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In mid-April, Maritza R. received the e-mail. She had been accepted to Cornell University. “I told everyone in my family,” says the 18-year-old American Dream School senior, beginning with her parents.
Maritza's father came to the U.S. from Mexico at age 15 and immediately began working to help support his family back home, first at a deli counter and eventually at the restaurant The Odeon before it closed during the pandemic and he went into construction. Reyes’ mother came to the U.S. from Mexico at age eight and completed high school. Both are deeply proud of their daughter.
She has attended American Dream since sixth grade. “I’ve been able to see people who look similar to me or have a similar culture,” says Maritza of the faculty and staff, “and that has inspired me to know that I can end up somewhere similar to where they are, to know that there will be struggles but in the end the outcome will be rewarding.” She adds, “The teachers here have been able to give me a comfortable environment to open up and process my own emotions and thoughts.”
At Cornell, which Maritza visited recently and notes is “marvelous, absolutely beautiful,” she plans to maintain a 3.5 GPA her first year and then apply for Cornell’s accelerated Bachelor of Science/Doctor of Veterinary Medicine pathway. This program would allow her to graduate as a veterinarian in seven total years. She aspires to open her own clinic and shelter, and hire her mother in an advocacy role. Ultimately, she wants financial stability for her family.
“Sometimes, of course, there are financial struggles within my house, but the most important thing is that we have each other, our health, and our passion to try to get out there and create a better future for ourselves.”
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