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READING LEVEL 6
Hurry Up and Wait
Yeny Fuentes
Living in the U.S. without documents or English is very hard. We often get the worst jobs and lose hope. But things can improve if we don’t resign ourselves to the worst. Fighting for our dreams is a must. That’s exactly what I did.
After enduring so many hard days at a job where I was treated unfairly, the day finally came when I said, “Enough!” I knew I had to change my life, and I made a decision that has made my life so much better.
I quit that job and enrolled in English classes at the Adult Education Center. At first, the classes were hard and I would get very frustrated. It wasn’t a piece of cake, but my positive attitude helped me stay strong and prevail. This year, I reached one of my career goals—I obtained my GED! I am so happy, but I know that it is only the beginning of the rest of my career path.
My determination, sacrifice, and discipline have helped me with the things I can control. However, my legal situation is something that I can’t change right now. My goal of becoming a Nurse is sitting, waiting for a chance to become a reality as I work to change my legal status. Putting my goals and future on hold because of life circumstances is so frustrating. However, I know that I’ll be a Nurse one day, and I will be able to look back on my struggle and feel good about my accomplishments.
Yeny Fuentes recently obtained her GED at the Adult Education Center in Fort Smith, AR. She came to the U.S. from El Salvador when she was a teenager and has been living in Fort Smith for 11 years. She is a happily married mother of four daughters.