Founder

Artist & Climate Change Activist

Engineer

Corporate Lawyer

CNN Anchor/Special Correspondent

Sound Designer

Level Designer

Actor/Entertainer

Author / Former NFL Player

Nuclear Engineer / Founder

Pianist / Tae Kwon Do Champion

Cowboy/Horse Trainer

Host

Social & Political Activist/TV Personality

Judge/Author/Ordained Minister

Singer/Songwriter

President

Professional Skateboarder

Documentary Filmmaker

Food Scientist

Shoe Artist

Drummer

Comedian

Interior Designer

TV Host

Generic Dashboard

Community

Hopefully once I finish college, a four-year university, I could pursue a job in the FBI, hopefully if everything goes planned. [MUSIC] Do I put it down? &gt;&gt; Yeah. &gt;&gt; Okay, so my name is Fatima Huerta and we're at Hightower High School which where I'm a senior at, I'm 17 years old will be 18 in January though, and we've been living here me, my parents, my family. Since I was born, we've been here in Fresno, I want to travel want to get to know other places, since I've been here in Fresno for 17 years, I kind of need some, to get out there. So my parents are from Mexico, a small town over there, they didn't get much education, they just finished high school and that's it, they left Mexico when they were in their I think 20s, they came over here. They didn't know each other, they met here in the US, and they began their lives together, which was hard because they didn't know anything, no English, no background history here. So it was hard on them trying to raise us and trying to make us pursue college to focus on that without them knowing how to apply or what to do, it was just all left to us. My sister's a current freshman at another high school, in Ridge Point, and she's in ROTC, I'm the one guiding her being her guide on the way, so it's been hard on me and my whole family trying to pursue college. There's not a lot of options here, and most students once they're finished with high school they end up either working at a fast food restaurant or like in carpentry, all the small jobs there. Yeah, labor type jobs, there's not a lot of options here. If you really want to get somewhere, you have to work really hard and on yourself by yourself. Most of us are like Hispanic minorities basically and most of our parents didn't go to college or a university so we have to figure it ourselves on our own. And while I was I'm doing my applications and everything I finally realized I finally get why people drop out, because it's so hard and stressful to try to understand and apply yourself, to go somewhere. My friends influenced me with college because again, I didn't know anything, they're the ones who had older brothers and sisters, they're also the ones who told me my mentors basically, over SATs to study. They're the ones pushing me every day telling me you're going to do it, you're going to make it they're going to accept you at college, so they're like my little cheerleaders on the side. Without them I wouldn't know where to go what to do, I didn't know about college or SAT, ACT exams till junior year, because of my teachers, they my teacher, she was the one pressing us every day to sign up for SATs to do our essays during the summer. To apply for applytexas to do our FAFSA at this time to apply for college during this time before deadlines, I don't want to work at a fast food or it's not not that it's a bad job. I just want to be somewhere up there, I want to make my parents proud. I want to show them that I couldn't make it so I can like if I make it, my sister can make it too, anyone can make it basically not just me and how also, I want to be somewhere that I love. I want to do something every day that I'm going to enjoy not just an office job or just sitting down just for the money or the paycheck, I just want to do something I love every day. 

Growing up in Fresno, Texas, 17-year-old Fatima says it isn't hard to see why so many students drop out of high school. It seems like there aren't many options in her small town—and it was hard to find the resources she needed to apply for college. Luckily, one of Fatima's teachers stepped up and encouraged her to think about her future. But what about others who don't find that support?

Searching for opportunities and support in my small town

Video Details

Related Videos