A Project Working Mom Success Story: Xochitl A.
Xochitl (pronounced "So-cheet") has overcome more obstacles than most people in order to become a distance learning student and work towards a degree: an earthquake, revolution, leaving her homeland, learning a new language, divorce, medical problems and bankruptcy. Still, she isn't thinking of her own future, but the future of her community.
"There is a lot of teen pregnancy and gang activity in the Hispanic community where I live in Georgia," said Xochitl, a native of Nicaragua. That's why she chose to study Criminal Justice at Kaplan University, despite having a background in education.
Xochitl currently works as an interpreter at an elementary school, but hopes to one day work as an advocate within the Hispanic community. It was her co-workers who recommended she finish her bachelor's degree at Kaplan University.
Xochitl also wants to set an example for her teenage son and daughter. "How can I tell them to further their education when I didn't?" she said.
Her journey toward becoming a successful college student was several years in the making, and plagued with several setbacks. Born in Nicaragua, her family moved to the United States in 1972 after an earthquake destroyed their home. They later returned, but were forced to leave again in 1977 after the country spiraled into revolution. One of her sisters joined the Sandinista movement and remained behind in Nicaragua, along with her mother, who continued to run the family business, a pharmacy.
After the political climate cooled, Xochitl's family moved back to Nicaragua again, but she remained in the U.S. with an older sister. After graduating high school, Xochitl enrolled in a community college, but she would not finish. She became pregnant, got married and left school to become a wife and a mother.
Xochitl tried to finish her studies a decade later, but again was forced to leave school due to medical problems related to severe anemia.
"One day I just passed out," said Xochitl. "When I woke up I was in a hospital and I was told they had given me 7 pints of blood." Overwhelming medical bills forced Xochitl into bankruptcy, which later affected her ability to get bank loans for her education.
Xochitl's work at an elementary school as an interpreter for Spanish-speaking students and their parents got her thinking about furthering her education once again. One of her duties with the school is attending truancy and court hearings for students, and she noticed there is a severe lack of resources for the Hispanic community in the court system. She recounted one instance in which a teenage boy was held in custody for more than six months simply because of language barriers which prevented the court from communicating with the boy's parents. Xochitl made a phone call to the judge, explained the situation and got the boy released in a matter of hours.
"It really affected me," said Xochitl. "That could have been my son."
After enrolling at Kaplan University, Xochitl had even more obstacles to overcome.
She had to leave classes for a month due to a death in her ex-husband's family. His mother had died while watching Xochitl's daughter. After helping make funeral arrangements and wrapping up the family's affairs, Xochitl returned home with her daughter, who was subsequently diagnosed with depression. She then got a phone call from Kaplan University notifying her that she was out of financial aid. She would have to pay $14,000 out-of-pocket in order to finish her degree program.
"I just wanted to give up and say "forget it", said Xochitl. "But I knew I was just a couple of terms away (from earning a degree) and I wasn't going to let this obstacle stop me, even if I had to get another job."
In order to cover her $1,500 per month school payments, Xochitl works three jobs, all while studying for a degree and raising two children on her own. She says time management is the key. "I walk around with my calendar with me so I know which job I have to go to," she said. "When I'm on the computer taking a course, that is my children's homework time, so everyone is doing homework together."
While Xochitl serves as a source of inspiration for her children, she says her own drive and determination comes from her mother. After her father died in Nicaragua, the Sandinista government tried to take the family's property, including their pharmacy. Before that could happen, Xochitl said her mother sold it and moved to the U.S., taking a job in a factory. Her mother later took, and failed, the test for U.S. citizenship…twice. The problem was her inability to speak English, so she took an English course and passed at the top of her class.
"I thought, "if she can do that, why can't I?" said Xochitl. Now, she's taking classes of her own. She has two terms left at Kaplan University, and plans to graduate in August 2008. She will then have one more obstacle to overcome: a decision on whether to go to law school or get a masters degree in school counseling.
"Ser mujer es difícil, ser madre soltera es una bendición! Creer en ti misma es darle motivación a tus hijos, querer es poder. No dejes que tu edad, cultura, dudas y estatus legal sean un obstáculo para educarte y hacerte una Profesional, sobre todo una persona ejemplar para tus niños. Recuerda que la educación es la carrera para el futuro nuestro. Donde quiera que vayas la carretera sigue en nuestro camino llevate la educación, por eso es accesible en este país!"
Translation: "Being a woman is difficult, being a single mother is a blessing! Believing in yourself is giving your children motivation, wanting is having the will. Do not let your age, culture, doubts and legal status be an obstacle for your education, becoming a professional is a great example for your children. Remember education is the road to your future. No matter where you go, the road will be there, take the education with you, which is why education is so accessible in this country!"
Terrance Lee is a veteran news reporter with more than 20 years of experience in radio and television broadcasting. He currently works in marketing and public relations and is a distance learning student.
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