First-Generation Home

My Parents invested their hard-earned money on my education.  Getting dropped off was the scariest feeling (I had never spent a day away from home).  I was living in a 21-floor tower full of strangers 475 miles away from Laredo.  As my Parents drove off, the next grueling thought was whether I was ready for college.  I had taken all the required courses and even some advanced courses to prepare me for this big step.  I wished I had someone to guide me, someone who had been there and done that, and I did find one such person, Ms. Johnnie.

Ms. Johnnie guided me to become the BEST student I could be.  She was the Social Work Department’s secretary.  She helped me manage and organize my time, in addition to teaching me a thing or two about taking notes.  She was my go-to person.

I am very proud to be a First-Generation College student.  I was able to accomplish not only my dream, but also my Daddy’s dream of seeing his Daughter walk in that big auditorium and see her accept that Baccalaureate diploma.

I pressured myself to be the very best that I could be.  I became resilient; I believe that one learns from their mistakes and that made me stronger.

I am thankful that I had the support from My Parents, but most importantly, that Daddy had the forethought and provided me with encouragement to pursue a degree. Having a second-grade education, he knew that no one could take my education away.

I am a humble First-Generation College student because of all the sacrifices that my Parents made.  Daddy always knew that this would be the BEST investment that he could make.

I graduated from Texas Woman’s University in August 1980 with a Bachelor of Social Work degree.  In May 2012, I graduated from Texas A&M International University with a Master of Arts in Sociology.