My name is Emily, and I am currently 17 years old. I am from a small South Texas city. I have faced several obstacles growing up and even though many people thought I couldn’t surpass them, I did. My challenges have only given me the drive to remain focused on my ultimate goal: achieving a higher education.

I come from a family of immigrants; therefore I understand the struggles they face. Growing up I never understood why we couldn’t go to Disneyland, or why mom came home only to go straight to bed. Without the proper education she had to work 2-3 jobs just to put food on the table. My mother’s struggle has been such an impactful inspiration for me. My mother had a challenging childhood. At the age of nine years, old she crossed over to the United States, along with my grandmother and my uncle. She became pregnant with me at the age of 17, but despite this challenge she never gave up on her education. She went on to finish high school, but never got to achieve her goal of becoming a nurse because she is an undocumented immigrant. I have always looked up to my mother and grandmother for sacrificing themselves for the well-being of their children. And because of that I have always felt the need to succeed, the need to give back for everything that they have done for me.

At the age of 13, I was diagnosed with scoliosis. My doctor said it was too late for me to wear a back brace to correct it because my spine had already grown. It was devastating news, especially for my mother. Surgery was inevitable, the only problem was that my mother couldn’t travel. She took the chance anyway and on May 24th we were headed to Corpus Christi. When we finally arrived at the checkpoint my anxiety hit an all-time high. It was the ugliest feeling not knowing whether I’d have my mother by my side during surgery or not. Everything turned out fine and we checked into the Ronald McDonald house. I had my last meal before surgery at Whataburger that night and waited for the next day to come. The day finally arrived and everything seemed to go by so fast. By the time I knew it I was already going under anesthesia. The last thing I remember seeing was my mother crying for me at the edge of my bed, and her holding on to my hand. Nine hours later I wake up to see the blur of my step-father. I didn’t realize it then but I had been yelling at the top of my lungs in excruciating pain. The next couple of days were pretty harsh, but I still managed to walk on the second day after surgery. I never gave up no matter how bad my back hurt. I spent most of my time trying to gain mobility, because I refused to stay bed bound. The transition back into normal life was difficult, but it wasn’t impossible. I won’t let my physical impairment stop me from fulfilling my dreams.

  Recently, I’ve had to deal with some personal issues that have made me come to a realization. My biggest achievement has been doing a complete 180 in my life.  At the beginning of this year I honestly don't know where I'd be heading in life. College wasn't really something that crossed my mind. My mother has always pushed me to make something of myself, and when she saw me heading down hill she pushed even harder. She placed me into a program named L.I.F.E. (Ladies Inspired For Excellence) and it has been the best thing that has happened in my life. Being in the program gave me 8 long months to look over my life make a decision on where I'd end up in a couple of years. It has taught me the true meaning of life, family, and school. But most importantly the meaning of myself.

My biggest goal in life is to become SOMEBODY. I want to succeed and show the world that Mexican Americans are capable of way more than expected. I want to give back to my family for everything that they have done to help make me the person that I am today. I know that one day I am going to make my mother proud, and live the dream that she never got to achieve. I am ready to take this next step in my education.