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I'm able to speak for first-generation students from low income families for minority students. There were many students in my high school who believed that they couldn't go to college because, when you grow up bills to bills, and trying to figure out how to make ends meet, your main purpose in life will become money. But I knew that if the students were able to afford college and university, were able to find financial assistance, they would 100% want to go. [MUSIC] My name is Huda Ganatra. Right now, I'm currently in my bedroom, I recently just painted it pink. I'm 20 years old, I live in the Northwest side of Chicago, where I've lived my whole entire life. I am currently a student at DePaul University where I'm a sophomore majoring in accounting and data science. Currently, I am a teacher where I teach students after school in Islamic Studies. I teach them how to read Arabic, read, learn, and write Arabic. And, sorry, I'm not sure what else I should say [LAUGH]. So, we're currently at Devon Avenue, it is a staple in Chicago if you're a South Asian. Me and my mom, we come here at least twice a week. We get our groceries from here. If we're craving some Pakistani food, we get it from restaurants over here. I feel that people outside of Islam in the Muslim community, really look at Islam as a way that all these girls are forced to wear the hijab. Where, I believe it's far from it. What I really love about how the way my parents raised me is that they didn't enforce the word of Islam. They enforced like the way of life, Islam is a way of life. And that's what Islam preaches, where you should be a good person over anything else. That's what I really got from my parents' message. So, my mom was fasting today, so the whole feast that we have is called for Iftar, and that is when you break your fast. My parents came from Pakistan, they weren't completely financially stable, but what I love hearing about my family is that they made the most of the little things. And my mom always tells me the story of her and my dad, where every Friday they would go and they would treat themselves to the $1 Whopper at Burger King. And they would tell me how this was their treat, and they felt like the richest people on the planet when they would have this, and they felt like kings and queens whenever they would eat it. And it's just like, kinda reminds me to be so grateful for what I have now. Growing up, my dad had a store, which he owned, it was $1 store. And since we weren't able to afford as many employees, I was able to go and I would work at my store, my sister would work at the store. And that store was like my dad's baby, he even had a cat in the store. But because of financial reasons, that store ended up costing more than the revenue that it was bringing in, so we had to end up closing it. So, after the store shut down, my dad became an Uber driver because my dad was the only man in our household. He's the only one providing for our family. Do the secret trick to doing this dryer, you have to push it and hold it. So, there are many times where my quarters have been eaten up in the dryer will not start, there. You heard that click? That was the dryer ready. Seeing how I was raised, because my parents weren't able to assist me and helping pay for any bit of my college. Financial stability was incredibly important to me, I founded a college preparatory club where I would help students after school. I fill out their FAFSA, I fill out college applications, scholarship applications. It was all our first time going through this and our parents weren't able to help us because they hadn't been through it also. So I would just Google random scholarship seniors, for minority seniors. I feel like I'm a minority, I need that, that was my thing. I was like, I'm gonna keep on applying, either way I'm gonna make it work for me. And so, everything really just tied together, and every scholarship that I had, every financial aid I received just came together, and was able to give me a full ride. [LAUGH] I'm about to go get the second dose of my vaccine, and we're about to head to the vaccination location. &gt;&gt; You have your card, right? &gt;&gt; Yeah. My transition to college, it went smoothly, was also a little nerve-racking. Right when lockdown began my family became affected by COVID. My sister lost her sense of smell and taste. Shortly after, my mom got super sick and she started showing a fever, and then my dad got tested for COVID when he went to the hospital when he came back positive. So, we were completely isolated, watching the news every single day, it was nerve-racking, how 1,000 people were dying each day from this pandemic, how 100 people were being infected every day. So, after my dad got sick, he was having a bit more difficulty breathing. When my dad got to the hospital a second time, it was really hard because we would call him on the phone and there aren't any beds available. And because the hospitals were fully packed, the nurse called us and said that we have to transfer him to the ICU and put him on the ventilator because his breathing is not getting any better. But one morning we just woke up, and they said that they had to paralyze him, and his fever went to 105, and everything just came crashing down. And so, my dad later on during that day, he passed away. Sorry, [MUSIC] So, my dad was the one person for me that I always relied on, if I needed anything, my dad would be there for me. And nothing can relate to that, nothing can compare, and nothing can take over that. But he is at peace now, and he is happy, and he's out of the pain that he went through. I read this every day as a honor to my dad, it means, my Lord have mercy upon them as they brought me up when I was little, and yeah. So, after my dad passed away, obviously, I was in the middle of a quarter in my university, so I had to get back up and I had to finish there were finals going on. And it's ten-weeks quarter, so everything is incredibly fast-paced. I was at home for about a good month where I was just trying to grieve the loss of my father, trying to complete my schoolwork. And what really helped me throughout this whole entire time was finding the blessings in the smallest things. I'm on mute right now, but my professor is showing us a video, a documentary. And I have a really yummy breakfast that I made, it's yogurt with peanut butter and dates and granola. That goes back to hand, what I was saying about my family, how we grew up, how we didn't have much, but my parents say they were happier then. In our community, we don't have much neighborhood, we don't have much, but we have each other, and we have our support for each other, and realize that it's not one huge step, it's a million little steps. If you have 100 steps, it's fine if you miss a couple, it's fine if you miss a lot of them, because you have 98 other steps to go. Whether it's going to trade school, whether it's going to college or university, obviously the system is built to not help students like myself, and minority and underrepresented groups like myself. So, which is why I wanna share my story and share how I have gotten through all the struggles, through all of those obstacles. That we can get through this, if we try hard enough. And it's horrible that we have to amplify our voices this much. And it's horrible that we have to go to these extreme lengths, but it must be done, and will pave the way for us. [MUSIC] 

[CW: death] Huda’s parents always made the most of the little things. Both immigrants from Pakistan, Huda’s dad, especially, was her rock. He always worked hard to make life as joyful as possible for their family—but he tragically passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since his death, Huda has had to grieve while keeping up with her workload as a full-time college student. But through it all, her faith and her commitment to finding the blessings in everyday life continue to carry her through.

Huda Ganatra, Chicago, IL

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