Meet Melissa Perez

Transcriber: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Jessica Ruby

譯者: Jephian Lin 審譯者: Coco Shen

My name is Melissa Perez.

我的名字叫 Melissa Perez。

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

我在紐約市的布朗克斯（Bronx）出生長大

but my parents are Mexican.

不過我的父母是墨西哥人。

Two years ago, graduating high school

兩年前，從高中畢業

was not even in my plans.

根本不在我的計劃裡。

I was doing horribly in school.

我的學業成績糟透了。

Going to a school that has metal detectors is stressful.

學校用金屬探測器檢查手機 讓人壓力很大。

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

你可能要排 25 分鐘到一小時的隊。

I would only go in third period

我只會去第三堂課

and come out fourth.

然後在第四堂離開。

I went third period

我去第三堂

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

是因為我知道前兩堂課不會點名。

So, basically, if you were going third period,

所以基本上，如果你有去第三堂，

they would mark you present for the whole day.

他們就會紀錄你整天都在。

I just wasn't interested in school.

我就是對上學不感興趣。

Then, when I was 17,

後來，我十七歲的時候，

I gave birth to my daughter, Madeline.

我生了我女兒 Madeline。

Getting pregnant changed my approach tremendously.

懷孕徹底改變我的想法。

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

我想： 「我懷孕了，我沒有文憑。

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

我剩下的人生要做什麼樣的工作？

$7.25 an hour?

每小時 7.25 元？ （譯註：約 210 新臺幣。）

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

不對！我必須要畢業然後上大學。」

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

身為母親，同時要去上學

overwhelming, I would say, at the beginning,

剛開始令人有些喘不過氣。

but I had this math teacher who encouraged me

但是有個數學老師總是鼓勵我

to go on with school.

繼續上學。

She always said that she saw something in me.

她總是說她能看見我的潛力。

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

她會說： 「我知道你身體裡有股

that wants to fight for it."

想要力爭上游的力量。」

She always pushes me,

她總是督促我，

she always gives me the hard questions

總是給我困難的題目，

because she knows that my favorite subject is math.

因為她知道我最愛的科目是數學。

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

她總是說： 「Melissa，想想這題！

Melissa, figure that out."

Melissa，把它解出來！」

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

我就會說： 「好啦好啦。」

I like that about her

我很喜歡她這樣，

because she always tends to push me.

因為她總是督促我向前。

Thelma is the first teacher

Thelma 是第一個

that has treated me,

對待我像

you know,

你知道，

I guess, special.

與眾不同的。

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

產後，我全心投入

and I passed my classes.

完成我的課業。

Being a mom at a young age

做一個小媽媽

either makes you or breaks you,

可以成就你，也可以毀掉你，

but, in my case, it made me.

在我的例子裡，它成就了我。

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

它讓我對未來有完全不一樣的視野。

I am the first person in my family

我是我們家庭裡

to graduate from high school.

第一個從高中畢業的人。