ten years ago I actually graduated high
school on this stage I have very similar
feelings right now as I did back then
slight nerves a little bit of anxiety
but mostly so much excitement
my name is Melanie Quezada and I am the
daughter of an immigrant lately that
word immigrant has been part of many Hot
Topic discussions but I’m not here today
to debate the topic I’m here to give it
a face a name a story have you all heard
of the saying the apple doesn’t fall far
from the tree basically it describes how
sons and daughters resemble their
parents in that context the same
definitely applies to my mother and I we
have the same eyes the same stubborn
personality and we share the same
embarrassing obsession for crime TV
shows however our lives have taken two
very different paths as I mentioned I
was lucky enough to graduate high school
on this very stage while my mom was not
able to advance beyond the ninth grade
because of her sacrifices and the
challenges that we endured together my
Apple has fallen far from her tree
my mother Adam and Laura Anna Quezada
was born in Chihuahua Mexico on November
30th one of eight kids she grew up in
Mexico with aspirations to become a
nurse unfortunately as a child she
endured a very serious accident and due
to the injuries she sustained was
diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of
four years old
as a result she was unable to reach her
aspirations of becoming a nurse as a
young woman she came to United States
and began a livelihood by cleaning
houses in 1990 I came into her life from
that day forward she promised herself
that she wanted something different for
me a life filled with education
an opportunity before I was old enough
to stay at home by myself
I would go to work with my mom for
example during the summers or any time I
was sick lucky for me the houses she
worked in were beautiful homes with kids
rooms filled with games and toys for me
to plan I spent so much time in these
houses watching my mom work tirelessly
you see cleaning houses was not the
career choice that she dreamed of having
as a little girl but she embraced that
livelihood because she knew it would
ensure the life she wanted for her
little girl whenever I was waiting from
my mom to finish cleaning the houses I
would sometimes wander around and look
at all the family photos I admit it I
was kind of nosy and they would have the
typical Christmas Easter birthday photos
right but the pictures that really
grabbed my attention were the ones I
didn’t quite recognize what I now know
our graduation photos everyone looked so
happy and so excited the parents in
these photos were beaming with joy and
with pride for their kids I loved these
photos specifically even though I knew
no one in the pictures all I knew was
that I longed for one of my own with my
mother my mom lived with epileptic
seizures for about thirty years before
she had brain surgery in 2001 she always
warned me to not get too close to her
because she couldn’t control the body
spasms and she could possibly hurt those
around her I dreaded seeing my mom in
that state I remember feeling pretty
useless and afraid every single time but
growing up this way pushed me to be
brave on the outside no matter of what I
was feeling on the inside for some time
after the surgery my mother struggled
it’s not easy seeing a loved one in pain
especially to that degree but witnessing
those dark moments and seeing her come
back a stronger person is something I
would never trade for anything she
always told me that I was the reason why
she fought so hard to come back that one
statement has stayed with me my whole
life and has pushed me to never give up
I have to be honest I wasn’t always so
proud of my roots as a young teenager I
was frustrated but by the perceived
shortcomings of my mom I was embarrassed
that she hadn’t graduated high school by
her broken English I was sick and tired
of my endless role as a translator I
admit this because I believe it is a
sentiment felt by children of immigrants
when we’re young but one that does not
last forever I have one vivid memory of
feeling overwhelmingly disappointed that
my mom was academically uneducated being
one of the first to apply for college in
my family I initially did not know how
the financial aid process worked seeking
help from what we thought was a reliable
resource my mother and I ended up
falling for a scam that claimed to help
fill out applications for financial aid
for an obscene amount of money not
knowing and not realizing that FAFSA
provides free service to applicants my
mother and I were taken advantage of
I remember her feeling so ashamed that
we didn’t know any better
we didn’t tell anyone that we fell for
this scam as disappointing as a setback
was it shaped my willingness to solve
problems by myself to figure things out
on my own I didn’t realize until I was
preparing to speak to you all that this
experience impacted me not only as a
young teenager but also as an adult it
influenced my decision to
Big Brother Big Sister mentor I promised
myself that I would not let anyone take
advantage of my mom and I or anybody
like us and I strive to keep this
promise through my commitment to my
mentor to my mentee it took me some time
too much time I must admit but as I
continued applying for college I
realized that my frustrations and my
embarrassment towards my mom were
completely unfounded and self-interested
what I fail to see was that my work
ethic the core of who I was the only
reason I was applying to college in the
first place all of that originated by my
mom’s work ethic in those houses by
witnessing her strength in her endurance
I am the Apple and she is the tree her
roots gave me the foundation to grow and
to fall from her tree but her also it
keeps us connected no matter how far I
go when I decided to pursue a master’s
degree I was asked why by many members
in my family the purpose of a graduate
degree was not necessarily understood
you see none of the apples in our family
tree had strayed that far before but
because of the self resiliency the
bravery and the confidence that I
inherited from my mother
I felt I could forge a new path for
myself on May 19th of this year I walked
the stage as a graduate of SMU every
time I walk across a new stage my mom
looks just as proud maybe even more so
than those parents did in those photos I
would obsess over but what she doesn’t
realize and what took me some time to
appreciate is that the only reason that
I am collecting caps and gowns is
because of her traits and her principles
once I try so hard to preserve for
myself I encourage everyone to learn
more about your family tree
especially children of immigrants remind
yourself that your measurable
achievements are all due to their
immeasurable sacrifices the challenges
that we go through as children of
immigrants the embarrassment the
frustration the impatience at your
perceived families shortcomings while
overwhelming and seemingly unfair at the
time
absolutely shape who we are for the
better we are all in extension of our
parents but we also have the capability
to build upon our story and make it our
so it appears that the Apple and the
tree saying does not always hold true
does it the Apple can’t fall far from
the tree sometimes very far and that’s
perfectly okay thank you [Applause]
school on this stage I have very similar
feelings right now as I did back then
slight nerves a little bit of anxiety
but mostly so much excitement
my name is Melanie Quezada and I am the
daughter of an immigrant lately that
word immigrant has been part of many Hot
Topic discussions but I’m not here today
to debate the topic I’m here to give it
a face a name a story have you all heard
of the saying the apple doesn’t fall far
from the tree basically it describes how
sons and daughters resemble their
parents in that context the same
definitely applies to my mother and I we
have the same eyes the same stubborn
personality and we share the same
embarrassing obsession for crime TV
shows however our lives have taken two
very different paths as I mentioned I
was lucky enough to graduate high school
on this very stage while my mom was not
able to advance beyond the ninth grade
because of her sacrifices and the
challenges that we endured together my
Apple has fallen far from her tree
my mother Adam and Laura Anna Quezada
was born in Chihuahua Mexico on November
30th one of eight kids she grew up in
Mexico with aspirations to become a
nurse unfortunately as a child she
endured a very serious accident and due
to the injuries she sustained was
diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of
four years old
as a result she was unable to reach her
aspirations of becoming a nurse as a
young woman she came to United States
and began a livelihood by cleaning
houses in 1990 I came into her life from
that day forward she promised herself
that she wanted something different for
me a life filled with education
an opportunity before I was old enough
to stay at home by myself
I would go to work with my mom for
example during the summers or any time I
was sick lucky for me the houses she
worked in were beautiful homes with kids
rooms filled with games and toys for me
to plan I spent so much time in these
houses watching my mom work tirelessly
you see cleaning houses was not the
career choice that she dreamed of having
as a little girl but she embraced that
livelihood because she knew it would
ensure the life she wanted for her
little girl whenever I was waiting from
my mom to finish cleaning the houses I
would sometimes wander around and look
at all the family photos I admit it I
was kind of nosy and they would have the
typical Christmas Easter birthday photos
right but the pictures that really
grabbed my attention were the ones I
didn’t quite recognize what I now know
our graduation photos everyone looked so
happy and so excited the parents in
these photos were beaming with joy and
with pride for their kids I loved these
photos specifically even though I knew
no one in the pictures all I knew was
that I longed for one of my own with my
mother my mom lived with epileptic
seizures for about thirty years before
she had brain surgery in 2001 she always
warned me to not get too close to her
because she couldn’t control the body
spasms and she could possibly hurt those
around her I dreaded seeing my mom in
that state I remember feeling pretty
useless and afraid every single time but
growing up this way pushed me to be
brave on the outside no matter of what I
was feeling on the inside for some time
after the surgery my mother struggled
it’s not easy seeing a loved one in pain
especially to that degree but witnessing
those dark moments and seeing her come
back a stronger person is something I
would never trade for anything she
always told me that I was the reason why
she fought so hard to come back that one
statement has stayed with me my whole
life and has pushed me to never give up
I have to be honest I wasn’t always so
proud of my roots as a young teenager I
was frustrated but by the perceived
shortcomings of my mom I was embarrassed
that she hadn’t graduated high school by
her broken English I was sick and tired
of my endless role as a translator I
admit this because I believe it is a
sentiment felt by children of immigrants
when we’re young but one that does not
last forever I have one vivid memory of
feeling overwhelmingly disappointed that
my mom was academically uneducated being
one of the first to apply for college in
my family I initially did not know how
the financial aid process worked seeking
help from what we thought was a reliable
resource my mother and I ended up
falling for a scam that claimed to help
fill out applications for financial aid
for an obscene amount of money not
knowing and not realizing that FAFSA
provides free service to applicants my
mother and I were taken advantage of
I remember her feeling so ashamed that
we didn’t know any better
we didn’t tell anyone that we fell for
this scam as disappointing as a setback
was it shaped my willingness to solve
problems by myself to figure things out
on my own I didn’t realize until I was
preparing to speak to you all that this
experience impacted me not only as a
young teenager but also as an adult it
influenced my decision to
Big Brother Big Sister mentor I promised
myself that I would not let anyone take
advantage of my mom and I or anybody
like us and I strive to keep this
promise through my commitment to my
mentor to my mentee it took me some time
too much time I must admit but as I
continued applying for college I
realized that my frustrations and my
embarrassment towards my mom were
completely unfounded and self-interested
what I fail to see was that my work
ethic the core of who I was the only
reason I was applying to college in the
first place all of that originated by my
mom’s work ethic in those houses by
witnessing her strength in her endurance
I am the Apple and she is the tree her
roots gave me the foundation to grow and
to fall from her tree but her also it
keeps us connected no matter how far I
go when I decided to pursue a master’s
degree I was asked why by many members
in my family the purpose of a graduate
degree was not necessarily understood
you see none of the apples in our family
tree had strayed that far before but
because of the self resiliency the
bravery and the confidence that I
inherited from my mother
I felt I could forge a new path for
myself on May 19th of this year I walked
the stage as a graduate of SMU every
time I walk across a new stage my mom
looks just as proud maybe even more so
than those parents did in those photos I
would obsess over but what she doesn’t
realize and what took me some time to
appreciate is that the only reason that
I am collecting caps and gowns is
because of her traits and her principles
once I try so hard to preserve for
myself I encourage everyone to learn
more about your family tree
especially children of immigrants remind
yourself that your measurable
achievements are all due to their
immeasurable sacrifices the challenges
that we go through as children of
immigrants the embarrassment the
frustration the impatience at your
perceived families shortcomings while
overwhelming and seemingly unfair at the
time
absolutely shape who we are for the
better we are all in extension of our
parents but we also have the capability
to build upon our story and make it our
so it appears that the Apple and the
tree saying does not always hold true
does it the Apple can’t fall far from
the tree sometimes very far and that’s
perfectly okay thank you [Applause]
Please follow and like us: