This document summarizes the author's journey from rural Colombia to pursuing higher education in the United States. It describes how the author moved to the US with little English, completed a paralegal program at CCRI, and did an internship at a courthouse which made them feel proud of their American identity. The author then decided to continue their education by pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Paralegal Studies at Roger Williams University. The author is grateful for the support and inspiration of others along the way, and believes their journey shows that we have the power to make changes in our own lives.

1. Life is a journey of knowledge, commitment and dreams. Born in rural Colombia,
adopted at age seven by a French family, I moved to the United States at age 20 with just a High
School French diploma and very little English. This did not stop my dreams and desire to grow
into the person I know I can become. After reflecting on what I liked and did not like, I decided
to take on the challenge of completing the paralegal program. When I started the Paralegal
Studies Program at CCRI in September 2012, I knew I had found what I was looking for.
Once I made the decision to take some classes at CCRI, everything became easier. I
thought it was going to be hard to juggle: full time work, two children and classes at night. In
fact everything started falling into place quite smoothly.
The dictionary says that commitment “restricts freedom of action”; for me commitment
liberates oneself, as it purges the unimportant actions that you may undertake, leaving room to
just focusing on what’s important. That’s what signing onto the program did for me. It made
me focused, got me excited about what I was learning, happy about my future, proud of the
example I was setting forth for my children. With each class I took, my desire to become a
certified paralegal grew. It was liberating to finally find a vocation and know what I will
become. Searching was the hard part I found out; taking action towards my goals became the
easy part.
I had the opportunity to do an Internship at the Superior Courthouse in the summer 2014. I
was placed in the Jury Commissioner’s Office, which was a great way to start, as a jury is the
heart of a trial. I was so proud, walking through the hallways, in that beautiful setting, really
feeling “American”. I took my citizenship in the year 2003 but I had never felt that touched and
that close to my new identity as that first day of my internship. I feel blessed to have joined the
students from Roger Williams University in January 2015 to pursue a Bachelor Degree in
Paralegal studies, after all; why not? I have come a long way; I do not want to stop here. I heard
someone say: “once you reach your dreams it just opens the door for new ones.”
“Everything happens for a reason” takes a true meaning when it touches oneself directly and
personally. I am where I am supposed to be right now and so grateful for all the people that I
have met along the way. They are my inspiration, my believers, mentors and friends. This
journey is not just about oneself and done by myself, but a collaboration of the colleagues,
teachers, peers who made some of my dreams become a reality. We have the power to make
the changes in our lives; I took this opportunity and ran with it.
The only thing we need is to trust in ourselves.