Micaela Ponce
Country of Origin: Mexico
Location: Santa Maria, CA
Occupation: Small business owner for nearly 20 years
Submitted by Adriana Arias, 17-year-old daughter (1st generation Mexican-American):
Coming to the United States from a poor country is never easy. My mother, Micaela and her family struggled for years to become stable here in this country. When you look up the definition of a ‘hero’ on a search engine, this typically shows up: “a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” But this doesn’t apply to my case; when I think of a hero, the first thing that pops into my head is my mom. A loving, hard working person from a low-income family, living as a single mother, and having to make sacrifices each and every single day of her life; that is what I call a hero!
It is definitely not easy to raise and support three children, especially on your own. My mother has NEVER failed to give us what we need and/or things we want; from a place to live, giving us food every day, and to family vacations, she is always there to make our lives 1,000 times easier. My mom owns her very own business and has worked for hours every day for years to give my siblings and I a better future. Now that the time has come to send her first born to college, she definitely sees that her sacrifices have paid off. She is extremely hard working, that no matter what, she always supports us. My only job now is to make her proud! Almost 18 years of being a mother, yet it’s still not enough time to thank her for all the sacrifices, unconditional love, and amazing times we’ve had together. Te amo, ma!