I come from two Latino parents who
came to America and met in San Francisco, California, where
they got married. My mom came from Nicaragua, when she 16,
to live with her grandmother in San Francisco. My paternal
grandfather packed his six boys up in the station wagon
and drove from El Salvador to America seeking a better life.
I was born in the Mission and grew
up in the Excelsior district. As I got older and started
going out and hanging out, I came across alcohol and drugs
and started partying all-night and skipping school.
My dad wasn't
really around and my mom was struggling to provide and raise
my brother and I. I didn't really have much support.
And as I got older and stayed out longer, I stopped caring
about what my mom thought and school and what would happen.
It wasn't until my best friend convinced
me to try and go to her Catholic high school that things
started changing. Through a special financial aid arrangement
the school made with my mom, I was able to attend this new
high school. But because my record at public school
was so bad, I had to start my new high school fresh.
However, I graduated high school in 4 years and went on
to go to college a year after graduation.
I didn't finish college for alot
of reasons. But when I was 24, I had Jasmine. She is really
a miracle in my life. She's a true blessing. Of course, she's
a handful. And I can remember that when she was a little baby,
I couldn't wait for her to grow up enough to have a whole
conversation. And now that she's 9, I have trouble keeping
her quiet sometimes. She's always asking questions and curious
about everything. But I like that she's so thoughtful and
bighearted. I learn from her all the time. And because of
my own education, I feel likeI can really help her out with
her schoolwork in the way that I wished my parents could have
helped me out when I was going to school.
Two years after I had Jasmine,I
went back to school to get my certificates in medical assistance,
injection card and phlebotomy. Since then, I've been attending
City College to study firefighting. I've been working full-time,
raising my daughter, going to school, and looking for more
part-time work. I'm doing all of this because I want to
make sure that my daughter has everything that I didn't
have when I was a little girl. I want to make sure that
she's always taken care of.
I didn't realize until it was too
late that all of my school records from elementary, middle
school, and high school would matter when I got to college.
I want to make sure that she has a good school record so
that she has a better chance at going to all the big name
universities and colleges that are hard to get into.
If it wasn’t for my daughter
I honestly think I would be in jail today. Because I now
have a responsibility ever since I had her and if I don’t
take care for her, who will? No one is going to give her
thelove and care like me – her mom. I’m the one
who needs to be strong here because she has a deadbeat dad.
She keeps me cool when I am angry
or having a bad day, she worries about me and asks me questions
about my day. She tries to make me feel better. She inspires
me and I learn from heras well. I’ll pick her up from
school and she’ll start telling me about what she learned
that day. It could be about someone I heard about before,
but can’t remember what they did. She’ll tell me
what that person has accomplished, which surprises me and
makes her so smart. She asks a lot of questions if she doesn’t
know something. I'm so proud of her and she's the best thing
that's ever happened in my life. She makes me want to accomplish
more in life, not only for myself, but mostly for her.
This project was funded by PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
My dad wasn't
really around and my mom was struggling to provide and raise
my brother and I. I didn't really have much support.
And as I got older and stayed out longer, I stopped caring
about what my mom thought and school and what would happen.
I didn't finish college for alot
of reasons. But when I was 24, I had Jasmine. She is really
a miracle in my life. She's a true blessing. Of course, she's
a handful. And I can remember that when she was a little baby,
I couldn't wait for her to grow up enough to have a whole
conversation. And now that she's 9, I have trouble keeping
her quiet sometimes. She's always asking questions and curious
about everything. But I like that she's so thoughtful and
bighearted. I learn from her all the time. And because of
my own education, I feel like I can really help her out with
her schoolwork in the way that I wished my parents could have
helped me out when I was going to school.
Two years after I had Jasmine, I
went back to school to get my certificates in medical assistance,
injection card and phlebotomy. Since then, I've been attending
City College to study firefighting. I've been working full-time,
raising my daughter, going to school, and looking for more
part-time work. I'm doing all of this because I want to
make sure that my daughter has everything that I didn't
have when I was a little girl. I want to make sure that
she's always taken care of.
She keeps me cool when I am angry
or having a bad day, she worries about me and asks me questions
about my day. She tries to make me feel better. She inspires
me and I learn from her as well. I’ll pick her up from
school and she’ll start telling me about what she learned
that day. It could be about someone I heard about before,
but can’t remember what they did. She’ll tell me
what that person has accomplished, which surprises me and
makes her so smart. She asks a lot of questions if she doesn’t
know something. I'm so proud of her and she's the best thing
that's ever happened in my life. She makes me want to accomplish
more in life, not only for myself, but mostly for her.