“Tough time’s never last, but tough people always do.”

“Tough time’s never last, but tough people always do.” My whole life has been a series of slaps in the face as I have faced many struggles in my life. These include being kidnapped and living the first six years of my life in Mexico with an abusive grandmother, and living in complete poverty because my dad has to pay at least $20,000 every year to the courts that my biological mother makes us go through. The biggest struggle that I have had to overcome took place the first six years of my life. My biological mother kidnapped my four siblings and me and took us to Mexico City where she knew my father could not reach us since he had no immigration documents and could not leave the United States. The moment we got to Mexico my mother left us for a new boyfriend and then became an alcoholic and a drug addict. Leaving my siblings and me under the care of a grandmother who not only treated us like slaves, but also beat us on a daily basis; leaving our bodies completely scarred. It was a horrible dream we thought we would never wake up from. However, just like every other hardship, this one came to an end. My father was able to bring my siblings and me back to the U.S. by tricking my mother into thinking that he and she could start their relationship over. When we arrived, he took us and we ran to what I like to refer to as, “Our New World.” Not only did we find a new mother that would do anything for our happiness, but we were also able to overcome all of our past fears with the support that my parents gave us.Although my life has been hard, I have refused to let that hold me back. Looking back, I am thankful for a father who never gave up on getting us back to the U.S. and into his care. He has had the option of either just letting us go back to Mexico with my mom or paying for very expensive courts and struggling with all of our problems because we were full of so many traumas. He tells us that we can do anything we want to as long as we set our minds to it. While in Mexico, my mother’s family would make us eat from garbage cans, and after a bad beating they would whisper in our ears “You’re just wasted space in this world.” But I am thankful to all the times that I was told that I would become nothing in life. All of those hardships have given me the drive to work harder to prove all of those who said I would lead to nothing, wrong. I am proud of how I have used this experience to motivate me and shape me into the outgoing person I am today. Many people use the hardships they have faced as an excuse to not try in school or extracurricular activities, but I refuse to be that way. For that reason, I have maintained a 4.0 and am the captain of my soccer team. My past experiences allow me to value all the opportunities I am presented with in a unique way. I am determined to attend and graduate from four-year University and hopefully pursue a career in the medical field either as a Pediatrician or as a Physical Therapist.If I am sponsored by Bridge for Kids I will be one step closer to achieving my ultimate goal; getting a 4.3 and attending UCSD or Dartmouth College. Being sponsored would help me obtain a better education, because I would use the money to get new school supplies without having to take from the little money that my father has. Not only would I use it for school supplies, but also to pay for my college applications next year. I am aiming for more than more people believe I can achieve, and I think that Bridge for Kids would help me become one step closer to my ultimate goal.Donate today!