I grew up with people who always supported me. I spent my childhood
with my family, my brothers, my mother and grandmother. They
raised me in a place where they loved me a lot, but at the same time,
my mother went to live somewhere else to build a home for her children
while she worked away from home, so we stayed with our grandmother.

After several years, my dad married his new wife and they made plans to
come live in the United States. They began the paperwork process so that
my dad could come here. My dad decided to include us in his plans to bring my sister and me to the USA. As the years went by, it became more com-plicated due to the course of a very bad disease in 2019 called COVID-19. At the time of that disease, they had to stop the document process to enter
the United States, it was a long wait of several years. Later, when the virus
went away, they were able to continue with our documents and wait for the
process to finish. At the age of 17, they approved my visa to be able to come
to the United States. It was a happiness for me and my family but at the same time, it is sad to know that we could no longer be together as a family,
especially at celebrations. But it was one of my dreams to be able to be in
the United States to get ahead and be able to help my family. It hurt me to
know that I would not be with the people I love most in life, the people who
shared my feelings, my emotions, and my childhood. But I knew it was a
process and I had to get used to it and leave my stride to be able to move
forward.

May 25, 2023 was the most exciting and painful day of my life. I knew it was
an unknown place where I wouldn't have my family with me, a place that
was totally different, including the language and the weather. It was a totally
different place, but I was happy because it was one of my dreams. It was just
a matter of getting used to it. At first I felt sad and wanted to return to my
country with my family, but my friends and family advised me that it was
just a process that I had to endure and overcome. After spending 3 months
living in the USA, I realized that I was pregnant. It was both exciting and
also scary because I didn't know what I was going to do, but my family never
abandoned me, they always supported me and gave me strength. That was
my motivation to push forward to fulfill my dream and not give up because I
knew that a baby was coming that I would have to take care of. Now, I am 18
years old, I have a girl named Aliah who helped me not give up. I continue
with my studies to be able to get ahead and be able to give her a good life. I
want to help her when she needs me.

Sometimes I would like to be in my country with my family so that they can
help me. But, I am here with Aliah and we are doing okay. On May 25, 2024,
I will celebrate one year away from my family. Overtime, I try to improve
myself and do my best so that my family is proud of me. I want to set an
example of a good life for my daughter. God sent my daughter to me so that
I can grow through her. I thank God for being in this country. I thank God
for everything.

© Rudenny. All rights reserved. If you are interested in quoting this story, contact the national team and we can put you in touch with the author’s teacher.