As a little girl, I never would’ve imagined myself at a university, let alone know what that meant. My parents had little to no education; my dad graduated high school and my mom had no formal education. I saw how hard they worked under the hot sun as migrant workers to put food on our table and to make sure I had it all. As I grew older, I noticed that most girls around my age that were of Latin descent were not in college, instead, they were young single mothers or had no interest in going to school. To this day, my dad encourages me to stay in school and to focus on my goals to become whatever I wanted. What exactly that was? I don’t know. I’m thankful for my parent’s advice in furthering my education because, to be honest, I don’t know where I would be without it.
Courtesy: Unsplash
The hardest part about being a first-generation student is learning everything on your own like applying for scholarships and doing my FAFSA. When I first found out that scholarships existed and that students that worked hard enough could go to college for free, I couldn’t believe it. Being able to take advantage of such an opportunity is beyond me.
As I saw students from my high school applying to colleges, I was nervous about not being accepted and figuring what schools to apply to. Thankfully, my oldest sister knew about FSU and motivated me to apply while I hoped that I would be accepted. I began reading and investigating more about FSU and their College of Arts program. I started to fall in love with the university. Learning to write a personal statement to be considered for Florida State University was another task that I found challenging because I didn’t know where to start or to end, but I did eventually take the time in learning how to. Then, a few days later when I was coming home from school, I received an acceptance letter, my heart jumped for joy as did my whole family as I told everyone the good news.
Courtesy: Unsplash
Being accepted at FSU was not only a gateway to a new life for me but also for my family. I remember my first day touring the school with my parents and the way they took in the architecture of the buildings and the beautiful landscape. They were excited that I was walking on a different turf, a new one. Leaving me in Tallahassee to fulfill what I believe was a calling for me was hard on both my parents and siblings, but I knew this was an example I wanted to show them. That we as Guatemalan Americans can break a cycle that was built because there were no opportunities, but now is a time that we can create for ourselves a new story full of academic achievements and of breaking the cycle. Walking on the stage at the Donald Tucker Civic Center is one moment that I can’t wait to happen, especially with others that have dedicated their lives to studying and achieving their academic goals.
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest!