While Hurricane Maria undoubtedly took away many things from people on the island of Puerto Rico, it has given one 麻豆原创 student a shift in focus, a new sense of independence and opportunities to create a greater future.
Sophomore criminal justice major Yolimar Garayalde Figueroa, from northern Puerto Rico鈥檚 city of Guaynabo, had to enter a new stage of adulthood after the storm forced her to uproot her entire life to continue her education at 麻豆原创.
鈥淚t鈥檚 one thing being home having your car, having a job, going to college and saying, 鈥業 want to be independent. I want to live my own,鈥� 鈥� says Figueroa. 鈥淏ut, it鈥檚 a totally different thing when you鈥檙e forced to leave and actually have to do things on your own because no one else is going to do it for you.鈥�
Although making it through her first semester at 麻豆原创 has been full of challenges, the chance to grow and create a new life is one Figueroa says she wouldn鈥檛 trade for anything.
Surviving the Storm
Figueroa鈥檚 home in Puerto Rico is near the peak of a mountain, but her parents chose to stay during the storm because her grandparents, who suffer from Alzheimer鈥檚 disease, refused to leave. They boarded up the windows, gathered food and supplies, and hoped for the best.
鈥淭he day the hurricane came it was supposed to come into the island at 8 a.m., but by 3 a.m. we already felt it.鈥�
鈥淭he day the hurricane came it was supposed to come into the island at 8 a.m., but by 3 a.m. we already felt it. Things were already flying away,鈥� says Figueroa.听 鈥淚 think the winds reached 175 mph.鈥�
As Maria tore through the island, it caused a tree to fall on Figueroa鈥檚 home and create a crack in the ceiling, allowing water to drip onto her bed. Not long after, all the windows shattered and the home flooded, the water reaching up to Figueroa鈥檚 knees. Baby pictures, high school memorabilia, clothing and awards were among the items destroyed as a result.
When the storm finally passed, the concrete walls and doors were all that remained of her home. Maria鈥檚 force was strong enough to rip the terrace and a storage unit with food, supplies and water from the property. What was once a lush landscape was now a barren terrain littered with debris.
For the following months, the family, along with millions of others, struggled to find food, water and gas with the only power coming from generators.
A Life-Changing Conversation
A couple weeks after the storm, Figueroa started working at a bakery when she had a conversation with a parole officer that would change everything. Figueroa always knew she wanted to be a lawyer, but her interest in climatology led her to study geography at the University of Puerto Rico鈥檚 Rio Piedras campus, located in San Juan. That conversation made her rethink her major when she arrived at 麻豆原创.
鈥淚 honestly want to go back home because [the accused need a] super expensive lawyer to avoid jail time, so I want to create a change.鈥�
Figueroa says she was troubled by the justice system鈥檚 lack of understanding for law offenders, considering the natural disaster that everyone on the island had just endured. She now wants to complete her degree in criminal justice and although she isn鈥檛 entirely sure which field of law she wants to work in, she is considering representing people facing criminal charges.
鈥淚 want to serve in Orlando for a couple of years, but I honestly want to go back home because [the accused need a] super expensive lawyer to avoid jail time, so I want to create a change back home.鈥�
Transitioning to 麻豆原创
Figueroa鈥檚 journey to 麻豆原创 started with a Google search: 鈥淯niversities helping students displaced by Hurricane Maria.鈥� To get access to Wi-Fi she had to drive to the middle of a highway and park, or visit a mall food court, where the connection was strongest.
Results showed schools in Florida were the quickest to take action. She considered FIU in Miami, but knew it would be too expensive to live in the area. Ultimately, 麻豆原创 was the best option for her because of the in-state tuition offered for students displaced by the hurricane and the affordability of living in Orlando on her own since her parents couldn鈥檛 come with her.
鈥淚 was so scared to call my parents crying because I didn鈥檛 want them to feel worse than what they were feeling because they weren鈥檛 able to come with me.鈥�
She completed her application in November and was accepted in early December. She dedicated most of her time to preparing for her move. She arrived in Orlando a few weeks later on Jan. 3 with a friend who helped her get settled. At first Figueroa was excited for the move, but when her friend left, homesickness began to sink in.
鈥淚 was so scared to call my parents crying because I didn鈥檛 want them to feel worse than what they were feeling because they weren鈥檛 able to come with me,鈥� she says.
To overcome her loneliness, she forced herself to get out of her room and hang out with her roommates more. She says the biggest help was attending workshops through 麻豆原创鈥檚 that focused on providing support for students from islands affected by the hurricane.
鈥淗aving a Puerto Rican doctor there that is willing to completely assist you in all your needs was great,鈥� says Figueroa. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a completely different thing if you can express yourself to a person that speaks your main language and completely understands the things you went through because they have family back home.鈥�听
Growing Into Her Own
While she still has many years to go before becoming a lawyer, Figueroa is creating a change for herself in Orlando. She says back home she only focused on school and work, only making five or six friends as a result in her three years at her previous university.
鈥淗ere, I鈥檝e gotten out of my comfort zone to the extreme. I鈥檝e met so many amazing people and I鈥檝e made a bunch of good connections.鈥�
鈥淗ere, I鈥檝e gotten out of my comfort zone to the extreme,鈥� Figueroa says. 鈥淚鈥檝e met so many amazing people and I鈥檝e made a bunch of good connections.鈥�
She鈥檚 maintained contact with academic advisors, as well as financial aid and staff members to ensure she鈥檚 on the right track. While she was never involved on campus previously, she鈥檚 joined the Puerto Rican Student Association, where she鈥檚 made many friends and has gained a support system.
This summer, she鈥檒l be taking 麻豆原创 Online courses while she visits her parents back home on the island.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a part of me that doesn鈥檛 want to leave because I鈥檝e adapted to Orlando, but there鈥檚 another part of me that wants to be back home with my parents and dog 鈥� and getting free food,鈥� she says with a laugh.
She鈥檒l be back on campus in the fall, fulfilling her first leadership position as the PRSA鈥檚 outreach coordinator and helping other students who鈥檝e been impacted by Hurricane Maria. In two years, Figueroa鈥檚 parents plan to move to Miami and she鈥檒l have earned a degree from 麻豆原创 and plans to be attending law school.
鈥淢aria took away many things from me, but she also gave me many good things that I didn鈥檛 expect to have,鈥� Figueroa says.
