Imagine your parents separating when you were 4, constantly getting evicted, and moving schools. My mother is an immigrant from another country and raised 5 children in San Diego. Like many immigrants, my mother grew up in extreme poverty. She grew up in a household never knowing where her next meal would come from. She has 7 siblings, so she understands the struggles of needing to get by and was faced with many difficulties raising my siblings and me as well as her own siblings. She was the only person in her family who somewhat knew English. … [Read more...]

Hello! My name is Vy Ho, I am a junior at The Preuss School UC San Diego. I am a first-generation Vietnamese immigrant. I live with my parents and younger sister in a low-income household. My dad is a tailor, and my mom is a nail technician. Growing up, I attended school in Vietnam until the age of six. Every morning, I arrived at school on our old broken-down motorbike. On lucky days, my dad surprised me with half a banh mi, a Vietnamese sandwich, or some loose change for snacks. At home, I had a small foldable desk, where I crisscrossed on … [Read more...]

Hello! My name is Vy Nguyen (as in the letter 'V'); a freshman AOIT(Academy ofInformation Technology) student at Hoover High School. I’ve lived in City Heights ever sincemoving to San Diego at the age of 6 from Tây Ninh, Vietnam. Like many immigrants, my mother grew up incredibly poor. In a place where education was limited, she’d drop in and out of school as her family was unable to sustain the tuition, resulting in an incomplete education. Not wanting her children to suffer the same circumstances, she migrated to America, still working just … [Read more...]

My name is Jude Qaddoura, and I'm currently a freshman at Escondido Charter High School. I’ve lived in Escondido for my entire life, with the exception of some surrounding cities and staying in Jordan for a few months. My parents, both hard working immigrants, came to the United States around the age of 18, and have worked hard to get to the point where they were able to support themselves and start a family. Growing up I struggled with anxiety and had to find ways I could work around it, meaning I had to give myself the confidence to go out … [Read more...]

Hello! My name is Adonay Ekubaselase, I am part of the first generation in my family to be born in this country. I am 13 and currently in Challenger middle school in 8th grade. I live with my dad, mom, and three brothers which is a family of 6. My parents were immigrants from different countries. They try their best to let us have a life they did not have by working for long periods of time till the point where they have barely any time to sleep. Our parents try to give us the opportunity to do things even though they are limited by many … [Read more...]

When I was six, I wanted to be an astronaut, and when I was 7, I wanted to be a singer. By the time I was 11, I had thought becoming a judge or a lawyer would be my future, but that might have just been because of Legally Blonde. I am sure that it is something that every kid goes through. Profit usually comes to mind before the passion for when someone asks you what you want to be when you grow up. We all had our reasons, and mine was to be making enough profit to support my family. My name is rose, and I am 13 years old. I am now coming to … [Read more...]

My name is Christian Juarez.  I am 14 years old and currently going to the Preuss School UCSD.  I live with both of my parents and I have 2 sisters, one who is older than me and one younger than me.  My father is a gardener and my mother is a stay home mom.  Growing up has not been easy for me due to the fact that I have had a blood disorder since I was 2 years old and currently it is still a mystery what is causing my body not to produce a normal amount of platelets. Even though I wish to do a lot … [Read more...]

I am Mya Ordaz Hernandez, Mexican-American, a high school student at Gompers Preparatory Academy, and a first-generation student. I was born and raised in San Diego, California, I have a twin brother and a little brother. I have gotten on the honor roll every year for having a 3.5 GPA or higher in citizenship and academics. I have been in STEM programs such as Hippocrates, Be WISE, Medicine Encompassed, Health Outreach, and others such as SWAG Program and Adventure Club. I am currently volunteering at the Elementary Institute of Science as a … [Read more...]