@_sheisabel_

My name is Isabel Valdivia Macias. I was born in Mexico, making me an immigrant. As an immigrant student, I have faced several challenges while pursuing my education. However, those challenges didn’t stop me from being where I am now. When I first started school, I only knew how to speak Spanish. This caused a language barrier between my teachers and peers, which made it hard to learn lessons and contribute to group discussions. In addition, I couldn’t make friends. I was both linguistic and culturally discriminated almost every school grade. I was judged by my accent and for the food I ate. That didn’t stop me. I made an effort to learn an entire new language and accept that my culture is different. By first grade I became the first in my family to be fluent in English. My parents never experienced or heard about the American school system, so every year I was going in blindly. An example would be when I needed help on my homework. They were taught a different way of doing things and could not help me. Another example is when I entered middle school. I had panic attacks before the school year started because I didn’t know how different it would be. I’ll I could do is hope for the best. I overcame this by trying my hardest every year and reassuring myself that I’ll be great. Due to my legal status, I was worried about getting deported. This caused me huge anxiety when I thought I was going to get in trouble or made a mistake in school. I thought that my mistakes would stand out more. There was a time in middle school where I got detention for something I didn’t do. For me, that was the end of the world. I imagined ICE coming for me in a few weeks. If that wasn’t the outcome, I thought I was going to be denied to go to a good high school or college. I overcame this by telling myself that I wasn’t a bad person. I never had bad intentions and kept trying to do the right thing. Lastly, I had, and still have a financial challenge. In my junior and senior year of high school, I did college at the same time. Although the school helped me with paying some of my college credits, it didn’t cover everything. Some credits I had to pay for myself, and payed for the materials every semester. I tried my best to get the money by making better spending habits. Although I have faced challenges while pursuing my education, I plan on making a positive impact on the world through my STEM education by studying to become an MRI technician. Radiology is a necessary part to diagnose and treat a patient. I want to move into different areas of the world where MRI’s are needed. Helping people is an important thing to do. I would also try to open medical imaging centers around the world and make it affordable. Not everyone can afford these treatments and I want to help them.

My name is Isabel Valdivia. I am an eighteen-year-old, undocumented Mexican and first-generation female student. This fall, I’ll be attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to strive for a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Sciences or radiography. My dream is to become a veterinarian, but unfortunately, there are no vet schools here in Nevada. My second choice is to become an MRI Technician. I am the first in my family who attended and graduated from high school and attend university. I do not know what to expect as I am going into it blindly. I’m not able to work, due to my legal status. I am concerned about not getting the money to finish my studies. As an undocumented student, I didn’t have what my peers did. They were able to ask their parents questions, get benefits, and have more options. Me, as a first-generation student as well, my parents couldn’t help me as much. I couldn’t ask them questions about how to apply for scholarships or college, and what to expect. I thought I wasn’t eligible to get scholarships or go to college because of my legal status. I would ask my counselors and teachers, but they couldn’t give me the help I wanted because they couldn’t fully understand my situation. As mentioned before, I want to be a vet but will study MRI Tech due to no vet schools in my state. I don’t have the money and capability to travel to another state. However, I want to complete the MRI studies and do pre-veterinary studies. This will prepare me for vet school if I get the chance to attend in the future. I currently am not able to work, which worries me. I am not sure if I will be able to go through my studies with my parent’s checks. I tried to apply for scholarships, but almost every one that I’ve seen requires to be a U.S. Citizen or a permanent resident. I currently only have one scholarship of roughly $1,000. If I don’t graduated, I fear that I will not get a career and work a low-income job. I will use the money to finish my studies in radiography, earning me a bachelor’s degree. In addition to getting pre-veterinary studies. Once I have completed this goal, I will attempt to go out of state to attend a vet school. It will help me reach my goals and dreams.

The American Dream is something that every immigrant seeks for when entering the United States. Yet, there are different ideas of what the American Dream may be. Many believe that the American Dream is making money and having a stable income. Although that may be true to some, I disagree. It is to make something out of nothing. For me, that something is education. My family is from a small ranch in Jalisco, Mexico called Santa Maria De Enmedio. My father was only able to finish seventh grade, and my mother sixth grade. They had to work instead of going to school to have money for their families. Later on in their lives, a few months into their marriage, I was born in a nearby town called Encarnación de Díaz. Knowing how I may grow up in Mexico, they decide to cross the border and live in the United States. My parents worked hard to get where they are to give me better educational opportunities than they had. I always believed that one of the most important things a person can have is education. With education, a person is able to get the knowledge in different fields, obtain cognitive abilities, and a career of choice. However, I did not know where to start and what to do. Each year of school, I was going in blindly. Not knowing what to expect. My whole life, I thought I was not going to be able to make it to college due to my legal status. Although, I am undocumented, I still tried my hardest to get the best education I can have. In my Freshmen and Sophomore year of High School, I got straight A’s all year. Then I heard about a school that has a dual credit program which allowed students to be able to do High School and College simultaneously. I spent my Junior and Senior year in this program, making me a graduate from CSN High School. Now, I am going to attend the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with college credits. I am striving for a bachelor’s degree in a science pathway. That has to be one of my greatest achievements. I may not have the same opportunities as U.S. citizens may have, but I will not let that stop me from achieving a good education. I did not have someone to base off on, so I made something, out of nothing. That is my American Dream.