“Your education is the greatest inheritance we can give you.” That phrase came from my grandfather’s teaching to my mom, then from her to me, being the motto of my parents for my future. However, with the covid-19 pandemic, my father’s business broke, causing several economic problems to our family. My parents did not tell me, but I knew something was wrong. Especially when our joyful time at dinner was later covered by a loud silent atmosphere. One years later, my dad left home, leaving my mom and me. My mom, with no job and the criminal violence at its peak at the state we used to live in Mexico, she and I decided to move to the United States. We arrived at a women’s shelter, were we stayed for three months. In that time, my mom got a job to clean houses and I got enrolled to school. I thought I was not going to attend high school anymore, but my mom encouraged me to. Months later, we moved to our first apartment. It was not nice, but it was what my mom could afford. On Saturdays, my mom let me to accompany her to her work, and I helped her to clean apartments. However, the money we earned was just an exact amount to pay rent, bills, buy groceries, laundry, and just a few for savings. As month passed, the rent increased and now we were struggling. I wanted to drop school and help my mom to work and have a decent living, instead, she disapproved it, telling me that my responsibility is to study, that it might take longer, but my education will be worth it. She got more houses and apartments to clean, and I dedicated my time to study and have outstanding grades to achieve my dream to pursue my education. My mom has stayed countless nights awake to make me some hot tea and use Google translator to help me with my homework and study for my tests. Even if we are in another country and the language is completely different, and sometimes overwhelming, she keeps working so hard to provide me with a home, food, and my necessities. I learned from her that despite the adversities, I can still grow, I can have opportunities, and I have to make the effort to take them. She taught me that when things are getting difficult and seems that there is no solution, I have to stay positive, clear my mind, keep going and find solutions, and if there is none, create one. My mom's love for me is something so magnificent and unconditional that led her to move from her country just to give me a safer life and better opportunities for my future. I plan to attend a two-year college, where I will graduate with my associate's degree on histotechnology. Then, I will be transferred to a partner college to purse my bachelor’s degree. I will work to save money and hopefully I will have a better residential status since my special immigrant visa is already approved. And finally, reach my goal to purse a master's degree on public health and focus on epidemiology. I will be able to have a better salary doing what I am passionate about, with that, I will support my mom economically so she does not have to work so roughly and will not have to worry for the cost of a good quality of life. I want to reciprocate and thank her not only with words, but with actions that she took the best decision for us.

“When I was your age, I was living my life as a 17-year-old girl is supposed to. I’m sorry I could not give you that kind of life.” My mom hugged me tightly. I was old enough to understand what was happening, but young enough to deal with it. My father left home a year ago, and still, I was trapped in that cycle of past memories with him, my mom, my dogs, and I, all of us together. I hated that time did not stop so I can have time to process it, to comfort me. I did stop to cry and immerse in my emotions, however, besides me, everything kept advancing and renewing, as always. On Mexico, a morning of June 2022, I said goodbye to my dad before he went to work and I to school. Dad did not come from work that day. I knew my parents had problems, but I never imagined that it would end up like this. We had no money, my mom did not have work, and the criminal rate was in its peak in my city. My mom took the decision to move to the United States. So, we did. We packed our clothes and belongings in a suitcase and my school backpack, and we moved. We stayed in a temporal women’s catholic shelter. I was a bit scared, but I took it as vacations. On the first month when I was there, I learned English, at least the basics to translate and interpreter my mom. My mom found a job to clean houses and apartments, and I was accepted in school. We rented a studio apartment, that was all we needed. The first months we kept the routine: me in school and my mom at work. Three times a week, I helped my mom at work so she would not be too tired, and with that money I could buy my things. What I thought it would be a short time staying in this country, one year had already passed. I tried to make new friends. They invited me to hang out, sometimes I declined because I had to work or study harder for tests. I ended up excluded from my group of friends. My life was different from theirs; I had different priorities and worries. I felt terrible, not telling anyone how I was feeling, how much I was missing everything and everyone back in Mexico, how life here in the United States was being rough. Until, one day I left myself aside. I only slept all day, thinking that I was in a nightmare and when I wake up, I would be back in Mexico. I lost weight since I only had one meal per day. I focused more on working along my mom to pay the bills. Slowly, the goal that I had to graduate from high school and go to college, was far away from reality. As more I worked cleaning with my mom, I knew we could not stay in this position forever. I had to accept what happened and look further for a better and stable future. I started with my bad habits, forcing myself to wake up earlier and motivated, eat breakfast and lunch even if I am not feeling hungry, and the scariest one: let go the thoughts of “what would have been if...” Honestly, sometimes it is hard to not get cornered by my own emotions, but I am proud of myself that I already gave the first step to advance in my own path.