Isabella Raczynski - “My Guiding Mentor” [Martha Raczynski

My Guiding Mentor

Throughout our lifetimes, we’ve all had so many people inspire us. They motivate us to be the best person we can be. Throughout all 16 years of my life, I’ve had one constant supporter and inspiration, my mom. My mom always told me I could be anything I wanted to be and be who I wanted to be; she filled our house with love and music, and as she’s guided me through my 16 years of life, I began to realize that I wanted to be just like her when I grew up. My mom, Martha, was born in Bogota, Colombia, and never had much when she was growing up. Her biological mother abandoned her at a young age, and her biological dad died when she was 19 from brain cancer. Ever since she was a young girl, she would live with her grandma, and eventually moved in with her aunt and cousin. She would usually end up sharing many things with her cousin, Sonia, until my mom was old enough to start working and earn her own income. My mom started to make her own money from working at Coca-Cola as a teenager, and eventually when she graduated from high school, she got accepted and graduated from the two most prestigious universities in Colombia: Universidad de la Salle, where she graduated as an economist, and Universidad de Los Andes, where she specialized in programs. From there she began working at the contractship for three years, until she decided to emigrate to the United States. After packing her bags and moving to Vero Beach, Florida, my mom arrived in the United States in April 2001. She began living with her aunt while working as a maid for my godparents. It was my godfather who suggested that she move away from Vero Beach to fulfill her dream: to learn English and start a family. Taking the advice, my mom moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but now “I wish I would have been more mature and given my decisions more thought.” In Milwaukee, my mom ended up meeting my dad when he was going to Marquette University where they fell in love. Within that same year, they moved to Carter Lake, Iowa, where they got married on Sept. 27, 2003. Almost two years later, I was born, but my parents and I ended up moving to Omaha when I was 6 so that I could get a better education and have a better life. “The day you were born was the most impactful day of my life,” she told me.”It taught me not to take the special moments for granted. Becoming a mom taught me to love kids even more, understand them, but also make them understand that as a parent, I was once in their position, too.” As soon as we were fully moved into our house, my mom was offered a position as a paraprofessional at Jackson Elementary. Whenever I didn’t have school, I would go to work with her and help out with the kids; those days sparked my love for children. Eventually, my mom got transferred to Gilder Elementary, where she currently works, but now as a bilingual liaison she has been at Gilder for the past five years. My mom loves what she does, which is what inspired me to pursue my own passions. “The thing that motivates me the most is helping others and seeing the outcome of it along with people’s compassion towards me.” My mom loves seeing her kids smile and watching them start to grow as people. “It pays off after hearing all the parents call me and talk about their kid now” she said.After coming to the United States my mom said she has learned to respect other cultures and their differences, along with being more open minded towards them, especially since my dad is an immigrant from Poland. Even though she is happy where she is now in life, she still misses lots of things from Colombia. Colombia and the United States are different in many ways. In Colombia, “people seem much more caring. People here in the United States are much more distant.” She says that “the cultures are also completely different, with different festivities, food, and even the way people dress.” My mom’s favorite tradition is novenas: which are gatherings for nine days straight where we pray and then have a party afterwards until Christmas Day. She hopes that I pass this tradition on to my kids, along with teaching them Spanish and Colombian culture. My Colombian culture has always been a part of who I am, and I am so thankful that my mom has passed it onto me. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve wanted to be just like my mom. She’s taught me to stand up for myself, pursue my passions and dreams, and that I deserve nothing but the best. I strive to be like her when I’m older, to make her proud and to continue empowering my family for generations to continue. I’m so grateful for my mom to this day, and I always will be. Because

By J1 Reporter Isabella Raczynski

of her, I am the woman I am today, and she has made me become the best version of myself. For that, I owe everything to my mom and hope that my kids will learn to value her as much as I have.

“The day you were born was the most impactful day of my life. It taught me not to take the special moments for granted.” - Martha Raczynski

Isi Raczynski and her mom, Martha, in Pueblito Boyacense on November 21, 2021.