Victoria

I am someone who has dealt with seeing the world differently at a young age, understanding why it is costly, and who has dealt with agonizing stress. It all started when I was 10 years old. Right when the pandemic hit in California, I remember going to shop for groceries as a family. Returning, my mom told my brother and I that there wasn’t going to be a lot of money because prices of common necessities were rising; we had to be more mindful of what we asked for. This wasn’t the only situation where we faced hardships. My mom struggled to support us on her own as we grew up. My mom has always been a hard worker, but with her work she couldn’t provide the sufficient amount to purchase all of our needs and her own.

Another important event in my life that has affected me as a person was the beginning of freshman year. I felt like I had so many responsibilities to cover, balancing a workload that I had never dealt with, while also trying to do things that made me happy. Tests were put in our faces, complicated assignments had to be completed, lessons were sometimes expected for you to teach yourself because the teacher struggled with classroom management. These experiences impacted me in a way that made me more anxious and caused me to overthink about the things I cannot control.

Currently, I found that exercising helps me clear my mind and release some of the anxiety school brings. Ballet Folklorico is a traditional Mexican dance and for me it is not just about clearing my head, but it is a way to express myself and represent my culture. I am a part of Grupo Herencia Mexicana and that comes with the beautiful dresses that look so cohesive when you dance as a team when moving them based on the choreography and style of music. Each type of dress is very costly and I need them to participate in a dance. Important necessities also include shoes, these shoes have nails built in at the bottom of the toes and heel so that as we are tapping on the floor it makes this distinct sound that goes along with the music. I also need a head piece that has beautiful thick faux braids with colorful flowers made of silk. I deeply love dancing, but I feel deeply concerned that my mom has to sacrifice so much for me to do this because I like it.

Another thing that I like to do for my wellness is running with my mom. This is my favorite thing to do to clear my head of any stress. Running is like an escape that never has an ending, you just feel the cold breeze of the wind brushing you, the sun shining or setting as we run. The feeling of finishing a run is the best of all. It makes me forget about all the worries or due dates I have because I focus on feeling my best and enjoying the jog. Because of this, I am determined to join Cross Country this Fall. I am currently training for it because you have to complete about 3 miles in under 30 minutes. With the money, I could buy new running shoes as I don’t have any specifically for running, loose activewear clothing to train, and save some money to purchase my cross country uniform. To me this isn't something I am forcing myself to do because it is something I love and want to work hard for to be the better version of myself.

A Bridge for Kids is an amazing opportunity and it is an honor to even get a chance to tell my life story and how the support could positively affect me in the future. I know that giving away a huge amount of money is not easy; it’s a big decision. I am someone who wants to recover from the burnout of stress from school and the worries of feeling like I ask for too much for things that I love to do. Exercising has helped me this year and I feel that it is a lifetime therapy for my health and will serve great purpose in my life. I am grateful for the opportunity to share a part of my story with A Bridge for Kids and know that any support the program provides will positively impact my mental health and overall growth.