Not a lot of people know this about me.  Only one friend out of the bunch.  Partly because I could never tell how people would react to this truth, so I just keep it to myself.  There are days when I choose to forget about my situation, but there are just some days when it is all that I’m reminded of: I can’t drive, I don’t have a job, constantly living in fear, and I worry about how I’m getting to school/clinical or even if I’m graduating is all part of my day.

I came here when I was 14 with thoughts of getting a “better life,” as my parents would always say.  Now 9 years later, I’m still imprisoned by the very hope that brought me here. I did well in high school and graduated in the top 10% of the class.  But, all of that hard work never did get me close to going to a University.  I’m now in the nursing program at a community college, coming into my 4th Semester and 4 months away from graduating.  Going to school and clinicals was particularly challenging for me because I can’t drive. For the past few years, I always dreaded the time when my friends would ask me “why aren’t you driving yet?” It was something I felt very ashamed of and also very helpless about.  I’m very scared of what the near-future holds for me.  I’m graduating soon, but I’m not sure I could even sit for the NCLEX because of my situation.  I’m also scared that I might not be able to graduate because of certain rules now that hospitals have about students and their backgrounds.  But, I try to take it all in stride and hope that God just gives me the strength to keep on going.