Graduation Speech: A Young First Generation Latina

Speaker of the house, honorable members of congress, and my fellow Americans, I am truly grateful for the invitation to address this joint session of congress. I never imagined myself speaking to such great sapient paradigms of people living the American Dream. Since I was a young child, I often pondered about the American dream and how to attain it. Thanks to the help of my parents, mentors, the countless opportunities that the United States offers a Latino immigrant like me, I have enough reason to believe I am on the path to attaining such a salient aspect of American culture known as the American dream. I come to address some of primary reasons why many brave individuals have decided to partake in the honorable hegira of their home

As a first-generation Latina in college, I could not be where I am without the help of multiple individuals. My parent’s sacrificed so much coming into this country. They left behind their family, their home, in order to one day provide a better future for me. Initially, my parents planned on staying in America for five years then they would go back to Ecuador. However plans changed once my mom became pregnant with me. The decision to stay in order to give me the best future possible greatly affected both my parents. They suffer greatly and lament leaving their family everyday. Only my mom has the slight possibly of returning to her home country but unfortunately, the only thing waiting her is her mother’s grave.

Without a doubt, being Latina has had the most positive effect on my life. I had always felt a little disconnected because of small things like not being able to speak Spanish as well or having lighter skin. I grew up in a home where family always came first and learned to always ensure that everyone around you has everything that they need. I feel lucky that I was able to grow up with such strong morals because of my culture. Last year, I became very proud of being part of such a beautiful community through the current political climate and the Latino Student Union. I realized how passionate I was about equality and rights. I recognized how unfair things are for minorities. Being Latina has helped me realize the potential I have.

On Friday, January 20th everything my parents’ came here for is being destroyed by one person. They came here for us to be safe and grow up with opportunities, the ones he wants to take away from us . In Mr. Trump’s eyes every female is just a piece of meat, in my parents eyes, I’m a strong Xicana (Mexican American) and Paisa woman. I’m a woman that has ignored the hate, the racism, the discrimination all for one sole purpose, to make my parents proud. To many Americans I am nothing, to my Hispanic/Latino community I am everything. I am the future, I’m their hope, I am the one who will make them proud. I’m a junior in high school that will graduate in the year of 2018 and attend college and pursue something in the medical field and maybe get

This tenacious journey to develop my identity was finally over. For a brief moment, I was able to denounce the racial stigmas against me. However, if I were to be faced with this uncomfortable situation once again, I would simply smile. I would invite anyone who disapproved of my heritage to Latin-America Fest. I refuse to be silence in the faces of the ignorant. I refuse to be intimated by racism. I stand proud and tall with my Latino brothers and sisters, facing the world everyday. Regardless of what the world may think, I will continue to defy the gravitational pull of triumph and rise above the prejudices against

Freshman year during my lunch period, I had decided to participate in technology squad to assist those unfamiliar with software applications such as PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, and Google Docs. Also I was responsible to assign laptops out to students who needed them. When I heard of EMT Club, I automatically joined because I wanted to learn more on what it takes to become an EMT. I handed out candy grams to raise money for the ambulance corps and got to listen to current medical technicians that provided an overview of their responsibilities. In addition I attended a first aid class and got certified, so I can lend a helping hand in an emergency. Outside of school in the Fair Lawn Jewish Center Religious School, I helped students learn the hebrew alphabet and planned activities that would keep them engaged.

When choosing what college to attend I knew I had to go to Spelman. I choose to attend Spelman because of its high scholastic standards for its students and also because of the foundation Spelman bestows among young African-American women. Spelman empowers young women to be the change you want to see in the world. Spelman nourishes students ensuring that they have equal opportunity to be successful. Spelman demonstrates how African American women can not only achieve successful but also gain a sisterhood that will forever live among the students even after graduation. During NSO a quote Dr. Myra Burnett mentioned emphasized on the importance of knowing that you can be and achieve whatever you are willing to work for. Dr. Burnett states, “You can be whatever you want is an incorrect statement however, you can be whatever you are willing to work for. You can have whatever you’re willing to work for” (Burnett). Dr. Burnett explained how you can’t just have whatever you want or choose to be in life without working hard or being willing to do to achieve your goals. It takes hard work and dedication to obtain the things we want in life. Spelman College will impact my life not only through the education but through the high expectations they place upon students from NSO to graduation and beyond.

When I was little I used to collect piggy banks. I remember the first one I owned which was pink and made out of plastic. People would ask me what I was saving for and I said college. Since I was 6 I was dreaming of attending the University of Southern California.

I am Latina. Although simple statement, it is one consisting of great capability and protentional beneath the surface. My grandmother, Dr. Maria Teresa Chavez-Hernandez, was an emblem of strength and one of the most influential women in my life. Against all odds, she remained true to her family obligations in Managua, Nicaragua as the oldest of eleven children while she earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology, a Master of Library Science, and her Ph.D. in Library Science and Information Studies. Following her passing, the Florida Library Association created the "Maria Chavez-Hernandez Libraries Change Peoples’ Lives Award" in her honor to celebrate the "dynamic spirit of her work in expanding the opportunities of information access to under-served

Hope you had a chance to share your accomplishment of being a 2017 Warren Morrow Hispanic Growth Fund Grant recipient with your credit union team! We are eager to share your impact with the rest of the credit union industry. We have put together a Project Status Report to help you tell us your story, progress and outcome.

Growing up, I faced many of the challenges; I was a first-generation Mexican-American college student whose first language was Spanish. I grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles, and I did not have any support system to think of an educational career beyond a high school degree. It was up to me to learn how the post-high school education system was structured for individuals who were not the ideal college candidate and to uncover opportunities for myself in the educational world. I went to East Los Angeles College and it was there that I obtained my social network of individuals that assisted me with the transfer process to a four-year institution. I joined many programs, clubs, and community services events. The Puente Program was one of the programs I attended, which provided

Hola! I am Claudia Montgomery, a nursing student here at Madonna University. I identify as 100% Latina, as I was born in Honduras. I moved to the U.S.A. six years ago. I speak both Spanish and English. I love my culture and background, and as such, I am more than happy to share it with you. Similarly, I love to travel, and I have experienced the diversity and cultural traditions in countries such as Mexico, Spain, Italy, France, Belize, Bahamas, Canada and many states in the U.S.A. and in my home country, Honduras. Moreover, I am always open to learn and experience new cultures, and in making new friends. I hope to be a friend to you all, so we can learn together about different cultures, as well as help our diverse community, and hopefully

Katie-Beth Jenkins arrived to your class a few minutes late today. I wanted to apologize for this as she was giving a tour to a prospective student, which ran over the allotted time. I hope this will be the last time she will arrive late for your class. If you need any information from me, please let me know.

Whenever people take a step outside, go out to dinner, or are in any social space; what are people doing almost 24/7? The key to this simple answer can be found on any mobile or stationary device. What one might find will be quite lurid. The answer is that most people ubiquitously are on their tech-savvy devices looking at pictures or sending some funny messages to a friend. This is a caveat that has been presented to us centuries ago by the genius who invented electricity; Albert Einstein. Einstein quoted that “I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots” (O’Toole 1). Einstein’s forewarning became an unfortunate reality in which humans become oblivious to the surroundings and

Welcome to Mt. Edgecumbe High School! Coming here, far away from home may be nerve-racking, but you just got accepted to one of the best schools in Alaska. Not everyone who applied got accepted, which is why you shouldn’t take this opportunity for granted. Attending MEHS, Mount Edgecumbe High School, is way different from being at home; for instance, you’re not living with your parents anymore and you have to teach yourself to be independent. This may seem frightening, but by coming here you can get a better education than from where you live, which is why I encourage you to stay all four years. Since you’re a MEHS Brave now, I am going to tell you some things that I personally like and dislike about MEHS. I will also tell you what to expect while you’re