Student Spotlight: "Dreams don't have an expiration date." —David Niven

Lorenza at her virtual graduation from Cañada College.

Lorenza is a prime example of that quote.

As a young child, Lorenza dreamt of becoming a doctor or a lawyer in her native Mexico. As the eldest daughter, however, that would not be possible. At a young age, Lorenza sacrificed her dreams of getting an education so her family could survive.

Throughout Lorenza's youth and early adulthood, she worked to support her family, but never forgot about her dreams. "My dreams didn't die," she says. "They were paused." Even when she was in an abusive relationship with the father of her four-year-old daughter, Lorenza thought of her dreams in hopes that one day she would be able to pursue them. Amid threats to her life in 2003, Lorenza fled Mexico for the United States in pursuit of another dream—the American Dream.

For two years, Lorenza worked day and night, saving as much as she could to reunite with her daughter. While she worked to make that dream real, she enrolled at Vista Adult School in Southern California to learn English. After she and her daughter were reunited, Lorenza paused her study of English. Alone in the U.S. and unable to afford childcare, she used this pause to focus on her daughter and informally continued her English studies through ESL books from her public library.

When Lorenza lost her job in 2009, she moved to the Bay Area to start anew. She worked wherever she could, moving up due to her hard work and dedication, and always trying to absorb as much English as possible. At sixteen, Lorenza's daughter landed her first job and told her mother something that would change Lorenza's life: "Mom, it's time for you to go back to school." Without hesitation, Lorenza enrolled in the ESL and GED programs at Sequoia Adult School, obtaining her GED in just four months.

Lorenza thrived at adult school, so when she was introduced to what would later become Upward Scholars, she was thrilled to have the opportunity to continue her dream of a college education at Cañada. "I've always said it from the bottom of my heart that Upward Scholars is my family," Lorenza says. "Upward Scholars to me represents a support system, and not just a financial one but one that changed my whole life."

Being a college student was a dream come true, but it wasn't without its challenges. While a high-achieving full-time student, single mother, and a full-time employee sending remittances to her family in Mexico, Lorenza faced health complications. "Everything I was going through was so, so hard, but even this didn't deter me from continuing my education. I said to myself, No, I can't give up now. I am my daughter's example."

During her recovery, Lorenza reluctantly quit her job to take the time she needed to properly heal. Shortly thereafter, she received an email from Upward Scholars inviting her to become an ¡Habla Más! coach. "It was truly a godsend!" she says. Though she emphasizes how much of a financial support ¡Habla Más! has been for her during the pandemic, this program means so much more to Lorenza. "Seeing my clients go from knowing a few words in Spanish to speaking full sentences and reading, it's fulfilling. I love what I do, now! Upward Scholars, after everything, gave me yet another gift. It helped me discover a path that I never thought of. I'm like a seed. You planted me, gave me fertilizer, and I'm now flowering thanks to Upward Scholars. I am eternally grateful."

In Spring 2021, Lorenza obtained an AA in business administration from Cañada College and planned to transfer to one of the four universities she was accepted into this fall. Due to health complications, Lorenza was unable to do so, but remains hopeful. "When I want to give up, when everything feels like too much, I think about my daughter, my parents, my ¡Habla Más! clients. My responsibility to them keeps me going."

While she takes the time to focus on her health, Lorenza continues her education at Cañada to complete an AA in Spanish and a Bilingualism and Biliteracy Certificate. She looks forward to getting back on track and resuming her university dreams in the near future. She dreams of obtaining a BA in Spanish with a minor in translation or interpretation studies. Ultimately, Lorenza hopes to provide Spanish and English literacy to Latinx immigrants who, like her, never got a chance to go to school in their home countries and struggle to earn a living in the U.S. "My dreams don't have an expiration date, and I want to help others see that theirs don't either."