MOM, DAUGHTER PURSUE AMERICAN DREAM TOGETHER

By Editor Ken Harvey

Adriana Sanchez and her mother, Oliva, both graduated last month – just another step in the long journey they have taken together achieving the American Dream.

“My family migrated into the U.S when I was 9 months old.  In fact, my mother crossed the border on her own with my brother holding onto her hand and me in her arms,” says Adriana, a recent Pasco High School graduate.

Some of the things they’ve gone through together are “quite amazing but sad when I remember them,” Adriana says. “I'm proud of where I came from, but glad of where we are now.”

Oliva, who just graduated from the GED program at Columbia Basin College, says she wanted to set a good example for her children, as well as prepare for a better job.

She and her husband, Gerardo, have had to work hard in the fields and in packing plants to take care of their four children.

Adriana’s brother Oscar is a 22-year-old Marine. She also has two younger sisters -- Guadalupe, 12, and Angelica, 4.

Adriana hopes when she achieves her dreams, she will be able to help her family more, too.

At first she was thinking about becoming a nurse practitioner, but her school advisers and others encouraged her that with her high 3.75 GPA she should consider becoming a doctor.

Now she plans to begin her pre-med studies at Washington State University in Pullman this fall with the goal of becoming a pediatric surgeon. So far she has achieved $20,000 in scholarships to help her pursue this goal.

“There are few women, especially of color, who are doctors, and I think I can make a difference to my community and the nation as a whole if I follow my career goal,” she says.

She has already started taking college courses at Columbia Basin College – three classes (13 credits) just to get a head start. As the first in her family to go to college, she admits the whole process is still confusing to her. 

But Adriana has learned a strong work ethic from her parents, which helps her overcome many obstacles.

She is already a certified nursing assistant (CNA) and has passed the first part of a test to become a certified interpreter with the Department of Social and Health Services. She will be taking the last part of that test in the near future.

Besides maintaining her 3.75 GPA at Pasco High, Adriana played on the volleyball basketball and softball teams before becoming a senior. She had also attended the state Student Leadership Conference and was an assistant coach for a YMCA soccer team.

As a senior she went to work at Jack in the Box to begin raising money for college, but she continued with her involvement in the Upward Bound and Key Club programs, and she became a Link Crew Leader, a member of the National Honors Society and a volunteer translator during the tax season.

Hard work helped Adriana overcome earlier challenges, as well.

“I was in bilingual classes all the way through third grade.  It was difficult because the only place I actually practiced my English was at school or sometimes with my brother.  At home we still have to speak Spanish because my parents don't speak English,” she explains.

“While attending middle school I was placed in honors classes, but I felt out of place.  It was like I was on a different planet,” Adriana says.  “Many times I heard my classmates making racial comments, making me feel worthless.  But I decided to prove them wrong silently and show them I was smart.  I passed the class with an "A" while they got a lower grade.”

Her experiences in life have helped make her compassionate, too.

“I want to help those in need.  Helping people is my passion, and as a doctor I know it can be done,” Adriana says.

Her brother has a similar attitude. He joined the Marines so he could serve his new country. He also hopes his military service will allow him to pursue his dream of becoming an engineer. 

Meanwhile, Adriana’s mother went back to school to better herself, as well.

“She also wanted to show my siblings and me that it can be done.  It is awesome that we could graduate the same year,” Adriana says. 

Her mother’s next goal is to learn English and then become an American citizen.

Pasco High School Principal Raul Sital recommended Adriana for the state Phyllis Gutierrez-Kenney Leadership Award and introduced her to a crowd of hundreds of people at the annual LEAP (Latino/a Education Achievement Project) Conference last spring. The award came with her first major scholarship -- $5,000. She later received another $15,000 from WSU and such organizations as HAAP, the Pasco-Kennewick Rotary Club and the Columbia Center Rotary.