That Little Girl is Me

 “Resiliency isn’t about immunity to pain. It’s about finding the strength to withstand strain.” -Adam Grant

At the age of 13, along with her four siblings and father, a little girl filled with emotions, hopes and dreams packed her bags to travel 1,534 miles from the Dominican Republic to New York. 

That little girl always dreamed of traveling to the country her grandfather was from, a country filled with opportunities, "The American dream," many call it. She wanted to be with her mother, who had been apart from her family for the last two years.

Her mother often talked about the United States, the many opportunities someone could have in that country, and how beautiful all the lights were, it was like a dream. She used to close her eyes and imagine herself on the sidewalks of New York just like in the movies.

For that little girl moving to New York meant no more carrying buckets of water in her head. She no longer had to watch soap operas on a black and white TV at her neighbor's house; she could own one now. 

What she never imagined is that moving to NY also meant that:

She would have to live in a shelter.

She would have to adapt to a different culture.

She would be bullied at her school.

She would be demoted to 9th grade because she was too young to be in 11th grade at 13. 

Never did she think that at the age of 16, she would experience verbal and physical abuse from the second man she ever trusted (first was her dad).

All the hardships that she went through later became her struggles. She lost focus. Her self-esteem plummeted. Suicidal thoughts visited her very often, "You are not enough, you are not worthy" were the only thoughts in her head.

After countless therapies she was able to dust herself up and understand that everything that happened was only meant to make her stronger and wiser.

At the age of 21 she became a first-generation graduate. Before the pandemic she thought she had her future figured out; post-graduation plans and her career path for the next 5 years. You guessed it, not everything happens as planned. 

She was not ready for what was to come, the hardest thing being rejection. During her job search, she experienced suicid

al thoughts, anxiety, depression but she understood that taking care of her mental health was important. 

It took her one and a half year of trying, 743 applications and 86 rejections. All those rejections redirected her to one yes at an incredible company. So yes, at the age of 22 she became the first member of her family to earn more than 50k/yr. This might seem insignificant, but it meant the world to her.

She understands that women feel stronger about their future when they see other women succeed. So, that little girl wants to inspire women to never give up on their dreams despite how challenging it all seems. It takes getting rid of old habits and building new ones, having self-discipline and resiliency. 

That little girl is me Reny Marinez