ABSTRACT
Paulina shared a painful memory from her childhood early in our conversation that framed her struggles as an undocumented student. Paulina was intellectually curious and looked for any excuse to go to her local library. Paulina came to the United States from Mexico when she was nine years old. She is the eldest of four siblings and the only one not born in the United States. In high school, she had teachers question her academic abilities. Paulina felt that many teachers had negative assumptions about her because of her ethnicity. Even though Paulina’s AP courses were isolating at times, she enjoyed the academic rigor and intellectual challenge. Currently, Paulina is enrolled in the honors program at her community college. Paulina has a strong sense of purpose for her future. She wants to follow her passion and teach literature at the high school level and, eventually, at the college level.
