What I Have Learned

I remember that when I was in Elementary School, I was a dreamer. Even though I knew my father decided that only the males in my family would have the opportunity to pursue a career, I remember telling my father, “I want to be a doctor,” and he responded, “Not you. One day, you will get married and stay home taking care of your family.” Then, I told my father that I wanted to be a teacher so I can take care of my children while I teach. I was so persistent to convince my father to give me the opportunity to continue my education, but my father already had his plans. I was born in a large family in Mexico. There were seven children in our family. My father decided there was only enough money to send the males of the family to high school. So, I decided to move away.

First, there was not enough money to go to school; there were seven children and three were males. In Mexico, parents have to pay for school starting in kindergarten. So, it was difficult for my father to pay for school for all of us, but the advantage in Mexico is that when students graduate from high school, they already have a career, such as being a mechanic, secretary,  or cosmetologist.
 
I decided to take charge of my education so I moved after I finished middle school because I knew my father was not able to send me to high school. I spoke with my older sister who lived in Reynosa, a bigger city in Mexico, three hours away from my home. She was working and single, living with my grandparents. She offered me to move in with her, and she paid for my school.  It was a big decision and I was only fifteen years old, but I agreed to move. I knew after my graduation from middle school that it was time to pack and say goodbye to my family.

Finally, I started studying to become a secretary, and I graduated and received a certificate. A week after my graduation I started to work as secretary. My decision of moving in with my sister took place because my father did not have enough money for all of his children. The outcome of my decision was not only graduating and starting to work, but I learned that I am the only one responsible for my education and future.

Overall, my experience of wanting to go to school allowed me to make the decision to move in with my sister. While in the process, I matured early than I was supposed to. I am thankful to my sister and also to my father that I am the person who I am because even though he could not send me to school after middle school, he raised us with values and gave me the courage in order to continue and find a solution. Since that day, I learned that every problem always has a solution.  People just have to continue trying even though sometimes a problem takes longer to get fixed. Also, I learned that everyone is responsible for their future and they are the ones that could make a decision that could affect their life forever. For that reason, I believe that when a big challenge hapens, it is because something better is coming.