By Don Krim
Second in a series focusing on stories of our incoming 2021 class.
Student: Dulce
Field of study: Veterinary Medicine and Zoology
“My name is Dulce and I am 19 years old. My family is made up of amazing parents and five wonderful sisters. I define myself as an Authentic, Brave and Uniqueperson. Why? Because life in various ways has taught me how to implement these adjectives. When I turned 15 I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cancer; when they gave me the news I felt that my life stopped. I started my treatment and it made me very sick. I didn’t know if I was going to die or what would happen.
During the course [of treatment] I met many little angels who taught me to give more meaning to life, even though we were locked up in a hospital. During one year and three months in the fight against cancer I managed to give life another meaning. I learned that a grateful person is the most valuable thing in this world. I understood that life should not be perfect to be happy…I met my best friend, a girl so brave, wise, grateful, happy (no matter how bad she was in health), she had a very good sense of humor; when she passed away, I was so angry with everything – I couldn’t understand why she had to leave. What I kept from her was her courage that she gave me every day and explained to me how I should face things without hesitation. I stayed with this phrase that she often told me:
‘…I don’t give up nature, in any way, I have been fortunate many times. In pain you will find the deepest pleasure, the most complex truth and the closest happiness. So absurd and fleeting is our step through the world, that it only gives me tranquility knowing that I have been authentic, that I have been the most like me.’”
After 18 months of cancer treatment, returning to finish high school was a challenge for Dulce. “My academic level was very low due to my illness…It was difficult to integrate myself back into my activities, even with my colleagues…I wasn’t feeling very healthy either, but I focused on my goal which is to finish high school to start college. To study Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics…has been a dream since I was little…because I have lived with animals and I am interested in knowing how to help them when they have health problems.”
The third time was the charm for Dulce in her university application. One of JA’s 34 new students, she has been admitted to university after two prior attempts. Her chances of success have increased 200 percent from the average. To find out more about our students and how to support them in their setbacks and triumphs, please visit www.jovenesadelante.org