Time waits for no one – this phrase often spoken by her father is one that Berenice Juarez has taken to heart.
The Spanish Transfer Pathway student has lived in the US for the past six of her 21 years, but she’s already overcome many obstacles with future plans to help others through similar hurdles.
Juarez grew up in a little town called San Francisco in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, a town so small they speak Zapoteco, a language native to the indigenous people of Mexico. She lived with her grandmother because her parents were in Chicago at the time, not to return until Juarez was five years old.
Once they returned, she got acquainted with her parents, especially her father and his "take life by the reins" attitude. Her family shrank again after two years when they passed away. For the next six years, life continued with her grandma. Then when Juarez was 13 years old, her grandma— her only family in Mexico—passed away.
“I was alone in Mexico.”
But she didn’t give up. At that time, she had two aunts living in Swanville, MN, who helped her come to join them. She journeyed to the United States as a young teenager and joined the remaining family she had in Minnesota.
Since she knew no English, she didn't go to school and found herself working alongside her aunts at age 14, milking cows for 12-14 hours a day. In addition to the hard work, the language barrier set her aside in that workplace, and Juarez did not like the way she was treated.
“I wanted a better future for me, and for my family,” she explained.
She decided she needed to attend high school and get an education. She met a family who connected her to a social worker and also helped her get a green card. Meanwhile, she decided to leave Swanville and made the move to St. Cloud and then Sauk Rapids, all while learning English in school and Spanish at home.
Her first year in high school was difficult, but she persevered. In 2022, she graduated from Sauk Rapids-Rice High School.
The family she's currently living with recommended applying to SCTCC after graduating because it’s affordable and close to home.
“I like it over here. I think it’s fantastic.”
While she’s working on her Spanish Transfer Pathway degree, Juarez is also involved in TRIO Student Support Services, where she helps out with tutoring and greeting students. It’s a welcoming environment, and it’s helped her meet a lot of people from different countries. She’s also a member of the LatinX Club on campus.
After finishing her degree at SCTCC, Juarez is planning to transfer to St. Cloud State, where she’ll work on getting a bachelor’s degree in social work. The social worker who helped her after she’d had enough with milking cows made a lasting impression. After meeting so many people from different countries and witnessing the similar obstacles they overcame, Juarez realized that social work was the path she wanted to follow.
“I really enjoy helping. They told me their stories and I saw that I was not the only one who passed through difficult things. I saw that the community needs help,” Juarez shared. “I know that sometimes it’s difficult to continue on with the language [barrier] or difficult things. There are many people around us who can help us, and we can look for that if we need help. We have a lot of help around us.”
With the three languages of Zapoteco, Spanish, and English in her pocket, she’s sure to help many people in the St. Cloud area, where she wants to stay.
“It’s cold but it’s fine,” she smiled.
Juarez’ relaxed, reserved demeanor gives no indication of the difficulties she’s overcome, a testament to her determination and also the level of stability she’s found.
“Never give up, like my grandma used to say,” Juarez encourages. So far, she’s made good on that promise, and she has nothing but support and time ahead of her to continue to make a difference.