About me Hi everyone! My name is Maria. I am from Mexico. I have 4 beautiful sisters. They live in Mexico just like my parents. I am the only one who lives here in the United States. When I decided to come here, I was looking for a better life, I wanted better opportunities. I came looking for the “famous” American Dream. Today, living for about 10 years in this country, I can say that the American Dream exists, but you need to work very hard to live it. I have lived in Springfield for a long time, and I still love living here. My 9 year old son was born here, and I think it is still a nice, and safe place to raise a family.When I arrived in the United States, I did not speak any English at all. I did not know how to communicate with people at my job. It was very hard for me, so three years ago, I decided to take English classes here at Lane Community College. My idea was just to finish my 6 levels, but then I asked myself. What do you want to do after you finish your English classes? Do you want to go back to your last job and do the same thing? What do you want for your future? You came here for a better life and you need to do something. When I was in Mexico, I wanted to go to college and become a journalist, but I did not have the opportunity. Now, I am here. English is not my first language, but now at least, I can have an English conversation. I do not have any experience in multimedia, but that is why I am attending college. I want to fight for my dreams. I believe that there are many better opportunities for me in my new future. By: Maria pedraza