Always on my mind....

When I think about things that have held me back from getting involved in social causes, I have to say that time has always been a big issue for me. I began my adult life at very young age. At that time, I had to juggle the normal insecurities of an adolescent, the responsibility of a teenage pregnancy and the challenge of getting married and creating a family at 15 years old. Raising my children and becoming financially stable were my priorities at the time. They were not easy tasks to accomplish, so setting extra time aside wasn't an option.

I was raised in a society in where social involvement wasn't promoted or encouraged. A society where indifference for other people's suffering was part of normal life. However, I didn't want to follow this path, and being part of a social cause was always something in the back of my mind. I didn't know how to start, so I decided to follow the old saying "Charity begins at home". I evaluated myself and started by helping people close to me. I figured that the family is the back bone of society, so we should help first the people we love in order to form a healthy family environment. Working with my family was a great opportunity to begin. We worked together and established an awesome team, one which trusted and helped each member.

Shortly, I found friends who shared the same values as well as the desire to help each other. I was always there for them when they needed me and they were always there for me. We raised our children together and formed a lifelong bond of friendship.

Later, I felt that I was ready to go to the next level. Moving to the United States gave me the opportunity to identify with social causes involving the Hispanic community. Working with immigrants and helping them cope with the struggles of adapting to their new society was always something I thought I might like to do.

Earning a bachelor's degree has also been one of my dreams. I always thought that the best way to teach is by example, and it didn't feel right for me to tell my kids to study, or to advise people from my community to go back to school and learn English if I wasn't "walking the walk".

It wasn't until I began my academic career at PVCC, that I finally discovered a way to apply community service in a meaningful way. As part of SLICE, I can explore different ways to help not only my community but other worthwhile causes as well.

Loeb mentions the adage "We can't run without first learning how to walk, and we can't walk without first learning how to crawl". I feel that I have developed the sense of service in the same way; one step at a time. However, everyone has different life experiences which mark us in different ways. In my case, I had to deal with my own personal life issues.

At the moment, I haven't found my niche where I can help out the most. I could advise teenagers about teen pregnancy and its consequences, or I could help immigrants adapt to their new society. For now, I'm still exploring, and I am willing to do everything necessary to make a change. Being part of SLICE gives me the chance to find my calling.