I am a Gaucho.

My educational path was a rocky one.  Many years ago, I became the first person in my family to attend college. When I announced that I was going to go to college, my mother asked “why?”.  There was no expectation of college in my family and as such, no support. Family members would say, “college isn’t for people like us”.  

I was determined. I knew that college was an opportunity to expand my horizons. I knew college would allow me to go places I would otherwise not have the opportunity to explore. I was finishing high school, had not yet graduated, and started my first class at Glendale Community College. As a first-generation first-year college student, I struggled to cover the cost of classes and books.  In my second semester at GCC, I met a man who swept me off my feet.  In my third semester at GCC, we got engaged. We both worked while paying our way through part-time college classes. Two years later, we got married and had our first child. I made the college honor’s list the semester my son was born. My second son was born during the winter break, a year later. 

Then, it was time to transfer to a university, and I hit a major roadblock.  I applied and was rejected by ASU. My husband was accepted and we started making our plans. I had given up, thinking that I wouldn’t get into a university and that my family had been right; college just wasn’t for people like me. That was okay, I guess. I had a young family to take care of and I could support my husband as he attended classes. 

But on an off chance, my husband suggested I try applying to NAU. So, we both applied to NAU and were accepted. In the first year, my daughter was born during Thanksgiving break and I was back in time to take my final exams. In two years, I completed a dual BA, graduating with honors, and was accepted into the MA program. I finished my Master’s in one year by accelerating my courses. My degree allowed me to take my family on a decade long tour of the world, living in China, Japan, and the Middle East. Education was exactly what I needed to explore the world.  

Without Glendale Community College, I would not be the person I am today. I would not have the experiences I have had, been to the places I have been, or met the people I have met. While I am proud of my time as an NAU student, in my heart I know that I am first and foremost, a Gaucho.