Spending every summer of her adolescence as
a migrant worker with her family in the fields around Crookston
gave Bernadina Arias perspective on a lot of things: The value
of money, what it means to truly put in a hard day’s
work and, literally, survive as a family. It taught Arias
then not to take a single thing in her life for granted.
Given that, it’s by no coincidence that, today, Arias,
31, is a wife, mother of three and second-year student at
the University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC) who just happens
to carry a perfect, 4.0 grade point average. Arias’
story resonated enough with various scholarship funders that
she is attending UMC on the MacPherson Scholarship and the
Ann Phipps Memorial Scholarship for Head Start parents.
In 1990, when Arias graduated with honors from high school
in Uvalde, Texas, she aspired to further her education.
But, with six other kids to feed, clothe and shelter, Arias’
parents simply couldn’t afford it. So Bernadina got
a job at a potato factory and, in 1992, became a wife and
mother.
"At that point, going to college was just a distant
dream, something put on hold indefinitely," she recalls.
"I wanted to be there to see my children crawl, walk
and talk and not miss out on any special moments and milestones."
But, last year, with Ricky, 10, Adrian, 9, and Julie, 5,
all growing older, Arias’ thoughts again turned to
attending college. Now, she’s not just a mother to
them, she’s a role model.
"My children see me study every day; the last thing
they see when they go to bed is me doing homework at the
computer," Arias says. "I think they not only
see what I’m doing, but they realize the importance
of it."
As the first member of her family to ever attend college,
she knows the importance of sticking with it and getting
her degree. "I can’t give up, because there is
a lot riding on this," she explains. "Not just
for me or my kids, but for other Hispanics who see me and
realize that Hispanic people can accomplish things."
Bernadina’s husband, Ricardo, also knows how important
his wife’s education is. He’s the one who first
encouraged a permanent move to Crookston and, second, told
Bernadina that the time to make her educational dreams a
reality was now.
"He’s my backbone because he’s always
boosting my confidence, telling me that I’m smart,"
Bernadina says. "He works on rotating shifts (at Dee,
Inc.) and when I have an evening class, our schedules and
accounting for the kids gets very hard. But together, with
the help and encouragement of our friends, we make it work."
It was her time spent as an AmeriCorps volunteer in a kindergarten
classroom at Lincoln School that steered Arias toward her
choice of Early Childhood Education as her major at UMC.
Working mostly with Viki Olson, Arias knew she wanted to
spend her career working with children. As a bilingual elementary
teacher, she believes the experiences and skills she could
bring to a classroom would be especially useful.
And how about that perfect GPA? Arias, who a couple of
weeks ago was presented with her 4.0 Chancellor’s
Club plaque at UMC’s Fall Student Convocation, said
her straight-A status is still somewhat shocking to her.
But, that said, she doesn’t struggle to find an explanation
for it.
"I have been given an opportunity and I’m not
going to blow it," Arias explains. "I hear other
students complaining about all kinds of little things, and
I can’t help but think about where I was when I was
their age and how they are taking the privilege of going
to college for granted. I wish I could make them realize
how lucky they are to be where they are."
Although she won’t admit it, it almost sounds as
if Arias would welcome her first "B" grade. The
pressure to keep up her straight-A streak has her editing
papers and other assignments right up until the last second.
"My parents know about my GPA and so do my friends,
and I want them to be proud of me," Arias says. "They’d
be proud even if I didn’t have a 4.0 GPA, but I still
feel like I have to show everyone how much hard work can
really pay off.
"Where I am at today is a reflection on where I was
and what I learned to value as a young person," she
adds. "I want to pass that on to young people today
and tomorrow."
written by Mike Christopherson
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