When I arrived in the U.S. at age 11, I couldn’t speak or read English. Moving from my familiar home to someplace so different made me feel scared and lost. Suddenly, it seemed like I didn’t know anything.
My parents put me in a public school, where I spent an hour with an aide each day learning English. My first American teacher was kind. She made me feel special and helped shape the course of my life. I didn’t realize how much I learned from her until I grew older.
My mother finished second grade. My father finished high school. My parents wished that their children would graduate from college. I was the first in my family to do so. My college degree gave me the opportunities that have brought me to this day.
When I learned I could volunteer with third graders in Mile High United Way’s Power Lunch program, I knew I’d found my way to give back.
I volunteer as a Power Lunch reading buddy so I can give someone else the hope that I was given. I believe that education is the key to getting out of poverty. It is the way to live better. With Mile High United Way, I am fighting to help light the way for another child who needs hope.
What are you fighting for?
