Royals 12

     The world can change in the blink of an eye and cause a significant change. What caused this for me was my father’s deportation. It was a sunny morning, you could hear the birds chirping from a mile away and dogs barking. My father yelled “Emily vamonos, no se te vaya a hacer tarde para la escuela,” translating to, “Emily lets go so you are not late to school.” I was upset from being rushed and had an attitude with my father on the way to school. When arriving, I said “bye” with no emotion. This would be the last time I would see my father. 

     When arriving home from school, my mother broke the news that Immigration had taken my father after he dropped me at school. They were looking for another man when they stumbled across my father (undocumented) and took him instead. This news made my heart drop in an instant. The man who migrated to America to give his children a better life than he had was now gone.

      I was trying to be strong but felt like I couldn’t do anything without him. He was my rock since I was born, he called me his little miracle, and we did everything together. I was trying to fill the void daily by locking myself in the restroom, tightly hugging my father’s clothes, and asking myself why this had to happen to us. All I constantly thought of was our last interaction. I could have hugged my dad, a proper goodbye, I could have been nicer to him, but I did not. I saw my mother struggling because she never got the chance to finish school. She was working a full-time job trying to meet the bills my dad paid.

     Throughout these years in high school, this experience has immensely motivated me to become a better person. A person never knows where the next moment in life might take them. I am constantly looking at the bright side of life, attempting to spread positivity and joy wherever I go, whether that be making jokes or inspiring others to strive to do their best. I am a part of my school’s soccer team and am known as the “rapper”. “Why such a silly name” one may ask.

     My soccer team does not have the best reputation when it comes to winning games. This day, in particular, we had a game scheduled and it was raining. Many of my teammates were discouraged because they asked “Why are we going to play in this rain if we are just going to lose?” I looked up at them and said “Let’s just remember to not be discouraged and have fun!” They nodded with an upset look on their face. We played the first half of our game and were down 1-0 when the referees called for a weather check. We went inside our building soaked, tired and felt a sense of tension waiting for the clear sign. I looked at everyone’s saddened faces and decided I wanted to help soften whatever everyone was feeling. What did I do you may ask? I called for a beat and started to rap. As silly as this might sound, it allowed my team and I to come together and create positive memories. Everyone got up and started dancing and adding on to my raps and it was truly a great bonding experience.

     The referees then said the weather check was clear and we could resume playing. We went back onto that field with a completely switched attitude. We started having fun when suddenly the game whistle blew to start the second half. I viewed that the way we started playing got significantly better. My team started working together when suddenly a goal was scored on our behalf. We celebrated as it was something that didn’t happen very often. I then looked down and viewed the ball at the tip of my toes. Realizing it was the last minute of the game, I got nervous and shot. Though I was nervous and shot without knowing what would happen, I saw that the ball went into the goal. My team screamed for joy, and even some tears were left on the field because something that we thought could not be accomplished was done, winning a game. The next day we were celebrated through our morning announcements, and the team felt a sense of accomplishment. They now viewed that our attitude could create a significant impact, leading to winning a couple more games.

     This has taught us as a team that we can do anything we put our minds to as long as we work together as a team, a positive mindset allowing us to persevere while spreading love and compassion throughout. 

     My experiences have taught me that there is always opportunity for growth within difficult moments. I have always dreamed of attending a University and although it may be difficult, I now know I can do whatever I put my mind to. I would like to be a leader who strives and overcomes struggles and makes the best out of every situation. There was never a doubt in my mind about going to college. Almost as if it was not an option for me. Given that I am Mexican-American and was born in the US, it opens many doors that were once shut for my parents due to their status. I have always been told to take advantage of opportunities presented to me. I want to strive and persevere; earning a college degree would be my statement to myself. It would mean that I could overcome adversity as a first-generation college student. I’m set on becoming one of the firsts in my family to be able to say, “I did it.” By graduating high school and then college, I can make my mom and dad proud. My mother and father struggled all their lives, and I want nothing more than to feel as though they succeeded through me. All in all, I have gratefully been able to develop various skills as a personal leader on the field and in life.