GCU Today April Digital Issue 2018

GCU MAGAZ I NE • 1 3 ESMERALDA MASCORRO MAJOR: PUBLIC POLICY “I’m a Latina woman, and I found my place here.” W hen I was 12 years old, my biological mom passed away. I was placed in a home with my biological father, but he was very abusive. I got to get out of the home and was placed in foster care, and then I lived in three or four different homes in Stockton, Calif., where I grew up. It was really overwhelming. As a young girl, I felt like I had no future, like this is my reality and there’s no one who’s going to advocate for me or be there for me. I was very alone. I was very depressed. It was very hard. I remember praying, “God, please just give me a normal family, a normal life.” Then shortly after that came what was like a miracle: When I was 16 I was adopted by a Christian family — my maternal mom’s sister, whom I had not known. My senior year of high school I came to Discover GCU. I thought GCU was so fun. I was just blown away. But then I just felt really scared as a foster youth, living that far away from my family, and decided to go to a California university instead. After one semester there, though, I felt like I couldn’t find any place for me, I couldn’t find my purpose and I couldn’t find any sense of community. A friend from Stockton was a GCU student, and when I came to visit her I already knew that I liked GCU because it was really nice. But just coming here again, it was reassuring that maybe this was the place I was supposed to be. I figured I was already going to a school five hours from home, so I was like, “What’s another five?” I felt like God was telling me that GCU was where I was meant to be. When I first got here, I was overwhelmed. I was a sophomore living in the freshman dorm. But I was able to find two close friends and find a little bit of community on campus, and then it was a lot better for me. Now I’m a senior leader and am on track to graduate in 2019. I’m also working with the New Business Development Center as a research analyst. I’m in pre-law, so most of what I do is research laws and assist the center in the initiatives they want to pursue. I’m volunteering with Arizonans for Children. They pair me with a foster youth who lives in a group home and comes from crazy circumstances. I would like foster youth to know that they can come to college, too. I’m also a member of the Latino Student Union and work part-time as a server at Paradise Valley Country Club. I’m a very extroverted person, so I just will say hi to whomever I see. I made a lot of friends through Welcome Week as a volunteer, and this year I’ll actually be in charge of the Welcome Week volunteers. When I drove down to GCU for my first experience with Welcome Week, it was so crazy and exciting. At my other college, you have to carry your stuff to your room, and I lived on the third floor — there were no volunteers. I came here, and I was like, “Oh my gosh, they’re so nice!” I would tell incoming students that there’s a place for everyone at GCU. I’m a Latina woman, and I found my place here. I just feel like GCU has open arms for all students. I can’t believe that I’m part of something so special. photo by ralph freso