A Letter to a Young Latin@
It is an honor to have a great human being, Miguel Santiago, do a guest blog post. He has a few wise words to share to you all....
“Hi, my name is Miguel Santiago and I am just like you. I was born in Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, until I was seven years old when my dad got laid off. He was an engineer and could have probably found a job right away but decided to build a better future for his two kids and moved us to California. I was fluent in spanish with the nopal on my forehead. We left a comfy 3 bedroom house in Mexico for a garage with a makeshift bathroom.
My dad’s degree meant nothing in the US so he had to earn other credentials and worked multiple jobs/graveyard shifts. Meanwhile, my mom went to school to learn english and walked us EVERYWHERE we needed to go. For a while we couldn’t afford to eat at McDonald’s and I had to wear the same shoes for two years. If they were dirty, mom washed them. Torn? Pfft, sew those suckers up!
Both of my parents worked hard to feed us, and they never stopped. At night, when my sister and I were asleep, they would cry about their current situation. They continued hustling to give us a life we never had. We went from a garage in Whittier, to a mobile El Monte, then a house in La Puente, constantly trying to make a better life for themselves. They are fucken rockstars!
Little did they know they nurtured that same hustle in me. Maybe it was my naivety, but I consistently worked towards the things I wanted without caring for the criticism that came with it. I’m not going to say I didn’t care that people thought I was little weird or awkward, but at the end ni modo it makes me happy so I’ll did me.
All my parents wanted was for me to be happy with what I do in life, never stop learning, and always give to others. So I pursued just that. My dad wanted me to be an engineer but instead studies pure mathematics; it took him years to accept this but I’ll always him he raised me to like math. My parents wanted me to get an office job, or work for the school district and teach.
But being a teacher isn’t my passion. Working an office job isn’t what I feel like doing. I’m not taking away any merit in these professions - they’re just not for me. I slowly learned that I have a passion for math, helping others, entrepreneurship and constantly learning. The jobs my parents wished on me, or those that society suggest you do, were simply not going to complement my passions. After years of learning that I had nothing to lose I took a leap of faith and began living a different version of me.
Fast forward a couple years to 27 year old Miguel. I own two business, CORE Education Group, and Risk Karma. I work for myself, I am doing what I absolutely love, I am constantly learning, and (hopefully) giving back to others. I am living the life my parents would not have been able to give me had they not immigrated to California, and I am fulfilling a life I never would have dreamed of had I played it “safe”.
For years my clients are surprised to hear that I am Mexican and like math. I agree that it may not be as common, but I can’t help it that I like numbers and it makes sense to me. But that is not what surprised others, it’s the fact that I am mexican and own businesses worth six figures. They are blown away that I can come from a city like El Monte and be self made.
“How did you do it? You must have been very lucky!”
Nope. I am not lucky, I hustled my way into what I am.
Remember: I am just like YOU. YOU are like me. YOU can do whatever you set your mind to and achieve every single goal you set for yourself. But it comes with an easy price!
You need to sacrifice your time - time spent prioritizing your values and goals! You need to sacrifice certain relationships with family, friends, or acquaintances. You will need to sacrifice certain nights that everybody is out but you. You will need to lose some sleep. You will need to check your ego at the door. You will need to rethink and replan. You will need to adapt. In the end, everything will pay off!
I invite you to spend some time alone. No electronics, no music - just you, a pen, and paper. Go out for a hike, a walk down the beach, or another place you find soothing. Take this time to write down what truly makes you happy. Forget about what your parents will think, forget about the shit talking you’ll hear from others. What do you want out of life? Listen to your heart! If what you truly want to pursue in life seems impossible or scary it can still be done.
You might not even know what truly inspires you right now, and that’s okay! But don’t expect for some sort of passion to magically appear. You’ve got to out and explore - try a new restaurant, explore new places, move to a different city, meet new people, STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE!
I am just like you. I probably have less skill than you do possess. I most likely am not as smart you. However, I hustled, and you can too!
-Miguel Santiago
Founder & CEO
CORE Education Group, LLC
Co Founder & Chief Operations Officer
Risk Karma
”
If you are interested in applying to the scholarship complete information below
- Requirements for Scholarship
- You must subscribe to my blog
- You must subscribe to CORE Education Group.
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If you have any questions please me know.