Trump Isn’t Stopping This Girl From Wanting To Become The First Latina President

Jaqueline Zuno, an 11-year-old girl, is the true definition of hope. At the Democratic and Republican national convention, the KIPP Academy West student talked about why it is important for people to work together based on her own story. She described the journey her mother took to secure a better future for her family.

“So one cloudy morning, she set foot in the Rio Grande and began her journey. To say that she was afraid would not be true, because she was absolutely terrified. Shivering through the waters with no end in sight, she got pushed over by a wave. The wave knocked her down, and for a moment, she thought our lives were over. But remember, we are better together. She told me that a group of men in front of her saw her fall and came back. They helped her because they thought, ‘What if that woman was me? What if someone didn’t help me?’”

After applying for KIPP five years in a row with no response, the Zuno family almost lost hope. It was important for Zuno to get into this school because of the preparation for college the school provided. Also, it would take Zuno from having one teacher and one class to having five teachers. When Jaqueline was accepted into KIPP, she then learned how much her life would change for the better. She learned to adapt to her new environment and also learned to stand out by becoming the first girl at KIPP to read a million words. After reading a million words, she then broke the three-million word mark.

Now, Zuno wants to become “the first Latina presidente de los Estados Unidos.” She says if she accomplishes this, it will not only make her mother proud but the people of Mexico as well.

“My focus would be education and immigration. I choose education, because it’s the only thing that can’t be taken away from you, because it’s in your heart. I want to focus on immigration because I want people to know that las manos that built this country are not all of one race. And the hands that lead this country now shouldn’t be either.”