Share the Dream: My Life, My Focus, My Goal Share the Dream: My Life, My Focus, My Goal: Cabral, Mars

Share the Dream essay by Mars Cabral

I was born in early December 2007 and raised in Brockton, Massachusetts, by my Cape-Verdean immigrant parents in a small single family home. As their firstborn child, I grew up in a close-knit household that shaped my early experiences and values. Two years later, my brother was born, and for a while it was just the four of us. During that time however, my father struggled with addiction, which slowly began to tear our family apart. Some of my earliest memories are from when my parents were going through their divorce.

Over time, my father gradually became less present in my life, leaving me with only faint memories of the court-mandated weekends when he would pick up my brother and me. As a result I struggled with anxiety as a child, and school was academically challenging for me. After the divorce, my mother worked significantly more hours as a nurse, which often required long shifts and time away from home. As a result, I spent much of my youth being cared for and raised by my grandparents. Still, as I grew older, I realized how big of an effect my parents divorce had on me. My brother was too young to fully understand what was happening, but I was not. In an effort to support me, my mother did her best to keep me involved in various activities, including soccer, gymnastics, dance, and band. Throughout my childhood, I was consistently enrolled in after-school programs. However, after I left elementary school, my mother could no longer afford to continue all of these activities.

Throughout middle school and high school, much of it was the same. I continued to struggle academically and was not involved in any after-school activities. I disliked school, but I pushed through and earned grades that were sufficient for graduation. I wanted a better life for myself, so I applied for college. One of the reasons UMass Dartmouth became one of my choices was the research I did on the school. I knew I had not always excelled academically, and I felt that attending a university that offered strong academic support would give me the opportunity to improve and turn my grades around. I wanted a school that was still close to home so that my family could be there to support me and I wouldn't feel so alone. My experience in the College Now program helped me recognize my potential and the resources available to support my success.

Through this program, I grew from a struggling student academically to an average-performing student. In high school I truly believed that I could be nothing more than a D- student, This program helped me see things from a new perspective.I used to think that college would be too difficult, that I would have to handle everything on my own, and that I might fail in my first semester, ultimately disappointing my family. I realized that I want a better life for myself and the chance to achieve more than my parents. At first, I was attending college primarily for my family, but now I understand the potential I have to pursue the life I’ve always dreamed of. When I first arrived, I chose to major in Criminal Justice because I wanted to work within the legal system. However, over the past semester, I’ve had time to reflect on my future, and I’m no longer certain that this is the right career path for me, as I don’t see myself pursuing that field
long-term. I just want to focus on my grades and finding something I have passion in doing as a career.

I want to help people. My early life was challenging, and as I’ve grown, I’ve come to understand how those experiences have shaped me and influenced the way I interact with the world.No matter what field I enter, I believe that if I haven’t positively impacted someone or left a lasting impression through my interactions with them, then I have not truly succeeded in my career.I come from a family full of nurses, teachers, and caregivers, and growing up, I saw how hard they worked and how much they cared for others. That really inspired me. All I want is to reach the same kind of success they have, and even go beyond that, by making a difference and leaving a positive mark wherever I can.