This last year of loss and heartbreak has reminded me that I have one life to live. I get to live my dreams. I get to be a Brown magic girl. I get to be whoever the hell I want to be. I am the granddaughter of amazing abuelos and abuelas who live through me. Generations of them are alive in me. I thank them for their DNA and heart of gold. I honor them by walking a good path and trying my best- even when I falter.
My successes and failures happily live in me. And that peace and joy can’t nobody take away.
I’ve always wanted to finish school to prove that kids from the hood can. I want to be a proof point that kids who sleep on sofas or the floor can.
I’ve always wanted to finish schools to change education systems that immasculate boys of color and dull their shine.
I’ve always wanted to finish school to uplift girls who look like me and my beloveds from Marbrisa, Huntington Park, Watts, South LA, Eastside, the Southeast, and all the communities that poured into me.
So, my Puka is moving out and I’m going back to school. I found an amazing program led by Dr. Enrique G. Murillo Jr. which is designed for working people like me at California State University, San Bernardino. It’s going to be my journey of going through every school system in our amazing state- Los Angeles Unified School District, East Los Angeles College, Occidental College and Stanford Graduate School of Business, and UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.
I’m doing this with the full support of my Day 1’s- Miquitzli Herrera, Cindy Borbon, and Mariah Alexius D. Borbon. MariaElena Yepes, I know I’ll be able to do it because of my mindset- it’s just another project I get to work on. It’s not heavy bc I’m not making it heavy.
I’m grateful for our team at Del Sol Group, Inc. We’re in a place where I can add this on to my project list and take it off of my bucket list.
About 20 years ago, I wrote my name on a piece of paper with “Dr.” in front of it. In 3 years, I will have made it true.
Here’s to never giving up. #NMRK
Hola from future Dr. Alma V. Márquez-Madrid