Fueled by her struggles

Written by: Sophia da Silva 🇧🇷

Headshot of Alexa Rosales. (Emelyn Gomez)

When Alexa Rosales thinks of strength, she thinks of her mother.

“She came here with absolutely nothing,” Rosales said.

Her mother, alongside her siblings, immigrated from Peru at 16 years old and had Rosales when she was 24. Without her parents, she was required to figure everything out on her own.

“She's gone through so much, and she's still standing,” Rosales said. 

It’s an example of resilience that Rosales has carried into her own experience at the University of Maryland. 

Being a first-generation college student came with a lot of pressure for Rosales.

“[My parents] came here to, you know, eventually give me and my siblings a better life. So, it's like, if I mess up, then it feels like they went through all of that for nothing,” Rosales said.

She carries the extra weight of being the oldest sibling—the first to do everything. Despite the pressure, it’s a role she takes great pride in.

“I get to teach my community and teach my siblings and my cousins and the next generations,” Rosales said.

Helping her community has always been important to her. She grew up in a household where her father’s undocumented status constantly shaped their lives.

“I was in elementary school, and I had counselors pull me out of class and talk to me about the potential of my dad getting deported,” Rosales said.

It’s a time that she remembers feeling scared and helpless.

“That's exactly how I feel now sometimes when I see the ICE raids or other issues around the world,” Rosales said, “I can't just sit back and not do nothing.”

Photo of the Rosales Family. (Courtesy of Alexa Rosales)

The impulse to help people is why Rosales decided to pursue sociology.

“I wish there was someone to help me in a bunch of these moments, so I hope to be that person for other people,” she said.

Rosales’ first few years at the University of Maryland were lonely. As a Latina, she didn’t feel represented on campus and was often underestimated by professors and classmates. 

By her junior year, she began to feel pride in being the only Latina in the room.

“I'm like, ‘wow, I get to represent my community here in this space,’” she said.

Last year, Rosales pledged to find her community and began to join Latine organizations on campus.

“I feel more comfortable being here, because they sort of empower me,” Rosales said.

Having a community that understands her struggles as a first-generation college student and a Latina at a predominantly white institution has completely flipped her experience.

“Before I was like, ‘I'm so excited to get out of here, I just want to be done,’ and now it's like, ‘wait, I don't want to be done yet. I need more time,’” Rosales said.

“No tengo palabras suficientes para expresar lo inmensamente orgullosa que me siento de mi hija. Ella ha trabajado incansablemente por sus sueños, y ahora que está a punto de terminar la universidad, solo puedo admirar el camino tan hermoso que ella ha recorrido.” - Alexa Rosales's mother