Every morning is the same. No matter how long she stays up to do homework, Alisha Hernandez wakes up at 5, does her chores, and wakes her younger siblings up at 6, all just so she doesn’t have to hear her mother “nag.”

Her mother incessantly yells at her, “You’re not going to college. You’re just going to get pregnant. You’re not going to be anything.”

And yet behind her brown eyes lie no tears, only a burning fire that grows each time she hears another criticism of her.

“You know, I take all these criticisms and let them motivate me,” she said.

Her mother had her at a young age. Inexperienced and ill-equipped to care for her daughter, she set her child in the arms of her proud El Salvadorian mother. The reunion of mother and daughter years later would be one of high tension.

Since then, Hernandez has blossomed. The junior stands proud, as if a reflection of the woman who raised her.

Although she is two generations younger, the intellect of this vibrant teen is uncanny and seems to match that of her grandmother.

A reunion with her mother was 14 years in the making. Hernandez made the decision to move in with her parents after realizing her longing to be closer to her siblings.

When she arrived on the doorstep, hopes for a new beginning arose. What she hoped was behind the door was her mother, her father, and a loving family waiting to welcome her with open arms.

She would soon realize that behind that door was not what she’d hoped — a new world yes, but an unpleasant one.
“I’ve been bullied,” she said. “I’ve been told I can’t do it. But there are plenty of teachers who tell me that I can.” These are the voices she listens to.

These are the people that motivate her more to be the first in her family to graduate from high school.

“I know what it’s like to not have a diploma.” She sees it in every one of her family members. “I know their struggle.”

She does everything she can to make sure she never struggles the way her family does.

From MESA to Advanced Placement classes to applying to be a member of the PLUS team, she keeps herself busy despite it being an issue with her parents. They get upset, she said, sometimes when she wants to do “too much.”

“I tell them I just have to.” In fact, her parents haven’t allowed her to go to a single football game for all three years she’s been in high school.

While she was still living with her grandmother, Hernandez’s father suffered from a stroke. His entire right side was paralyzed. Reconstructive surgery was supposed to undo the damage.

However, his right leg was left still paralyzed. She understands how hard this is for her father and feels she’d be able to motivate others to keep pushing on.

“Maybe I’ll be a physical therapist because of my dad,” she said.She wants to help people. She believes she can also do this by being a politician.

“A lot of people have big voices but don’t know how to use them,” she said. “I’m pretty outspoken about things I have an opinion about.” Helping others to not be afraid to speak is important to her because, she said, “Everyone should be able to express themselves freely with confidence.”

Stockton is where her family is, but “I want to explore,” she said. “I love trying new things. I want to travel the world. I want to leave.”

In 418 more days, she’ll be one step closer to being a politician.

She’ll be able to attend her first football game. Most importantly, she’ll have beaten the odds. Her name will have been called and she’ll have taken that freeing walk across the stage.