“It's not that difficult that we can have a decent job, that we can have dreams. That is possible”

Story #27, Laura Lopera, immigrated from Colombia

Interviewed and written by Yiran Yu

“It's not that difficult that we can have a decent job, that we can have dreams. That is possible,” Laura said. Over the past 15 years, she has witnessed how immigrants brought their cultures, expertises, and problem-solving skills to America, along with their courage and resilience.

Born in a small, rural town in Colombia, Laura moved to the United States when she was nineteen years old. Originally, Laura planned to study philosophy and literature at a local college, but her dream of becoming economically independent from her parents encouraged her to move abroad.

Laura traveled to Connecticut to stay with her aunt. She soon realized, however, that college education in America was too expensive for her. Using her student visa, Laura continued to study English and moved to Boston to live on her own.

“It was very tough because I was very young and I didn't have anybody,” Laura recalled. “I did a lot of jobs: I worked in a flower shop, I even worked in a car wash, in Kentucky Fried Chicken, and [other] restaurants…and then at some point I started working in catering.”

Laura said she was so good at the catering job that she was eventually promoted as a catering captain. She then catered for universities, museums, weddings, and a law firm. After working nine years, Laura became an experienced food service manager at the Boston Medical Center, who ran the kitchen of 20 staff members to provide food for patients and doctors.

““It was very tough because I was very young and I didn’t have anybody.””

Despite her professional success, Laura never forgot her dream of advancing education. She went back to school to gain a certificate as a medical interpreter. “An interpreter for the community was like a volunteer job for me,” Laura said, “because as an interpreter, you also work as an advocate for the community.” Laura said that she was empowered to speak up against racist acts towards people who lack the language ability.

When the pandemic hit, Laura decided to go back to college. “Finally, after 20 years,” she smiled. Laura received an associate degree from Bunker Hill Community College and graduated from Cambridge College with a Bachelor’s degree in business with a focus in environmental studies. She was able to graduate in one year with abundant life experience credits. “I left Colombia 20 years ago, and until this year I formally finished my studies,” Laura said. “I am the first one in my house to go to college.”

Raised up in nature, Laura has always been passionate about environmental studies. She wrote her thesis on the environmental effects of tourist consumption in Tulum, which she called “the oxymoron of ecotourism.” Laura’s passion in natural preservation and anti-consumerism drew her into the Green Infrastructure training course at BCCO’s co-op academy. During the program, Laura was impressed by the different stories that her peers have. “I think that's the most powerful thing about the academy: the diverse group that we have, and all the knowledge that comes to the table,” she said. “But we all kind of got into this place because we all have a love for nature.”

Nature in Tulum © Elzbieta Sekowska / Shutterstock. Source: Lonely Planet

For individuals who might have a similar background as her, Laura had two pieces of advice. The first is to “look for the resources and try to connect with the right people,” she said, because the City has provided accessible education and many programs for immigrants and low-income people. The second is to overcome the immigrant mentality that “the opportunities are not for us.” Laura said that many immigrants might be discouraged to improve their life standards due to language barriers and lack of opportunities, but she believes that “with a little effort we can improve our quality of life a lot.”

While at the Chelsea public schools, Laura noticed that immigrant students often do not have role models to look up to, because the majority of the teachers there are not from minority backgrounds. Laura is motivated to go back to school as she believes in the opportunities that education can create for her and for the younger generation.

With her next goal of studying environmental sustainability in Harvard Extension School, Laura hopes to use her education to inspire others and eventually give back to her communities at home.