It’s 2017. Ever since I was a little girl, all I remember is being surrounded by statements and stereotypes for being a minority, let alone being a woman. Ever since I was little girl, I’ve always had the target on my back of being the first in my family to go to college. And ever since I was a little girl, I had the dream of being the first one in my family to actually make it to college, and graduate. Would I make it? Will I make my family proud?

I’m not a little girl anymore, and growing up I’ve always seen my family struggle. In fact, I grew up with no dad, living in my grandparents’ house, watching my mom struggle to financially support her two children. I knew I didn’t want to be in that situation when I was older. However, the “traditional boundary” that I’ve always had to deal with was always the same. The boundary was always, “how are you going to afford that?” Or, “you HAVE to be the one to go to college. None of your family went, so you have to go.”

Now I’m not saying that this is the same for everyone in a similar situation as I am. Most families don’t mind or care if their kids go to college, and that is perfectly okay. However, when it came to me, I always had the pressure or the ‘monkey on my back’ steering me toward the road to college (I mean, whenever I played The Game of Life I always went the college route). Now that I’m here, I’ve definitely been thrown many obstacles, challenges, and struggles along the way. Grades, extracurricular activities, health, and basically taking care of myself is a whole new realm that I stepped foot inthe minute I stepped foot out of my own home with my family that always did their best taking care of me. Now, I’m breaking the traditional boundary that surrounds people like me and I’m taking care of myself in a whole new world. I’m stepping foot into a world nobody in my family ever had the opportunity to step foot in. I’m stepping foot into a future that not only will benefit me, but will benefit those close ones around me as well.

However, no matter the struggles, hardships, fun times, tears, or laughter I shed during my time away from home and in college, I can proudly say that I broke the traditional boundary. I broke the stereotype of others saying I wouldn’t make it to college because nobody else in my family could. I broke the boundary of others that said I wouldn’t afford college because nobody in my family could before. I broke the traditional, stereotypical plan that circulates my domain today.

And there is no better feeling in the world.