The Woman Who Studied Instead of Eating

An Interview

By Parker Jimenez

I never liked school and didn’t feel motivated to do it. But one individual taught me to push through and study. That person was my grandma. 

My grandma is a hard-working individual who immigrated to the US and prioritized studying over meals. Throughout my life, she has taught me to study hard so I can have more opportunities. She is the reason I do well in school. 

Who did you look up to when you were growing up? 

Of course, my mom. 

Why did you look up to her? 

She is creative and intelligent. She finished high school and was offered a position to teach. She is also very religious; we have to go to church every Sunday. 

What was your childhood like? How did it affect you today? 

World War II was going on when I was growing up. I still had to study. When I was young, I kept telling myself that I didn't want a life of nothing. My mother didn't want to me to grow up to have nothing. So I studied hard. After high school, I was awarded a job at the Pacific Mary School. I used the money from that job when I went to college. I had to work and at the same time study.

How did you get through school? What motivated you to do well? 

School changed my life. My mom always told me to watch after my siblings because I was the oldest. 

How did you study? What technique did you use to study? 

I would take short notes during class and then type them up on the typewriter and give them to the professor. I was good so the professor wanted me to check the notes of other students. 

What was your best decision in life? 

Choosing to come to America. I took my father, then my brothers and sisters who also wanted to come. 

How would things have been different if you hadn't chosen to go to the US? 

I helped my other brothers and sisters so they would have something for themselves. If I hadn’t come to the US, I think I still would have worked really hard to give my family a good life. 

How did you decide to go to the US? 

There are a lot of opportunities in America. I knew I would be able to do more here. I also wanted my brothers and sisters to gain the opportunities in America, but I did not force them to come if they didn’t want to. 

My mom told me to take care of my siblings. To take care of them, I had to study and work away from home. Sometimes, the bus would let me off early. I would have to walk so many miles before I could reach home. It was hard, but I enjoyed it because I was able to help my family. I came home at night, so I would always eat at the stands selling bananas outside of my college for dinner. I made do with what I was left with. I also often went to church to pray.