Fall 2019

by Daniela Avila
My childhood in El Salvador
included lots of pupusas, long
walks to the bread market,
cerulean skies, tropical winds that
whispered in my ear during my
daily siesta and a cozy red-brick
house that had been a home for
my family for generations. The
culture I grew up with emphasized
community. Even in the eye of
a storm that created violence
and social injustice, I always felt
safe. I trusted that I had God’s
protection, my mom’s protection
and my community’s support.
This taught me that as human
beings, we have a responsibility to
support and respect each other,
no matter if our stories and our
struggles are different.
My mom instilled in me this
responsibility to serve others;
this sense of purpose has been
a driving force for me. Growing
up in El Salvador, I developed
an awareness of God and His
work in my life. From the day
I was born, God and my mom
have worked together to shape
me into a person who values
struggles as opportunities to
learn and who puts faith above
all things. MOSAIC has given me
opportunities on campus that I
would not have found anywhere
else; the perspectives of so many
different people have stretched
my mind and expanded my
understanding of the human
experience. It is human to want
to fit in and be appreciated; it
is human to be afraid of change
when you move to a new place;
it is human to want to prove
yourself to the world; it is human
to sometimes feel like an outsider
in places that once felt like home.
My mom gives me a sense of
home. My mom has always
been and always will be my best
BETTER NOT BITTER | 7