Meet Melissa Perez

Transcriber: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Jessica Ruby

翻译人员: Yixiong Zhu 校对人员: Jenny Yang

My name is Melissa Perez.

我的名字是梅利萨·佩雷斯。

I was born and raised in the Bronx, New York City,

我生长在纽约布朗克斯，

but my parents are Mexican.

父母都是墨西哥人。

Two years ago, graduating high school

2年前，完成高中学业

was not even in my plans.

根本不在我的计划之内。

I was doing horribly in school.

我在学校的表现很糟糕。

Going to a school that has metal detectors is stressful.

有金属探测器的学校让人感到很紧张。

You have to stand in line 25 minutes to an hour.

你得排队25分钟到1个小时。

I would only go in third period

我只有第三节课的时候才去上学，

and come out fourth.

然后第四节课出来。

I went third period

第三节课去是因为

because I knew they didn't take attendance first and second.

我知道他们一二节课不记考勤。

So, basically, if you were going third period,

所以基本来说，如果你第三节课到了，

they would mark you present for the whole day.

那他们会记你全天都到。

I just wasn't interested in school.

我就是对学校不感兴趣。

Then, when I was 17,

直到我17岁，

I gave birth to my daughter, Madeline.

那年我生了我的女儿Madeline。

Getting pregnant changed my approach tremendously.

怀孕极大地改变了我的态度。

I thought, "I'm pregnant, I don't have a diploma.

我想，“我怀孕了，我没有文凭。

So what I am I going to be working the rest of my life?

我这辈子要怎么办？

$7.25 an hour?

挣最低工资每小时7.25美元么？

No! I have to graduate and go to college."

不行！我得毕业，然后上大学。”

Being a mom, still going to high school is, ummm,

作为一名母亲，还要上高中，是很，

overwhelming, I would say, at the beginning,

可以用艰难来形容，在一开始的时候，

but I had this math teacher who encouraged me

但我有一位数学老师一直鼓励我

to go on with school.

继续上学。

She always said that she saw something in me.

她说她看到了我身上的某种东西。

She was like, "I know there's something inside you there

她说，“我知道你心里有一些想法，

that wants to fight for it."

你想继续奋斗。“

She always pushes me,

她总是督促我，

she always gives me the hard questions

她总是给我困难的题目，

because she knows that my favorite subject is math.

因为她知道我喜欢的科目是数学。

She's always like, "Melissa, figure this out.

她总是说，”梅利萨，解这道题。

Melissa, figure that out."

梅利萨，解那道题。”

And I'm like, "Okay, okay."

我就说，“好的，好的。”

I like that about her

我喜欢她这一点，

because she always tends to push me.

因为她总是想督促我。

Thelma is the first teacher

特尔玛是老师中第一个愿意

that has treated me,

将我视为，

you know,

你明白，

I guess, special.

一个特别的人的。

After I had my baby, I got my head into the game

我生了孩子后，我努力学习

and I passed my classes.

并通过了考试。

Being a mom at a young age

年轻时成为母亲

either makes you or breaks you,

要么能成就你，要么能摧毁你。

but, in my case, it made me.

对我而言，它成就了我。

It made me have a total different visual for my future.

它让我对我的未来有了完全不同的视界。

I am the first person in my family

我是我家里第一个

to graduate from high school.

从高中毕业的。