Mayra Gutierrez
Youth
Opportunities Unlimited Alternative High School, Los Angeles, CA
Mayra is a psychology major at East Los Angeles College.
had
some rough times to get where I am. I used to attend Washington
High School for my freshman year. I went from being an honor student
with a 4.0 GPA in gifted classes to a girl in a continuation program.
At the age of 15 I dropped out of school for a year because my mom
went for Mexico and left her baby boy with me, only days old. My
family fell apart, leaving me with a big responsibility.
I had the best and worst year of my life. This child, who I named Jason, was like a beautiful angel from God. I didn’t know much about babies, but I learned. I fed him and kept him warm. All my doors shut on me. All the people who claimed to be my friends were no longer around. I couldn’t sleep. I would cry at night, asking God to relieve me of this load.
But when one door closes another opens. I started working to get money for my new baby. I managed to go to school and work. I had no car; I would catch the bus sometimes at 1 a.m., scared but willing to keep going. I managed to handle this for a year.
Problems are lessons from God to have a better understanding of life. This wonderful baby brother made me mature and look at life in a different perspective. In times of pain he was the one who hugged me and wiped my tears or smiled to make me feel better. He is about to turn three, and he calls his big sister “Mommy.”
After
my mother returned, I enrolled in Youth Opportunities Unlimited
to make up my credits. Now here I am a high school graduate. I want
to let everyone know that “a failure is not when you try and
fall, but when you fall and don’t get up at all.”
