“I am going to the White House Momo.” My 85-year-old grandmother’s eyes welled with tears, and we all sat in silence as we processed what I had just said. She was the only living grandparent I was able to share this news with and would pass away shortly after my fellowship.

As a descendent of strong Latinas, the pursuit of knowledge is an inherited calling I cannot deny. The deep responsibility to continue my educational journey for the benefit of my family, my community, and my country runs through my veins like the blood that keeps me alive.

Leonila D. Alvarez, my Momo, immigrated to the United States at the age of eight and stopped going to school by age 11 to care for her siblings. As a migrant worker in Mississippi and while trying to register her children for school, she was told “children like hers” do not attend school. In her broken English, she said firmly, “My children do”. All six of her children were not only educated but they all received a higher education. Eventually, Momo received her GED to become a housekeeper at a local hospital, a job supplying her family medical insurance. Momo depended on education to help her family.

Dr. Rosalinda A. Cobarrubias, Ed.D, my mother, first generation Latina, and daughter of Leonila, witnessed the impact education has on a family’s livelihood. She took this experience, completed the highest level of education, and continues to instill the value of education to thousands of students. My mom uses her education to help the community.

Esidelia Cobarrubias, my paternal grandmother, immigrated to the United States as

well. She was never formally educated but attended night classes to learn how to read and write in English once her 10 children were older. I can still see and hear my Grandma Coby reading, sounding out the words as her finger skimmed the pages. Her goal was to become a U.S. citizen because she wanted to vote in this country. Grandma Coby desired knowledge to fulfill her civic duty.

Pursuing a higher education was never demanded of me but it was also never an option. These women changed the paradigm of my family, leaving me with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. A bachelor’s degree aided me to become a teacher and a speech therapist assistant, to service children who otherwise would not have received treatment. A master’s in physician assistant studies helped me care for more than 13,000 COVID patients. When my marriage failed, my education gave me the freedom to step away. Everything combined eventually lead to a year of service as a White House Fellow in 2022-2023.

The perseverance and courage of those who came before me left me positioned to fulfill a dream that was for all regards completely unattainable. They powered me to step out of my comfort zone to take on any profession for the greater good. I walked through the doors they built to emulate their work –for family, community, and country.