It’s beyond crazy to think that 16 years ago I already knew what I wanted to do with my life. Of course, 7-year-old me had no actual plan, but I knew that being a reporter was the job for me.

I remember watching a show back in the days on Univision called “Control.” The host was my journalism idol, Karla Martinez. She was having so much fun traveling from state to state and interviewing all sorts of people. I asked my mom if she was getting paid for that and she answered yes. Right there and then I told my mom that I wanted her job.

I don’t think she or my grandma were surprised when I told them. The reason for that is because I've always had a curiosity for other people's lives. I would grab the hair brush or the blow dryer, (anything that looked like a microphone to me) and I would go around asking my family whatever came to mind. My two usual victims were my grandma when she was in town or my uncle when he would sleep over.

Growing up, I would tell my friends that I wanted to be a reporter; they would look at me like I was crazy because they were focused on what any other normal kid should be focused on. Fast forward to senior year in high school; I was not stressed when it came to picking my major. Prior to senior year, my counselor enrolled me in the high school’s journalism class. During my senior year, I started writing for the high school’s newspaper. I loved it, and until this day I cherish those newspapers with my byline.

Although I knew I wanted to major in journalism, I decided to go to a community college and then transfer over to a university. The road was not easy, but I am certain everything had to happen that exact way to be where I am today. Once I transferred over to California State University, Northridge I was so afraid I would not like journalism. Being the control freak I am, I had no backup plan if that would have been the case.

But for my luck, I LOVE my career and wake up happy every day when I go to school because I’m learning about the rest of my life. If someone would have told me that I was going to interview a reporter, a professional soccer physical trainer, the son of an important activist, I would NOT believe them. On top of that, I have also networked with professional journalists and all of them have left words of encouragement to keep persuing my dream.

Some may think that being a reporter means just having a pretty face, and trust me it’s more than a pretty face. Just like any other career, it requires hard work, sacrifices, long days and nights of studying and on occasion, tears. But guess what? I don’t mind because I have the privilege to have an education. My parents have given me the opportunity to focus solely on my career, and I can’t ever pay them back for that.

I want to thank the 7-year-old version of myself for making that decision and for believing in her dream. Being an ESL student all throughout elementary school required for me to work a little harder. I’m not ashamed nor embarrassed to say I was an ESL student. Because of that, I had to build a strong work ethic from a young age and work a little harder than the other kids. My whole life I had to walk back home from school whether it was blazing hot or if it was raining. I had to carry all my books and a dictionary so I could do my work. So, to you little Nicole, it's all starting to pay off. Even though I’m not an official reporter with my degree, I feel as if I’m already living a part of my dream. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you cannot do anything because when you

REALLY want something you’re going to achieve it. Believe in yourself, work hard, educate yourself and most importantly, keep dreaming bigger than yesterday.