Walter Barajas

My name is Walter Barajas. I was born and raised in a city in Mexico. My childhood was pretty uneventful for the most part. Some happy moments but more sad moments. Even from an early age, I knew that I wanted to do big things with my life, but I also knew that my home country wouldn't be able to provide me with the opportunities to succeed. I knew I would have to do something drastic to put the odds in my favor. When I had my opportunity to migrate to the United States, I took it. So, at the age fifteen I set off. I knew that the journey in front of me would be hard and soul crushing. I was about to embark into my personal trek, a passage into manhood. My fate was in my hands and I wasn't about to let it slip between my fingers. I gathered as many happy thoughts I could muster, saved as many hopes and dreams as I could and let my wishes and expectations be the air below my wings that would allow me to soar in the sky. I knew it would be hard for two reasons. One, because my mother always warned me about it...In Spanish there is a saying "el muerto y el arrimado a las 3 dias apesta" the dead and refugees after 3 days start stinking. Two, I had clear limitations stacked against me. I didn't know the language at the time and I was very young and naive. I didn't know what was going to happen to me, but I didn't care because my ambition was big and I was going to make it or break it. For years I had to survive and learn how to deal with problematic people, a lot of them my own family. I had to learn how to be a better person as well as to be the bigger person. Long story short, I didn't break, and now I have learned of ways to help people and hopefully teach people to avoid the mistakes I made. I have come to where I am now and I have an opportunity that allows me to help people both to become better persons and save money online. I like to help the environment as much as I can and I'm realistic that opposing to change is counterproductive. Instead, I try to find the balance between change and the old ways so that we can all co-exist and have a beautiful Earth for a long time.