigrant and underserved communities, especially in cultures like mine where it's still seen as shameful or weak to ask for help. I also want to fight for immigrant students like me. I want to remind them that it is possible, even when people say it isn’t. I’ve had family members tell me to give up—that school wasn’t for someone like me. But I didn’t give up, and I won’t. I wasn’t handed the perfect life, but I’m determined to create a better one. And if I can do it, I believe others can too

A lot of people in high school have challenging obstacles that affect your academic life or achievement, I had to balance work and school and it was tough but I learned from it and also a death in my family. A challenging and personal circumstance that affected my work and my school academics was balancing my work and school and the death of my best friend. Working is tough when you're barely 16 years old and managing your schedule is stressful. I started working at the beginning of junior year and now I am a senior. It was october 9, my first day. I was scared and it blew my mind that I would have to be there at a certain time and it was my responsibility to keep showing up. After some time working and doing online school, my grades were good , they were normal grades of what I was getting before working, the next cycle that hit me. I was getting Bs, barely any As if I was lucky. I wasn't working part time and trust me that would be the best choice in this situation, but no I was working 40 hours a week, 5 days a week and 8 hours a day, so really I didn't have time to do homework or take care of myself. I had to learn the hard way to balance working and getting good grades. I was about to fail multiple classes when I decided to get my life together. I created a schedule for what homework classes I would do and how many hours I would put in on my days off. Having a Job a t 16 and barely knowing how to be responsible really messed me up some time. My grades were horrible, and they were grades that didn't show my greatest strength,my gpa dropped, I was upset when I found out. Lastly, my mental health , I was working and dealing with school and I had to help my guardians with their life. To be honest it was a chapter in my life that I wouldn't go through again and I wouldn't recommend a student like me to go through and work in a fast food restaurant. The next obstacle that affected my academic achievement and that I have to overcome was the death of my best friend, my cousin,a brother to me. His name is Alberto. He died at 10 year old, due to a bus crash that was going to mexico. He was excited to go to Mexico and he would tell me how happy he was and how amazing it was going to be and to be honest turned out to like that. When we first heard the news we were panicking, my family was frustrated and it was some dark times.All we knew was that he was probably dead and we couldn't do anything. It all resolved 2 weeks later from the accident, My grandma was well and alive. And he left peacefully and it was probably the worst Christmas ever in my life. I took a week off from school and to be honest my mind was somewhere else and I couldn't comprehend that he's gone and I would never see him ever again. It affected my school achievement by my grades lowering and by barely having any motivation to go to school or to any assignments and it really messed me up big time.