Part 2/7:

The speaker proudly identifies as a Bronx native, a parent, and an educator who has witnessed firsthand the transformative power of good schooling. As the first member of their family to graduate from college, they emphasize how critical parental belief and support are in a child's educational journey. Their mother's unwavering conviction that education is the pathway out of poverty motivated her to fight for opportunities that many others in their community were denied.