Maria Timoteo is a sixteen-year old from Venezuela. She came to the United States with her sister, looking for opportunities. “We just wanted better opportunities for us,” she said. She and her sister are currently living with close relatives in the area.

“The students here are really nice to me and I’ve managed to make a lot of good friends,” said Timoteo. “The teachers have also helped me a lot. They’re really patient with me and I really like that.” After she graduates in 2019, she hopes to go to college to become a veterinarian.

“If I’m being honest with you, it all depends on what happens. I’m just waiting to see what the president does. We all know that he wants all of the Latinos out of here so I really don’t know,” said Timoteo. “I really like living here because of the opportunities, but I really do miss my parents back home. They want me have a better future so they made me and my sister come over here by ourselves.”

In her free time, she plays soccer and volleyball. “I signed up to play volleyball here at school but for soccer, I’m not playing for the school but for an academy,” she said.

“I’m glad to be here and I hope to accomplish many good things. I want to make my parents proud, and I know that sooner or later I’m going to have the chance to see them again, I just have to see what the future holds for me and for them.”