July 2021

T E X A R K A N A M A G A Z I N E

JESSICA PASTAKIA

BHAVIN PASTAKIA

MEL WALSH

I was born in Caracas, Venezuela to parents originally from Perú. We immigrated to the United States in the late 1990s, seeking a safe environment, education and financial stability through job opportunities. Venezuela was going through controversial presidential elections. Many lost their jobs, including my parents. I recall crying myself to sleep when I could not do my homework because I couldn’t read English, but I overcame the language barrier. Now I am a Registered Nurse at C HRISTUS St. Michael Hospital. I am beyond blessed to have had the tools America offers. However, it also takes perseverance and tenacity to grab hold of those tools and pave the road toward making the American dream a reality.

I was born in India and immigrated with my parents and family in the early 1990s. My parents moved to the United States seeking a better education for me and my two siblings and greater opportunities for a brighter future. India is considered a third world country in which financial stability and access to education are a struggle for most of its citizens. I grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, and had to overcome the language barrier. It was hard, but I did it with the help of outstanding teachers. I ended up doing well, and I got a Bachelor of Business Administration. After years of serving as an accountant, I pursued teaching. It’s my turn to give back to those children I represent, who also seek the American dream, because I am living it.

I was born in Ireland on a small dairy farm near the village of Redcross. From a young age, I realized country living was not for me, so after high school graduation, I took a job as a Nurse’s Aide. I was accepted into nursing school at Whipps Cross University Hospital in London. Upon finishing, I spent the next five years working in London before I decided I wanted a change. When I saw an ad advertising available positions for nurses in Texarkana, Texas, I replied to the ad. I landed in Texarkana in April 1979. I worked the night shift at Wadley for 18 months before joining Medical Arts Hospital. [A friend] set me up on a blind date with Ray, who became my husband six months later. Our son, Field, was born in 1983. To make it all official, I passed the state boards for my Registered Nurse’s license in Texas and also became a United States citizen. The political turmoil in Ireland when I was growing up made me realize the importance of voting and being aware of politics. I always voted in the European Union and now I vote in the United States. This is an amazing place, and I’m so glad it’s my home.

JESSICA AND BHAVIN PASTAKIA

The United States of America has given us both many blessings: each other, our children, our education and our freedom. Our love transcends the boundaries of landmasses and seas. It has overcome language barriers, nationalities and skin-deep differences. Serving in our community and trying to be proud and exemplary citizens, is how we want our children and future generations to live, and they can do that with freedom.

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C OMM U N I T Y & C U L T U R E

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