Photo Credit: Jeffrey Dominguez
It’s been over a year now since I spoke in front of 200+ students who were in the same shoes I was at their age. Those kids were on a college tour at the University of Nevada, Reno with the help of the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP). I was in their shoes over 8 years ago. I didn’t know whether or not I could attend college because of how expensive I thought it was. I was terrified but through GEAR UP, DFS, and You(th) Matter now, I started to believe that I could do it.
I had the privilege to talk to these kids (kids like me) about my journey. I shared my struggles. I shared my life to them with the hope that some of them could relate to what I went through. I shared myself to them with the hope that I could inspire at least one person in the room, if not all.
Growing up as a shy person throughout middle and high school, this was terrifying for me. The night before the event, I practiced my speech over 10 times. Every fiber in my body was shaking prior to my speech because of how nervous I was but that anxiousness and purpose to help kids similar to me, fueled me. It gave me the courage to tell my story. Nobody else could tell my story. Only I had the power to share it because I knew what I had gone through. I knew what my struggles and triumphs made me become. My struggles helped me grow as an individual and taught me many life lessons that I will be able to use throughout my adult life and I wanted the same for them.
For so long, I kept many of my struggles to myself because I did not want to bother anyone with my “sob stories.” I did not want to make people feel sorry for me because there was nothing to feel sorry about. Despite my hardships, I was still very privileged to have some of the most amazing family members in my life who supported me. If you would have asked me back in high school if I would ever speak to such a large crowd, I would have said, “No way! I don’t think I can handle that. That’s too nerve-racking.” However, fast forward to over 2 years after high school graduation, there I was, speaking in front of 200+ students, faculties, and administrators. The reason for this is simple. The reason for this change was because I wanted to make a difference. People learn from others; other people’s stories, lessons, and advice. I learned that sharing my story could change lives. It’s one simple act but it works. So, with this in mind, I mustered up the courage and told them my story.
In the beginning, I was still a bit nervous but as I kept talking, I felt more at ease. I used techniques I learned from my past communication and acting classes, which helped out a lot. For example, I took more space on the stage, stood tall, paused when needed, and maintained sincere eye contact. I felt in control. As I took a deep breath and looked out at the crowd, I noticed some kids were leaning towards me, listening. I realized I did not have anything to fear. They genuinely wanted to know who I was, what I went through. So, I gave them my authentic self and shared my story.
Sometimes, we as humans are afraid to tell our stories to others because we might think that no one cares or that we do not want others to feel bad for us or that maybe we never really think it would make a difference. However, I realized that it makes such a huge difference. This past semester, I had a break down. I questioned myself, my identity and my potential. I questioned whether I could be a physician. I was dealing with several personal difficulties and was not doing well in my academics (the worst I have ever done in my academic life). However, I thought back to when the first Hispanic National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut, Jose Moreno Hernandez, came to my university and told us his story. Mr. Hernandez got rejected 11 times by NASA, which is equivalent to 11 years of getting rejected. However, on this 12th year of applying, he got accepted. He told us, “Don’t give up on your dreams. It’s okay to dream big. Don’t give up. Keep trying.” His story impacted my life. It taught me that even at the worst times, and even after falling flat on my face, I can still get back up and reach my goals. It made me be less harsh on myself and made me believe I could keep going. He changed my life- my life’s course. A simple act like sharing one’s story is impactful. I hope that me sharing my story to those kids helped or will help them in the future, just as how Mr. Hernandez’s story helped with mine.
With this in mind, I hope that you find the courage to tell your story to someone. I hope you find the courage so that you can build that connection. You never know, you might be changing someone’s life.
Photo Credit: Jennifer Zarco
Life, Leadership, Lessons 