No one told me about the pressure and how important it is to be successful.

And that's just the thing. Growing up, the importance of even the smallest of things was always emphasized. I was taught that working hard was the way to success and nothing will ever be handed to me.

I can remember back when I was a kid, on the nights when my parents helped me with homework; they'd take 2-3 hours just to finish the first 10 problems on my assignment. Why? Because my parents never had the chance to attend school in their homeland of Mexico. From kindergarten to senior year, my parents never failed to remind me of the importance of education. So when it came to my final year in high school, my parents were always on my case about college: "Have you thought about where you want to go? Don't worry about the cost, we'll pay for it. You have to go to college mija, or you'll end up like us. You're going to college and will have a better life than us; it's what we have sacrificed."

Every day, I am constantly pressured to be successful. I can't let my parents down. But is what I'm doing enough? Do I need to work harder and be more focused? Don't get me wrong, I am more than thankful for the opportunity to attend college and further my education, but some days, I feel overwhelmed. I know I am making my parents proud either way, but some days I feel like I'm not. Being the first has helped me learn that I cannot settle for less than the best. I must strive for bigger and better and nothing less. When I walk across that stage to receive my bachelor's degree in four years, I know my parents will be proud and I, along with them, will know then that what they have sacrificed for me will have been worth it in the end. For now, I will continue to work for the life that my parents never had the chance to live and I will live in never-ending gratefulness because of them.