Victoria will study history at San Antonio College this Fall.
What is the greatest challenge you have overcome during your education?
My greatest challenge during my educational journey has been my reluctance to go back to acquire it. I always put myself on the back burner and told myself that "one day" I'll get my GED and go to college. My frame of mind was that I couldn't do it and wasn't smart enough or had the time to do it. Being a single mom, I wanted to provide for my kids first. Their needs and wants were first and my path seemed set in stone — the path of dead-end jobs that make us live paycheck to paycheck and hating Mondays. I wanted to love going to work, but at that time I dreaded it. I was stuck.
I overcame these challenges by telling myself that I was worth making the time and effort to better my life. In the long run it wasn't just for my benefit, but for my children's benefit as well. So I made time to find a GED class, earned it and now I'm enrolled in college. The best part is now I'm confident that I AM smart enough, I CAN do it and I DO have time. I'm worth it and most importantly, my family is worth it.
Who has been most influential to you in your education this far?
The person in my life who has been the most influential to me is my Mother. She has always stood by me no matter what, loving me and never throwing my mistakes in my face. Instead, she has built me up basically from my foundation into who I am today. From when I was a child, she has always been the strongest woman I know. She herself has overcome many struggles and challenges, always putting one foot forward and trying again with a smile on her face. She herself was a single mother and found a way to give me the world. I just want to make her proud. Recently, she has had serious medical problems. Her health is deteriorating and I need to give her peace of mind that her only daughter is self-assured and independently providing for herself and her children. I owe it to her.
What is your hope for your fellow graduates as they move on to the next chapter of their lives?
My hope for my fellow graduates is that they believe they can achieve anything they put their minds to. They already achieved so much by earning their HSE and should be extremely proud of themselves. The door to the rest of their life has just been opened and they hold the key. If they ever feel overwhelmed or like they can't do it, just remember that you CAN do it, you ARE smart and you DO have time. Life passes us by in a blink of an eye and every second counts.