My name is Berta Sánchez. I am originally from Nayarit, Mexico. I arrived in the United States in 1989. I am a student in English classes, and I feel proud to belong to the college because I can learn the language, improve myself, and pursue a career in the future.
Yakima Valley college is flexible, practical, and close to my house. It is open after work hours. I work in a private school as a janitor, and this job motivated me to continue studying. These kinds of jobs I have faced are minimal in getting ahead, and if you don’t know English and have no preparation, there aren’t many opportunities, so I thought that education would open the door to the world.
My goal is to have two years of college at YVC, not just that. My thoughts are to go further. But the financial barrier is a barrier for me. I think I cannot go to college to get a degree. Firstly, it is costly; secondly, I am single, and supporting myself means a lot of expenses. If college were free, I wouldn’t have to worry about how I’m going to pay to enroll or how I’m going to buy my books, and that would be a great help. I didn’t know about work-study, but I would take it if possible. Right now, I can only take about two classes in the afternoon because my job requires 8 hours or 10 hours.
Workstudy and free college are dreams that can come true, but you have to move forward, and these barriers outside are knocked down. It would be wonderful if that happened; it would help us make our dreams of finishing a degree come true, and when we graduate, we would also be able to help other people. Many people are in the same situation as I am, and we have that barrier not only because we do not know English but also because many do not have papers. Support free college for a better future.
Berta Sanchez, Yakima