My story is the story of millions-
I was brought to this country by my loving mother who was naive to the social and political systems that governed the legality of our existence in the United States. We lived our lives valuing hard work and education, I knew that nothing came easy; we had to fight for our dreams with tears and sweat.
And that’s what I did. I fought for acceptance in a country that did not welcome me, I fought for my degree, I fought to keep my family together and now I’m fighting for my students. I want to teach my students acceptance, tolerance and love for one another. I want to teach them that the color of their skin or the language in their birth certificate do not dictate their futures. I want them to believe in the power of their dreams like I believed in mine. Through Teach for America I have gotten to shake up the narratives of hundreds of students to have them believe they can accomplish anything, “si yo púde, tu tambien,” if I did it, so can you.
My story is the story of millions- We are here, we are students, we are teachers, we are innovators and we are hard-working individuals committed to our communities.
The earth we walk has no walls, our ambition has no limits, our desire to succeed has no boundaries and our spirits are unbreakable. We will not go back to the shadows, for we are the light.