ABSTRACT
Lucila is driven by her passion to help people in need. Although she has made numerous significant contributions to American society, she is still denied the privileges of an American citizen. Despite societal rejection, Lucila embraces her American identity and dreams of someday being recognized as a full-fledged US citizen. For Lucila, military service would help to assert her American identity. Lucila had taken a semester off before starting community college to volunteer for the Red Cross to go help victims of Hurricane Katrina. According to Lucila, making the decision to help was easy, and with her parents’ assistance and support, it happened very quickly. Helping with the relief efforts was a life-changing experience for Lucila. In high school, Lucila had a negative experience with her academic counselor, who doubted her ability to go to college.
