FAMILIES TO GRADUATE. % HERE’S NBC PRESILLA THOMPSON. %
HERE’S NBC PRESILLA THOMPSON. % >> ALLISON MANY FIRST %
>> ALLISON MANY FIRST % GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS
GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS HAVE THEIR HANDS FULL PREPARING
HAVE THEIR HANDS FULL PREPARING TO THE NEXT LIFE
TO THE NEXT LIFE PANDEMIC ALL THE WHILE THE LOSS
PANDEMIC ALL THE WHILE THE LOSS OF A SENIOR YEAR %
OF A SENIOR YEAR % THAT FOR MANY WAS ABOUT FAR
THAT FOR MANY WAS ABOUT FAR MORE THAN JUST %
MORE THAN JUST % ACCOMPLISHMENTS LIKE HIGH
ACCOMPLISHMENTS LIKE HIGH SCHOOL VALEDICTORIANS %
SCHOOL VALEDICTORIANS % ACROSS THE COUNTRY SHE HAD %
ACROSS THE COUNTRY SHE HAD % ALREADY BEEN THINKING
ALREADY BEEN THINKING ABOUT HER SPEECH. %
ABOUT HER SPEECH. % . %
. % >> I WANTED TO GIVE THEM A %
>> I WANTED TO GIVE THEM A % LITTLE BIT OF MY STORY. %
LITTLE BIT OF MY STORY. % >> A GRADUATION STORY MARKED BY
>> A GRADUATION STORY MARKED BY DEFYING THE ODDS. %
DEFYING THE ODDS. % >> IF I DID AND THE TROUBLES
>> IF I DID AND THE TROUBLES ENABLE THAT I HAD %
ENABLE THAT I HAD % ANYONE ELSE CAN DO IT. %
ANYONE ELSE CAN DO IT. % >> LABELS LIKE UNDOCUMENTED %
>> LABELS LIKE UNDOCUMENTED % IMMIGRANTS AND TEEN MOMS
IMMIGRANTS AND TEEN MOMS BECAUSE A BRIGHTER BETTER
BECAUSE A BRIGHTER BETTER FUTURE FOR US. %
FUTURE FOR US. % >> UP ENDED AT THE AGE OF 3 %
>> UP ENDED AT THE AGE OF 3 % WHEN HER FATHER WAS
WHEN HER FATHER WAS PARALYZED IN A CAR ACCIDENT
PARALYZED IN A CAR ACCIDENT WHILE WORKING IN THE %
WHILE WORKING IN THE % U.S. HER FAMILY IMMIGRATED %
U.S. HER FAMILY IMMIGRATED % ILLEGALLY TO CARE FOR HIM. %
ILLEGALLY TO CARE FOR HIM. % >> COME THE U.S. AND MY SISTER %
>> COME THE U.S. AND MY SISTER % AND ME. %
AND ME. % >> I HEARD HIGH SCHOOL LIFE %
>> I HEARD HIGH SCHOOL LIFE % TOOK ANOTHER TURN. %
TOOK ANOTHER TURN. % >> I WAS NOTIFIED THAT I WAS IT
>> I WAS NOTIFIED THAT I WAS IT LOOKED LIKE WHOA
LOOKED LIKE WHOA WHAT AM I GOING TO DO NOW. %
WHAT AM I GOING TO DO NOW. % >> NOW IN HER SENIOR YEAR THE %
>> NOW IN HER SENIOR YEAR THE % CORONAVIRUS HAS %
CORONAVIRUS HAS % CHANGED THINGS YET AGAIN. %
CHANGED THINGS YET AGAIN. % HER DAILY ZOOM CLASSES SHARE A
HER DAILY ZOOM CLASSES SHARE A SCREEN TO KEEP HER
SCREEN TO KEEP HER SON ENTERTAINED AND THE IDEA OF
SON ENTERTAINED AND THE IDEA OF A VIRTUAL %
A VIRTUAL % GRADUATION. %
GRADUATION. % >> AND I WAS LIKE NO YOU CAN’T %
>> AND I WAS LIKE NO YOU CAN’T % CRY. %
CRY. % IT’S GRADUATION. %
IT’S GRADUATION. % >> MEMORIES THAT MEAN SO MUCH
>> MEMORIES THAT MEAN SO MUCH MORE AND FAMILIES WITH
MORE AND FAMILIES WITH STUDENT WHO WILL BE THE FIRST
STUDENT WHO WILL BE THE FIRST INCLUDING AARON
INCLUDING AARON GUTIERREZ. %
GUTIERREZ. % >> I’M THE FIRST TO GRADUATE %
>> I’M THE FIRST TO GRADUATE % HIGH SCHOOL AND CORONA %
HIGH SCHOOL AND CORONA % HAS MADE WHAT’S HAPPENING. %
HAS MADE WHAT’S HAPPENING. % >> AND IT’S NOT JUST THE %
>> AND IT’S NOT JUST THE % GRADUATION BUT ALL OF THE
GRADUATION BUT ALL OF THE OTHER FIRSTS THAT COME WITH IT.
OTHER FIRSTS THAT COME WITH IT. >> I WON’T BE ABLE TO ATTEND
>> I WON’T BE ABLE TO ATTEND PROM OR MY FRIENDS HAVE
PROM OR MY FRIENDS HAVE SENIOR WEEK, SENIOR AND IT’S
SENIOR WEEK, SENIOR AND IT’S KIND OF HARD BECAUSE IT %
KIND OF HARD BECAUSE IT % IS JUST ONCE IN A LIFE TIME. %
IS JUST ONCE IN A LIFE TIME. % >> EVEN SO GUTIERREZ AND ARE %
>> EVEN SO GUTIERREZ AND ARE % LOOKING AHEAD TO
LOOKING AHEAD TO ATTENDING COLLEGE AND POSES %
ATTENDING COLLEGE AND POSES % CAREERS IN HEALTHCARE. %
CAREERS IN HEALTHCARE. % GUTIERREZ A NURSE AND DANIELLE
GUTIERREZ A NURSE AND DANIELLE AN OCCUPATIONAL %
AN OCCUPATIONAL % THERAPIST. %
THERAPIST. % BUT UNTIL THEN THEY MUST STILL %
BUT UNTIL THEN THEY MUST STILL % PREPARE FOR THE NEW %
PREPARE FOR THE NEW % NORMAL AS THE CORONAVIRUS. %
NORMAL AS THE CORONAVIRUS. % >> MY MOM LOST HER JOB AND THAT
>> MY MOM LOST HER JOB AND THAT WAS BY WORKING AND
WAS BY WORKING AND AND THE THING THAT I’M GOING TO
AND THE THING THAT I’M GOING TO WITHOUT HAVING TO
WITHOUT HAVING TO WORK. %
WORK. % >> AS THE SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS
>> AS THE SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS CONTINUE TO ROLL IN SHE %
CONTINUE TO ROLL IN SHE % IS HOPEFUL HER MOM WILL BE ABLE
IS HOPEFUL HER MOM WILL BE ABLE TO GET BACK TO WORK
TO GET BACK TO WORK AND THAT SHE CAN HEAD OFF TO %
AND THAT SHE CAN HEAD OFF TO % COLLEGE NOT ONLY FOR %
COLLEGE NOT ONLY FOR % HERSELF BUT ALSO FOR HER SON. %
HERSELF BUT ALSO FOR HER SON. % >> I WABBIT MY KIDS TO DO THE %
>> I WABBIT MY KIDS TO DO THE % SAME THING AS I DID. %
SAME THING AS I DID. % I WANT THEM TO ALWAYS DEPOT %
I WANT THEM TO ALWAYS DEPOT % FORWARD AND DON’T LET %
