The Marathon Worthwhile

Written by: Dulce Ortiz 🇬🇹

Headshot of Isabel Polanco. (Emelyn Gomez)

As Isabel Polanco practiced for her lifelong dream of completing a marathon before 22, she reflected on how much of her college journey was a race of its own.

Beginning the race wasn't easy. Coming from a low-income background, her parents valued and encouraged her to pursue a higher education, just like her mom did in the Philippines. Though the mindset was instilled in her, the financial means to attain those dreams was always a barrier.

She constantly put pressure on herself to be the best older sister she could be while ensuring that her opportunities wouldn't burden her family, especially in being the first of her siblings to pursue this route.

“ I have to be ambitious in order to get to where I am, and they have seen that,” she said. “I feel like this leads them on the correct path that my parents and I want them to go down.”

Polanco participated in a program at Montgomery College called Early College, in which she obtained an associate's degree in elementary education and elementary special education when she graduated from high school. The experience initially sparked her interest in becoming a teacher.

She was accepted into UMD on a full scholarship, giving her the comfort to pursue new dreams. One of those opportunities was a semester abroad in Florence, Italy.

From taking fun classes like oil painting to exploring the culture through food and adventures, she loved her time there. One thing that resonated with her the most was her presence as a Latina abroad. 

Photo of the Polanco Family. (Courtesy of Isabel Polanco)

Halfway through her junior year, she had another obstacle to overcome: the realization that, after completing the requirements for her nursing track, her human development minor, and over 75% of her teaching degree, teaching was not the career for her.

Polanco saw more behind-the-scenes challenges in the industry than she anticipated, so she switched to a human development major to explore new possibilities. 

She chose to pursue a career in academic advising because what drew her to teaching was her genuine interest in helping students. She hopes to pursue a master’s degree to further her career. 

As many new obstacles cross her path, she knows that each one will be equally recognized as a victory, as these experiences were all part of one winding journey.

“It's okay that you don't have everything figured out immediately. It took me a really long time to get to where I'm at,” Polanco said. “As long as you're trying to figure it out by putting yourself out there and getting involved in different things, maybe something will spark for you.”

"She’s been a role model to me my whole life, even when she didn’t realize it." - Isabel Polanco’s younger sister