Ramona with her mother |
Yet, because of
their long work hours and limited language skills, they depended on me - the
oldest in the household - to take on a lot of adult responsibilities. I found
myself too often arguing with the new owners of the building, defending my
family against the heartless tactics they were taking. In the midst of this
crisis, my dad suffered an injury on the job and was no longer able to work,
even though he was the sole provider for our family. We had to rely only
on his disability check, which had to cover bills, tuition, and all other
essential expenses.
The task of
having to look for a place to live was exhausting and soul crushing, at one
point my dad thought that our only option would be to move to Vallejo or
Richmond. My sister and I would have to transfer out of our current schools,
and the thought of leaving Drew was unbearable. I worked hard to earn a spot at
Drew, a school that has provided me with the privilege of a new way of
learning. I was taught how to think critically, I was made more aware of the
world around me through service trips they offered, and I have an incredible
community of friends and teachers. I was heartbroken about the potential of
leaving Drew, but most of all - I was devastated at the possibility of having
to leave SMART.
When I think of
family, I think of SMART. It has been my second home during the last 8 years of
my life. This community has been with me through the smallest and biggest
moments of my life. They supported my transition into Live Oak School and Drew
School, gave me moral support when I got my first haircut ever, and celebrated
with me when I received my college acceptances. When I was younger, my parents
sought out opportunities to help my sister and me and when they came across the
SMART Program they could not believe the opportunities that the program
offered. SMART’s support and everything they have provided for me are
priceless. I am certain that I would not have been able to go through the
personal hardships I faced last year, when I felt I couldn’t accomplish my
dreams, without their support.
As the eviction
process moved on, I watched helplessly as construction workers began destroying
walls, wires, and changed locks. With the walls, they were tearing down my
childhood memories - where I played imaginary games with my cousins and stories
were shared with family. They were literally destroying my home and my sense of
security. I tried to be
the strong, mature adult around my parents that they needed me to be, but I
felt vulnerable. I cried often in my school bathroom, just wanting to be a
normal teenager - but feeling alone having to face these atypical challenges. I
cared about my grades, but I also cared about having a place to live. The
emotional safety that SMART and my counselor’s office afforded me were my only
light during such a dark moment of my life. Miraculously, a
month before our eviction due date, my dad found a decent place to live in Daly
City. My family was the last to move out of our building.
Ramona before giving her speech |
Although the
eviction was the most difficult event that has happened to me, I feel grateful
for the experience. My parents were never able to give me material
things, but they taught me to have strong morals and values including hard
work, determination and resilience, which I recognize now as skillsets that
helped me get through this experience. I learned that it is possible to overcome
a deep sense of defeat when you are surrounded by supportive family and
community.
I am proud that I maintained a 4.0 GPA, while taking challenging AP and honors courses. I participated in extracurriculars at school such as the badminton team and a myriad of clubs. I continued to challenge myself outside of school. I enrolled in a Latino Diaspora class at city college. I participated in a leadership conference for Latino youth at UC Berkeley. I now have skills that will be invaluable to me through college and beyond. The eviction taught me to be resilient and perseverant while going through a difficult emotional time. I learned how to multi-task; being focused at school while also being emotionally supportive to my parents. And, I learned how to self-advocate. It helped define me as the independent young woman I am today.
I am proud that I maintained a 4.0 GPA, while taking challenging AP and honors courses. I participated in extracurriculars at school such as the badminton team and a myriad of clubs. I continued to challenge myself outside of school. I enrolled in a Latino Diaspora class at city college. I participated in a leadership conference for Latino youth at UC Berkeley. I now have skills that will be invaluable to me through college and beyond. The eviction taught me to be resilient and perseverant while going through a difficult emotional time. I learned how to multi-task; being focused at school while also being emotionally supportive to my parents. And, I learned how to self-advocate. It helped define me as the independent young woman I am today.
I stand here
before you today, soon to be the first in my family to graduate high school.
This last year I applied to 14 colleges and I am beyond excited to start a new
chapter of my life at my #1 choice school, UC Davis, next year. Earlier this
month, my parents and my sister joined me in visiting the UC Davis campus and I
have to admit I was a little mortified by my parents’ excitement. They seemed
more giddy than I was about being a student there. My mom took so many selfies.
My dad got so emotional that he had to "get something from the car" too many
times.
My SMART family
provided me with the tools necessary to be successful at school, and supported
me emotionally as I faced immense challenges. I am forever grateful to them and
their role in my success today. As an example of their never ending badgering,
SMART’s college counselor Karla told me to apply to a program that I was sure
was going to waste my time. She gave me encouragement, revised my essays,
harassed me by phone and texts to meet the deadlines that at one point I almost
blocked her from my phone. Just last week I received a large packet in the
mail. Convinced that they were sending me a t-shirt as a consolation prize for a
rejection, I opened the packet upside down and this piece of paper fell out:
"We welcome Ramona Mora as a Gates Millennium Scholar of 2016."
The Gates
Millennium Scholars program had 53,000 applicants and I am one of the 1,000
scholars to receive leadership development programs and most importantly allow
me to graduate college without any loans. Through this program, I intend to
major in political science and pursue a law degree, and I look forward to
coming back as a successful immigration lawyer, and to be a role model for
future generations of SMART Scholars.