Sí se puede: Keli Damaris Saucedo Cifuentes

December 23, 2006, was the day I was born. My name is Keli Damaris Saucedo Cifuentes, and I was born in Huehuetenango, a place located in Guatemala. My mother decided to move to the United States when I was nine years old because of the lack of opportunities in our country. She wanted a better life for me and my brother. That decision changed our lives forever. For me, everything changed. Nothing was the same. Life in the United States was very different from where we came from—the culture, the schools, the jobs, and even the way people lived their daily lives.

The main reason my mother decided to immigrate to the United States was because we were struggling financially. We had a small house, and my mother also had a little business where she sold tortillas. However, things were becoming difficult, and she knew that my brother and I could have a better future in the United States.

When we arrived, my mother found a job and started working nearly all day. My brother and I stayed at home with someone who kindly allowed us to stay in a room while we looked for a different place to live. Our first days in the United States were difficult because everything was so different. We had to stay inside the house most of the day, and we did not know anyone. Everything felt so quiet. No one was outside playing soccer or talking with their neighbors. Everything felt empty.

We were not used to that. Guatemala was completely different. Everyone knew each other. There were always people outside, kids running around, people playing, and some kind of noise. It felt much more lively.

However, that was not really a problem for me. I felt like I could get used to it because I am a quiet girl who likes to spend time alone and does not always like being around many people. The real problem started when I began school.

My first day at Arthur Ashe Elementary School is something I remember as if it were yesterday. I had so many emotions. I was scared, nervous, and anxious. I heard many people around me speaking a language I could not understand, and that frustrated me. I felt like I was in a place where I did not belong.

As the days passed, I started interacting with my classmates. They were very kind to me, and my teachers were patient with me. In my ESL class, I met three Hispanic girls who eventually became my friends: Natalie, Karla, and Melissa. We used to go everywhere together, and they made those first years easier for me.

During the three years I attended Arthur Ashe Elementary School, I had a lot of fun. I eventually got used to the way they taught here. The biggest challenge was the language barrier, but with the help of my ESL class and my very kind teacher, who helped immigrant students learn English, I improved quickly. By fifth grade, I was able to complete my schoolwork by myself without needing to translate everything.

Middle school was different. On my first day at Providence Middle School, I was not scared because language was no longer a barrier for me. I did not know anyone there, but I did not really mind because my main goal was to get good grades and be a good student to make my mom proud. And that is what I did.

During my first year of middle school, I worked really hard to keep my grades up, and most of the time I had A’s and B’s. However, during my last two years of middle school, we had to go virtual because of COVID-19. It was something new for me because everything had to be done on a computer, and we could not go to school in person. At first, it was difficult, but I eventually got used to it and logged into my classes every morning.

By the end of seventh grade, I received a trophy for Student of the Year. I was so proud of myself, and I was also happy because I knew I had made my mom proud. That accomplishment pushed me to continue working hard because I realized that I could accomplish bigger things.

Overall, I had a great experience in middle school. The last part was different because everything was done through a computer, and we could not interact with our teachers or classmates the same way. Even though it was different, it was still a good experience, and I learned many new things.

I had a very different experience in high school. We were returning to in-person school, which felt a little unfamiliar at first. On my first day at Armstrong, for some reason, I did not feel nervous. I really liked the people there because everyone was kind to me. I remember there was only one other Hispanic girl besides me.

My goal for high school was to continue doing what I had done in elementary and middle school: get good grades, work hard, and make my mom proud. Then something began to change. My relationships with most of my teachers at Armstrong were different from the relationships I had with my middle school teachers. I started interacting with my teachers more, and they would tell me that I was a kind and intelligent girl. They told me that they believed I was going to become someone important and accomplish many things in life.

I remember my teachers asking me what I wanted to do in the future. That was something I had never really thought about before. I felt that someone like me, an immigrant, did not have the opportunity to become someone important. However, as I continued listening to my teachers and my kind and supportive counselor, my mindset began to change.

They reminded us that we could become anything we wanted in life, no matter where we came from or what we looked like. If there was something we truly wanted to achieve, we had to work hard for it. Nobody else could define who we were or who we wanted to become. That was something we had to decide for ourselves.

With this new mindset, I started putting more effort into school and earning better grades. I began focusing more on my future. I also learned not to compare my progress to anyone else’s. I did not want to be better than anyone else; I only wanted to be better than the person I had been before.

One day, my counselor came to talk to me about an opportunity. She told me that I could join a program called ECA, or Early College Academy. At first, I was not sure if I wanted to join because I thought it was going to be very difficult. I would have to finish high school at Armstrong while also taking college classes. It felt like double the work, and I also had a part-time job every day. I thought it might be too much for me.

However, my counselor explained the opportunity and told me how difficult it was to get accepted into a program like ECA. Not every student could join. Students had to have good grades and show that they were responsible. I decided to join because I remembered what my teachers had taught me: sometimes, in order to achieve something you really want, you have to make sacrifices.

When I started the program, I was very shy. I did not talk much, but I always made sure to complete my work. Eventually, I started speaking more, becoming more social, and participating in class. This was something I did not usually do because I was too shy. The students and professors at Reynolds encouraged me to become more social and speak in public. They taught me that my voice mattered and that there was not always a right or wrong answer. What mattered most was trying.

I loved the time I spent at Reynolds because it changed the way I thought. I learned many important lessons and met so many intelligent and kind students. Even though it was difficult to keep up with my high school work, college work, part-time job, and personal responsibilities, I was able to graduate from Reynolds Community College with my associate degree before graduating from Armstrong.

Not only did I earn my associate degree, but I also became the valedictorian of my high school. I could not be more proud of myself. I never thought I would accomplish so many things. I never imagined that the little girl who was once afraid to start over in a country that was not her home would achieve all of this.

Now, I am working a full-time job. I decided to take a few months off before continuing my education because I want to become a nurse.

Overall, life as an immigrant in the United States can be very difficult, especially for students. However, from my experience, I have learned that even though life here is very different from the life we knew in our home country, our parents made the decision to immigrate because they wanted to give us more opportunities for a better future. They left behind everything they knew so that we could have opportunities that they may not have had.

As students, it is up to us to take advantage of those opportunities and make our parents proud. We can honor their sacrifices by working hard in school, getting good grades, asking for help when we need it, and taking advantage of the opportunities they worked so hard to give us. There will always be challenges, but we should not let those challenges stop us from reaching our goals. We have the opportunity to build a better future, and sometimes all it takes is believing in ourselves and putting in the effort.

To other immigrant students, I would say: do your best, stay focused on your education, and never be afraid to ask for help. Your circumstances do not define your future. Keep working toward your goals, because every good grade, every accomplishment, and every challenge you overcome can bring you one step closer to the future you want. Most importantly, remember how far you have already come and be proud of yourself.

One last thing: always remember that you are the only person who can stop yourself from succeeding. Believe in yourself, work hard, and never let fear or doubt stand in the way of your dreams. Remember how far you have come, be proud of yourself, and never forget that sí se puede.