Land of the Free

The definition of freedom can be taken literally, but as the child of immigrants, that word is a lot heavier than it may be to others. 

To me, freedom is the ability to indulge in the mundane. The privilege of having a bank account, the privilege of having a state driver’s license, the privilege of being able to live freely without the fear of being taken away, that is freedom to me. While the majority in this country credit their freedom to war veterans and our founding fathers, I give the credit of my freedom to my parents. 

My parents are the reason I am where I am today. Yes, I am here out of my own achievements, but I am a product of my parents dreams and ambitions. There is not a day that goes by that I do not think of my family. To be the first to go to college, to be the first to be in Washington D.C. , the weight of it all presses on my heart. I am so proud of myself, but I am most proud of my parents. My only wish in this world is to have my parents experience the freedom that they gave to me.

They’re the ones that encouraged me to move away for college, and they encouraged me to go to this internship. I will never be able to fathom the amount of things that they have sacrificed for me, and what they will continue to sacrifice for me. To love and to be loved, that is where my sense of freedom comes from. 

“Nunca sabes cuándo volverás a tener esta oportunidad.” 

My mother’s words are always ringing in my head. Day by day, I realize that she’s right. But I did get this opportunity, and my goal is to give this chance to others. I hope that other Migrant and Seasonal Head Start students will get to experience this freedom. My whole life, I’ve felt like I have had an itch to scratch. A desire to explore the unknown and to spread my wings. I know I have more to give to the country, to the world. D.C. is only the beginning.