- When I decided to come
to the US and study,
it wasn't as easy as, I'm leaving.
My parents, they didn't,
they didn't believe me until I actually
had my luggage on the bed
and I was about to leave.
That's when it hit them that I
was serious about this dream.
(bright instrumental music)
We didn't have Aerospace
Engineering in Mexico
back in the day.
So the closest university
was in San Diego.
In order to get here to Georgia Tech,
I had to go to a community college first.
So I went to San Diego City College.
I didn't want to give up my dream.
I really wanted to study
Aerospace Engineering.
I really wanted to come over here,
and get the best education I could.
So I decided that I will
keep this dream going
even if I have to cross the
border everyday to go to school.
Live in a different country.
And I started living
with my parents again.
I would wake up at three
a.m. in the morning.
My dad would be making
breakfast and lunch for me.
He would take me to the border,
and I would arrive to the
border around four a.m.
And since I didn't have a
car, I had to cross by foot.
So I would get in line, and
make about two hours in line.
And cross to the other
side at like six a.m.
Once I was on the other
side, I would take a trolley.
And it would be like an hour.
So I would get to school at seven.
That was like on a regular day.
I went to school in the
morning, take classes,
do my homework, and then be
involved in organizations,
clubs, or anything so I
could get more leadership
and get out there.
Then I will go home,
and would arrive home in
Mexico at like ten p.m.
Just have dinner and go to bed,
so I could wake up the next day again.
The thought of me going to
college was always there.
I think my parents never
went past high school.
It was really cool,
it's like what is this
Georgia Tech school?
And it's in the US.
So I looked it up, and they
had a great Aerospace program.
They had a lot of research
opportunities in the campus,
which is beautiful.
It was on the other side of the country,
so it would give me the
experience I was looking for.
I didn't know anybody from Georgia.
Didn't know where to go or what to do.
I just, I think I didn't even
have a bank account or anything.
I just had cash.
The biggest challenge being
a first-generation student really is,
not knowing what to do
and how to do things.
Everything I do is first.
Applying for college, doing my taxes.
Everything I've done
here is a first for me.
And for my family as well.
They have supported me in so many ways.
We love financially.
But really from the
border to the east side,
it has been all me.
And that has been the hardest thing,
'cause really I don't have a
net in which I could just fall
if something goes wrong.
The college experience
has taught me a lot of
doing things on my own, and
really pushing myself to limits
I never thought I had.
To come to a university like Georgia Tech,
that is on the other side of
the country, and that I try,
so many international
students have been able
to get a perspective from the world
from the people that actually
live in different countries.
I really want to go to
a smaller university
that I can help grow and
become a better university.
So that's why I want to go
to San Diego State University
and do my Master's, potentially my PhD.
And I'm also a co-op with NASA.
So I will be working with
NASA and doing my Master's
at San Diego State University.
And then eventually just become
a full-time employee of NASA.
I think my experience will
impact other students because,
being a first-generation college student,
being Hispanic, coming
from a different country
can really show other students
that are afraid of making
this big move to a university.
It can show them that it can be possible.
You know, even if all
the odds are against you,
we have to believe in our dreams first,
before we'll able to make
others believe in them.
And it's very important that they
stand for what they believe
in and what they want to do.
And to teach them why they
want to do the things.
So that could support them
fully in this new journey.
I'm really proud that I was able to,
to persevere, and have
faith on these dreams
to take the risk.
And to decide to leave everything behind,
even my fears,
to follow a dream that
might or might not happen.
And being able to do that,
to cross the border every single day,
not knowing if it was
gonna be worth it or not.
And I'm really proud that I was able to,
to keep going, regardless.
It only matters that you
really want to do it.
It doesn't matter what
everybody else says.
It only matters what you want to do.
I decided this path, and
not a lot of people take it.
Even I think, how would I
cross the border everyday?
Why did I do it?
'Cause not all people take the risk.
'Cause they're afraid
they might not accomplish.
But I've realized that anything,
and really any dream, can be possible,
if anybody puts the
effort into that dream.
