Nearing the end of any collegiate journey is typically a joyous time for most students. After years of juggling classes, working on projects and studying for exams, the end goal 麻豆精品 S� a degree and chance at a better future 麻豆精品 S� is within sight.
However in 2016, when clinical psychology major Jennifer Martinez de Pinillos was planning to graduate from Arturo Michelena University of Venezuela 麻豆精品 S檚 Carabobo State, she instead had to prepare to uproot her entire life and family to a foreign country.
麻豆精品 S淲hen you grow up in a country, you never expect to leave. Because of [circumstances] you have to leave everything, even your dreams. 麻豆精品 S�
de Pinillos, along with her parents and younger brother and sister, are a just a few of the 3 million emigrants from Venezuela who have fled their native country due to worsening economic, social and political conditions. During the past two years, hyperinflation in the nation, which is now estimated to be more than 1 million percent, has made it difficult for citizens to get food, medicine and other essential items. A cup of coffee there now costs 2.5 million bolivars.
麻豆精品 S淲hen you grow up in a country, you never expect to leave. Because of [circumstances] you have to leave everything, even your dreams. I was about to graduate there and I had my plan for life, 麻豆精品 S� de Pinillos says.
Finding New Purpose
That plan was to pursue a master 麻豆精品 S檚 degree in her country 麻豆精品 S檚 capital of Caracas and to work for the U.S. embassy in Venezuela. But just like de Pinnilos 麻豆精品 S� life, her dream has changed entirely. Soon to graduate with her bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 in clinical psychology from UCF, she now plans to return to the university to pursue her master 麻豆精品 S檚 in nonprofit management. de Pinillos says she hopes to one day own her own nonprofit shelter and help provide essentials for those in need.
麻豆精品 S淚 want to be able to give all those things to people so they can dream again. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淚 know from the Venezuelan and American perspectives if you don 麻豆精品 S檛 have the basics you cannot dream. You can 麻豆精品 S檛 expect to go to college if you don 麻豆精品 S檛 have food, if you don 麻豆精品 S檛 have anything to wear. I want to be able to give all those things to people so they can dream again, 麻豆精品 S� de Pinillos says.
Since coming to Florida, she has already put this focus to use by helping those back in Venezuela. de Pinillos and her family periodically send boxes of clothing, medical supplies and other necessities to the church they attended, along with nearby orphanages. In the two years they 麻豆精品 S檝e been here, they 麻豆精品 S檝e sent 20 boxes of donated items from friends, community members and themselves to those in need.
麻豆精品 S淢y desire to help came from [living in] Venezuela. By helping Venezuelans from here, I discovered there are communities in the U.S. that are helping [elsewhere,] 麻豆精品 S� she says.
Life in Venezuela
Although her mom, Aury Garanton, says her daughter was always looking for ways to help others, remembering conditions in Venezuela helps de Pinillos keep her focus on her home country. Her family lived in Valencia, an industrial city that is considered an economic hub. Her mother was a medical translator who would often travel to the United States for work, and her dad was a real estate agent. Although her family was better off in some ways than many other families, it was the violence surrounding university protests in the nation that caused them to move.
麻豆精品 S淚n 2015 there were more protests so my mom and dad started to say we couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 stay anymore, 麻豆精品 S� de Pinillos says.
麻豆精品 S淭here were times we couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 go out of our house for a week. It was stressful because … you don 麻豆精品 S檛 really know what 麻豆精品 S檚 going on. 麻豆精品 S�
In the year before that, Geraldine Moreno, a fellow classmate, was assassinated by National Guardsmen outside her home for protesting. The school that de Pinillos 麻豆精品 S� brother attended was at the center of the university movement opposing the government.
麻豆精品 S淭here were times we couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 go out of our house for a week, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淚t was stressful because the government doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 allow for transmissions of the protests on television, so you don 麻豆精品 S檛 really know what 麻豆精品 S檚 going on. 麻豆精品 S�
During these times, de Pinillos and her family, along with other Venezuelans, would experience guarimbas, or blockades. Citizens would use trees, tires and whatever other items they could find to block the roads to prevent colectivos, armed pro-government groups that attack protestors, from raiding homes and harassing people.
麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 very hard leaving your family, friends and everything you 麻豆精品 S檝e built for years. But life is about what is ahead. You can build anywhere you can go, 麻豆精品 S� her mother says.
Building a Future
During that building process, it 麻豆精品 S檚 been challenging for de Pinillos to adapt to the culture of her new home, she says. But by watching the TV show 贵谤颈别苍诲蝉听to get familiar with the American sense of humor and making friends in her classes, she 麻豆精品 S檚 overcome this.
When she first came to UCF in Fall 2017, she struggled with adjusting to the education system in the United States. In Venezuela, bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 degree programs typically take five years to complete. Universities there determine every course students must take in that time, with no general education classes or choices for electives like in the United States.
麻豆精品 S淢y journey at UCF has allowed me to encounter myself and know who I really am, what I really want and what I am capable of doing, 麻豆精品 S�
Karen Cox, director of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 , met de Pinillos at orientation and has stayed connected with her since to ensure her success. Cox says her department 麻豆精品 S檚 willingness to work with transfer students allowed her to substitute many of de Pinillos 麻豆精品 S� previous courses to fulfill UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 graduation requirements.
麻豆精品 S淚t was just the look on her face at orientation that told me this student had some special needs, and I needed to find out what they were so I could help. She is a great communicator and shared her history and her future goals with me quickly, 麻豆精品 S� Cox says. 麻豆精品 S淗er focused ambition allowed me to guide her to the UCF resources she needed, without any time wasted. 麻豆精品 S�
de Pinillos plans to carry that ambition forward into her graduate studies and pursuits after graduation to help better the world, but she credits her experience at UCF for providing the foundation on which she 麻豆精品 S檚 been able to build her new dream.
麻豆精品 S淲hen I came [to Florida] my concern was, 麻豆精品 S榃hat am I going to do? 麻豆精品 S�, [but] my journey at UCF has allowed me to encounter myself and know who I really am, what I really want and what I am capable of doing, 麻豆精品 S� de Pinillos says.
