By Yatzari Lozano Vazquez, Fellow Class of 2019
University of Denver
I view my education as the key to endless possibilities of bright futures to look forward to. It can help me not only achieve my dreams, but most importantly, it can enable me to help other people. As the first person in my family to finish high school and go to college, this journey has not been an easy one. What one might not realize about being a first generation student is that not only do you have to learn on your own, but everything that you learn both in school and from your mistakes, failures, and hardships, you share with your siblings, your parents, and all of your relatives so that they may not have to go through them themselves. Although it was incredibly difficult navigating the college application process and graduating high school relying on my determination, resourcefulness, and the undying love and support of my family, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. My position may be a stressful one with a lot on my shoulders, but it is one that I accept proudly. My education is not just my own, it is my family’s, my community’s, and my ancestors’ who paved the way for me to be here. It is a position of honor that I will always hold close to my heart and never give up, no matter how difficult it becomes.
When I received my college acceptance letter, it was a turning point for my entire family. My family and ancestors had worked incredibly hard for my opportunity to achieve this. They battled poverty, immigration, and much more for me to be able to receive that life changing letter. That piece of paper was the key to an entire new life. A life where my family, their children, and my future children would not have to struggle and where no dream is impossible to reach. However, I did not begin to understand the difficulties that I would have to overcome in order to provide this life for them until my first day of college. I entered a world where nothing reminded me of home. I was a minority in the full sense of the word. There were few other Mexicans and most of the students were economically privileged. I felt completely alone and everyday it was a struggle to keep pushing forward. Classes were more difficult, and my workload increased significantly. What made this even more difficult was that I was away from my family and even through our phone calls, they could not understand the struggles I was going through as a first-generation, low-income student.
I could not have made it this far without the many programs dedicated to helping low-income students such as Law School Yes We Can. The support of LSYWC and my mentors has been incredible and immensely important for me. They understand my struggles and I finally have someone to help me navigate all the new places I have made it to that my family never had the opportunity to reach. I am incredibly grateful for their guidance and support.
