To My Dearest Mother,

As I sit here in my dorm room, dreading the final exams that are coming up, I can only think of the several times you sat with me, notebook in hand, quizzing me on the dozens of science terms I had to learn for a test the next day. I reminisce on the times that you would mispronounce the lengthy Latin terms, and I can’t help but chuckle at the fact that words like Platyhelminthes and Actinopterigii are common language for me now.

You have instilled in me a work ethic that, at this point, is irreversible. You’ve taught me that with a little confidence and a whole lot of hard work, you can achieve whatever you set your mind to. Look what I’ve accomplished with your advice. I’m managing to live more than a thousand miles away from home, and I’m thriving not only academically, but socially. Your sometimes overly charismatic nature is something that runs through my veins as well, and thank God for it, because I don’t know how I would have made any friends otherwise.

Academically, you are probably the smartest woman I know. You graduated high school at the age of fifteen! When I was 15, I still had braces and wore bows in my hair. You came from a predominantly Spanish-speaking country and learned English -- not immediately, of course, but over time you perfected the language to fluency. You were the first in your family to go to college, and although you didn’t do the greatest your first semester, you earned your name on the Dean’s List every semester after that. You were a great example to your siblings, and as the oldest in our family, it is intimidating following such an act. I only hope to leave half of the impact on my younger siblings as you did to yours; you are truly inspiring.

You’ll probably laugh a little when I say that you are one of the bravest people I know. Think about it, though. You left everything not once, but five times in order to give your children a better life. You left family in the Dominican Republic, jobs in New York and Puerto Rico, and a comfortable lifestyle in Mexico all for me. You ventured out into the unknown, and I admire and thank you forever for doing so.

So Mami, thank you for your support, thank you for your unconditional love; thank you for motivating me; thank you for believing in me when I didn’t; thank you for all the car rides; thank you for being a role model to me; thank you for teaching me to pursue my dreams; thank you for all the delicious meals; thank you for dealing with me in my middle school years; thank you for teaching me Spanish; thank you for hosting countless sleepovers; thank you for listening to my friend drama; thank you for always checking my grades; but most importantly, thank you for shaping who I am today.

Con mucho amor,
Your Baby