Maria was on her own. She didn’t have anyone to count on. Maria had come to the United States by herself when she was a teenager. Both of her parents had passed away and there was nothing left for her in Mexico.
Maria was an only child, so when her parents passed away all they had was given to her. They didn’t have much, a house and a few farm animals, which Maria sold to get some money to come to the United States. She thought she could have a better life in the U.S. for herself and future family she hoped one day to have. Things didn’t turn out the way she expected.
When she got to the U.S. she didn’t know any English, so all she could do was work in the fields and she did. She worked from early morning to late evening all year around. Sometimes it wasn’t enough. There were days where she went without eating to be able to pay her rent. Where she lived was horrible. People would steal other’s valuable items and they would never get them back. Maria wanted to leave but she could afford another place to live.
Maria worked all the time picking cherries and she didn’t have time to meet new people and make friends. The only place she socialized was at work, during her lunch time and with her co-workers. At work was where she meet her boyfriend Jesus, the love her life, or so she taught. Once Maria told him she was pregnant, he left her and she never heard from him again.
She didn’t have any financial support from anyone, so she had to provide for her daughter all in her own. There was days when Maria was short on money so she had to go begging for money, outside of stores. She felt terribly ashamed and was completely embarrassed, but she didn’t have another option. People would give her money because they felt sorry for her since she was pregnant.
She worked until she was eight months pregnant. She couldn’t afford not to work, she needed the money to buy her baby clothes, formula and pay rent. Maria had a baby girl, and she named her Edith. When she was two weeks old Maria went back to work.
She would leave Edith with a neighbor that would only charge her five dollars a day. She couldn’t afford to leave her at a daycare, they were too expensive. Maria had to work even harder to provide for her daughter now that she was growing up and needed books and school supplies.
She didn’t eat so her daughter could eat. She wouldn't buy herself clothes, so her daughter could have something new to wear every year when school started. Maria’s daughter saw how much her mother struggled to support them. Her daughter told her that one day she was going to work hard to get rich, so they wouldn't have to worry about money anymore.
Once Maria’s daughter was old enough to work she got herself a job at a fast food restaurant to help out her mother out with money. They moved to a better neighborhood and a better home. Maria’s daughter also got the opportunity to attend a better school. She was a smart girl and got good grades, which helped her get a lot of scholarships to go college.
Edith was able to go to college for free, because of all the scholarships she got. She worked and studied hard to become a pediatric doctor. It took her many years, but she didn’t give up and she reached her goal. She now had the opportunity to take her mother out of poverty and she did.