"Sorry, ma'am, but I didn't do it," I said, stammering. The words came out of my mouth with difficulty. The disappointment reflected on her face—so different from the expression I had imagined she would have earlier—was so deep that it broke my heart. But I was unable to do what she asked of me. When the lesson ended and everyone left the classroom, I threw my assignment in the trash, along with a large part of the appreciation and respect I had for myself.

YOU ARE CLOSER THAN YOU THINK. Despite the problems I had at school, I managed to get into a local college. I believed that as a freshman I had one last chance to make a fresh start. My dream was to make my family proud and to show the world (and above all myself) that I had the strength to succeed. I found myself in a completely new environment. The college professors taught differently from those in high school, and none of them had any negative preconceptions about me. I tried hard, but the results were even worse than at school.

After a few months, I came face to face with harsh reality. I saw no reason to continue wasting time and money I didn't have. I was ready to drop out of my studies. When I told a friend of mine, he suggested that before I made a decision, I should accompany him when he went to visit his parents. He thought that by getting away from the college environment for a while, I might see things more clearly.