Dream On!

I was often called back from dreaming places by loud voices saying "Hey daydreamer get your head out of the clouds!" It was meant to be a reprimand but I felt it was a compliment to be called a dreamer. I am a dreamer, a visionary. It may appear that I am daydreaming, but actually I am envisioning ways to solve challenges or how to build on creativity. Therefore I dream on.

Long ago three generations of my paternal and maternal families left the southwest for better life opportunities in the midwest. They left the comfort and familiarity of their home region to risk moving across the country. It was a change of life that took a great deal of courage and sacrifice by my elders. Those prior generations had a significant influence on providing me with a birthright to experience the intrigues of Chicago, a modern metropolitan city of diverse ethnicities and cultures.

I had access to world class museums, a philharmonic orchestra, opera, theaters, universities and libraries, enchanted paths to the arts, education and the richness of diversity while growing up in Chicago, Illinois. Yes, I dreamt differently.

I dared to break away from several traditional roles of a daughter. I remember startling my parents when I expressed my intention to attend college. I had applied to, and was accepted by, the University of Illinois, Columbia College and the Chicago Art Institute. My parents were opposed because of the steep financial obligations for a university education. I was deeply disappointed yet I knew it was still in my destiny to attend and graduate, from a university. I knew with certainty my dream was meant to be.

Life was filled with childhood adventures as I grew into a young adult. Despite my parents not understanding my dreams, I held onto them. At 26, I registered for my first college classes as a young wife and mother of two. Enrolling part-time, I pursued my decade-long dream as a first-generation college student, navigating many unknowns with the help of advisors and peers. It was challenging; I attended classes during lunch hours, evenings, weekends, and summer sessions, becoming part of the first generation to take online classes. With my husband and sons, we managed our schedules, responsibilities, and commitments. Through it all, I maintained a high GPA in my year-round university classes.

As you know nightmares can disturb dreams too. I was only a semester away from graduation when I barely survived an auto accident on an ice laden highway returning from a mandatory work conference. The near fatal accident resulted in a diagnosis of being permanently, partially disabled and learning to manage chronic pain. Soon afterwards my employer eliminated my job just as I was returning to work from short term disability leave, and during the week of my beloved grandmothers funeral. My life had traumatically changed on the physical, emotional and career levels. In my culture it is called "un gran susto" a large shock/scare.

I stand on the shoulders of courageous ancestors who faced many sustos/shocks along life's paths. My family and friends helped me regain strength and I was able to fulfill my dream. Ancestral medicines and modern medicine helped my healing. I persevered.

Emily J. Guerrero, Associate of Arts, University of Saint Francis, Bachelor of Arts, Indiana University. Class of 2012

I Dream On!