Some students have had to face the responsibilities of being a provider to their family after graduating high school, Ana Gonzalez is a perfect example of the struggles that some working students face.
“I have had to work as a necessity, I started working during my senior year. I live in a single mother household so I have had to help her out.” Gonzalez, Geography major, shares.
Gonzalez is currently a student at Cerritos College, Spring 2016 would be considered her last semester. She is so thrilled to have completed the courses she was required to take before transferring despite the difficulty she faces daily.
She is currently taking her last class at Cerritos College, Elementary Statistics and is still involved in clubs despite her busy schedule.
Gonzalez has had several experiences that have shaped her to the woman she is today from family, education and work.
Family has played a very important role for Gonzalez, she is the oldest of her three siblings. She says she has to play a very strong and independent role for her family because she has plenty of people looking up to her.
Lidia Vargas, Gonzalez’s mom shared words of her own toward her daughter, “I’m so proud of my daughter, because without my daughter I do not know what I would do she is ultimately my backbone really.”
Gonzalez shared and expressed so much gratitude and understanding towards her mother as well, “My mom supports me 100%, she is always pushing me and she is my strength. She feels bad at times, she wishes I could just focus in school and wishes she could provide for my school.”
Gonzalez has had many jobs that she feels has helped her gained experience from waitressing, fundraising and sales. Even though she has worked full-time as well as have had two part-time jobs at once she has learned to prioritize her education always.
“I’ve literally have had a million jobs, I have always accommodated my working schedule to school. If my job cannot accommodate my school I can’t stay, because I have learned to put my education first.”
Amongst all the responsibilities Gonzalez shared, the hardest has been sacrifice because to her everything is a real priority and everything is number. “You sacrifice and everything is a priority really, I have failed a lot of times as a students as a working student.”
Being a working student and a provider as such a young age, it creates frustration for any student because we all want the best but sometimes things end up getting postponed.
After sharing her struggles, joy and experience Ana Gonzalez, Geography major shares, that her current situation motivates her all the time, after asked what keeps her going throughout the adversity.
