By Samantha Galarza Caballero
This article is the first part of a three-part series featuring selections from an English 101 project in which students were asked to explain how they came to be a student at UNCG. For all of the stories, visit the project’s webpage.
My life has had its advantages and disadvantages. I have overcome many obstacles, internal and external, that I now hold with great appreciation because it allowed me to be here at UNC Greensboro. My journey started way before I was born when my immigrant parents decided to cross over from México to the U.S. They have zero college experience and began to work to make something of themselves for their future family. I believe it is reasonable for me to call them my modern-day superheroes. I owe them the world, and they are the number one reason why I made it to UNCG. I am here to accomplish both my and their dreams and make them proud of their daughter.
I am pretty sure many of us growing up wanted to be a doctor, veterinarian, sports star, or a princess like me, when they became adults. As I got older, of course, I started to think rationally and create some kind of pathway that would make me happy and financially stable. Now, although I am an undeclared major, I chose UNCG in hopes to become an immigration lawyer one day. I have always been passionate about immigration in the U.S. and its controversies.
To backtrack a little bit, I want to take time to share what kind of person I am. Some may say caring, competitive, determined. Yes, I am all those things, but I am also very ambitious. I am driven by success, and I certainly like to prove people wrong. I am motivated by what I like to call institutionalized setbacks, which are things that do not automatically give me a direct pass into corporate America or the Elite. There have been countless examples in the U.S. corporate world of minorities going through challenges made especially for them. I am going through this journey in hopes of beating those challenges and being an example, to those like me, that shows “I can do it, I did it, so can you”.
Although I cannot see into the future, I can envision myself making a living off of helping and providing for others. In the view of being an immigration lawyer one day, I hope to give people a secure future—to help people who wear the shoes that my parent’s once wore. I also have future goals of traveling the world, there is so much beauty I have yet to see. Being here at UNC Greensboro is my next step towards completing those aspirations.
THE CAROLINIAN 
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