Coming To America From A Third World Country
By Maria Ojer
Staff Writer
Coming from a third world country, life was full of driving around with fear of being robbed and going to supermarkets not knowing if the right products would be available to us.
In America, internationals have the opportunity to safely walk by themselves in the middle of the night or go to Publix and buy necessities to get them through the next couple of days.
I was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, the most dangerous city in the world. For us, it is a normal feeling to live with fear, having to drive bulletproof cars and genuinely having the fear of the unknown.
Nowadays, there is no quality of living in the country at all. People are hungry, everything is way too expensive and as the days go by the insecurities of the country rises even more.
It is such a shame to see half of my classmates, including myself, being forced to leave the country and go to college far away from home, but we have to see the positive side of the situation. It is a blessing to have the opportunity to be able to live in a country where you do not have to worry about things you once had to.
I could say that living in the states and studying at Lynn is the best thing that could have ever happened to me. Even though I miss my family and friends immensely, I am taking advantage of this opportunity as I prepare myself to be the best professional I could be.
Furthermore, it hurts watching how the country is falling apart and how much the people are suffering every day. The minimum wage in Venezuela is approximately $14 a month, making Venezuelans hungry and unable to maintain themselves and their families.
This is why I feel so grateful for the fact that I have the opportunity to live in a place where I do not have to worry about kidnappings, not finding the food or the products I want to buy at the supermarket and not being able to graduate on time due to all of the protests that are going on in Venezuela. Also, to take advantage of all the things I am learning here so one day I can contribute on building a better Venezuela so my children can grow up in a place I once called home.
