T E X A R K A N A M A G A Z I N E
I was born in Querétaro, Mexico, in 1991. For me and my family, the American dream was neatly packed inside two suitcases as we boarded a bus to the United States. That decision was a sacrifice that demanded everything [my parents] owned and knew be left behind to pursue a better life. At the time, I was nine years old. I didn’t understand the extent of what [they] were giving up, and I wasn’t aware that leaving their life behind would mean my future would be drastically different. I began fourth grade only knowing a handful of English words, which were poorly pronounced. There were days I felt like giving up, but I kept going and in just over a year, I was fluently bilingual. That’s the thing about the American dream, it allows you to dream past the country you were born in and achieve the unimaginable. The price you pay is not cheap and the sacrifice my parents made could never be accurately measured. I thank my mom and dad for changing the course of my life. I live the American dream daily, and for me it’s about making my family and Mexico proud. FERNANDA HERNANDEZ
ROTIMI IYUN
I was born and raised in communist East Germany. I attended ten years of school and then attended the university where I earned a degree in electrical engineering. In 1989, following the fall of the Berlin Wall, I moved to Munich. I met my husband, an American soldier, in 2006. We married and moved to the United States where I became a permanent resident. Ultimately, I earned my license in esthetics and massage therapy. This enabled me to open my own a business, which is something I never dreamed of in Germany. There are no words that truly express how positive my life in the United States has been. After a rough start, that included self-learning the English language and understanding the social norms of America, I am happy. My husband’s military assignment to Red River Army Depot brought me to Texarkana. What I really appreciate about life in Texarkana is that hard work pays off and people honor that. Everyone in this country has the opportunity to do the same. The bottom line is, I realize there are endless possibilities and opportunities when it comes to fulfilling your dreams here in the U.S.A. HEIKE SCHEMMEL-CRUZ
I was born in the hilly city of Ibadan in Oyo State, Nigeria—a large sprawling university city that was once the most populous city in the country. I spent most of my formative years in Ibadan, through high school and college and culminating in my first degree in industrial engineering. For many years, I planned to come to the United States to pursue a dual Master of Industrial Engineering and Business and was admitted to the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester, New York. After five years in New York, I made the decision to move to Texarkana where my sister had gotten a job. The beautiful reserve of Texarkana was a welcome relief from the hustle and bustle of New York. The beauty of living in a close-knit town like Texarkana is that you never know when you will run into someone you know. I have learned to say hello to everyone even if I don’t recognize them. It has been twelve years since I left my home country and adopted the United States as my new home. I can truly say that God has been good to me. God bless the United States of America!
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C OMM U N I T Y & C U L T U R E
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