Many of you know that my mom is a farm worker. Rain or shine shes out there busting ass. Yesterday she handed me $1,000 to help with my move from CA to VA for my PhD. The support means way more than the money but the fact she gave me two pay checks worth made me cry.

Being first-gen is hard both within the academy and at home. My mom, although she doesn’t understand the process I’m going through, has always been supportive of me. She is my inspiration, she is the reason I am resilient and why I have never given up on my dreams.

Yes I do the PhD for me, but I also do it for her. She made her way from El Salvador here on her own. She raised my siblings and I on her own when my dad left. She worked 2 jobs so we survived. She is a fucking superhero & deserves the best.