Sandra: Getting Here

I’m an immigrant. I lived here undocumented for 11 years. I finally got my green card when I was in a senior in high school. And then I wanted to go into the military. I enlisted in the Navy but I got medically separated. When I came back I enrolled in the UA, originally as a business major. I didn’t like it so then I decided to go into natural resources so that’s where I am today. I’m really into environmental science and sustainability. I’m working with TMY right now, with the Compost Cats, the green department, so we’re taking care of the trash here. I’m in a mariachi group at the UA. I play the guitar. Whenever I’m playing the music and the people enjoy it–it’s music they haven’t heard in years and their faces light up–is one of my favorite things. I’m really proud of how far I’ve come. I really didn’t think I was gonna go to college at all growing up. It was something always out of reach for me. In my mind I never thought I would actually get there. The fact that I’m a senior and that I graduate in May and that I may get a graduate degree after that, it’s just–I didn’t think I would ever get here.

-Sandra