Aileen Valenzuela

Period: 5

March 14,2019

Global Citizenship Essay

An example of a model Global Citizen would be, my mother, Cecilia Ramos. A global

citizen is someone who identifies with being part of an emerging world community and whose

actions contribute to building the community's values and practices. My mother was born in El

Salvador and she migrated to America in her early 20’s. My mother’s dream was to come to

America so she can provide help for her family who were going through economic problems. In

her 30s she had established herself and had me and she would work daily to provide a home for

my brother and I.

My mother has been a leader throughout her journey for our family and also for her

herself. She was able to withstand the highs and lows and worked hard everyday to maintain a

stable home for our little family. I look up to my mom as a leader because as a single mother she

was able to provide roof, food and education for my brother and I. Coming here to America

allowed my mother to help out my family financially who are living in El Salvador.

My mother had to investigate the world by learning how to speak English and how to find

work and a place to live. After working early in the mornings she would attend after school

English classes. By taking these classes she learned new information about a language that was

previously foreign to her. My mother’s first priority was to find a stable job. Unlike today’s

society, she did not had the ability to use the internet to look for work, instead she had to go

physically to place to place, and ask if they had any open positions. She then had to learn how to
Communicate Ideas in a community she wasn’t familiar with. My mother had to learn how to

communicate with Americans who were not familiar with her language. Instead, she had to adapt

and learn how to communicate effectively in a manner way. As she arrived in America she also

had to communicate with family members in America in order to prepare herself to live in

America.

As she began a new life, she slowly progressed and recognized perspectives by

acknowledging the struggles and hurdles she was about to face as an immigrant and as a single

mother. My mother recognized that not many people spoke Spanish and applying for a job would

be difficult for her and to get a position because most jobs required for one to speak fluent

English. My mother decided to take an English class during the afternoon and with a few months

of going, she began speaking basic English. After continuously attending classes diligently, she

applied for a job and was hired, and learned that speaking English is very important. Over the

years, she decided to Take Action by taking the Citizenship Exam. She took action by deciding

to take an incredible daunting and monumental challenge. She decided she was going to become

an American Citizen. This was not an easy task, this would be a long and stressful journey for

her and our family. She would ultimately spend ten years to complete this task. She would stay

up frequently with me, having me help her study with her flashcards. Along the way my family

supported her and after years of putting her time and effort, she passed.

My mother has influenced me in many ways like helping me dedicate my time in my

education. I’ve learned that along a process I should really put my whole effort until I have

achieved my goal. As a first high school graduate and first college attendant, I am proud to say

that I’ve been inspired by my mom to keep on going and to pursue a career to make myself and
my family proud. Everyday my mother motivates me to never give up and to always keep on

moving forward. I get motivated by my mother hard work, and it makes me want to work hard to

get what I want and achieve my goals in life.