Take a deep breath

Every day, there’s something new—another policy change, another crisis, another weight added to our shoulders. For my generation, the pressure feels relentless. I’m expected to carve out my own path, to navigate a world my parents never had the chance to explain to me. We are at the forefront of something bigger than ourselves yet, at times, it feels like we’re running without knowing where we’re going.

I, like most here at UTRGV, am a first-generation student. My mother didn’t have the chance to finish college. My grandmother never got the chance to go. I’m the first and I can’t help but feel the weight of that. These women gave me everything to make sure I could get here. I’m so grateful and I will never forget their sacrifices. But they could only get me so far before I reached a path they couldn’t help me navigate.

And that path is difficult. Every day, there’s a new story attacking someone I know and love. My friends are losing rights that should be protected. My brothers are trying to get through school with government help, uncertain of whether the aid will still be there. My family is trying to stay together despite policies that make them feel like outsiders in a place we’ve called home.

This isn’t just my experience—it’s the experience of so many of us. It all hits like a flurry of punches, one after another, while we struggle to stay on our feet without buckling. It feels impossible to keep up.

But we need to breathe.

We need moments where everything stops, when time freezes, even just for a second, so we can collect ourselves. Because if we don’t, we’ll burn out before we even make it to the future we’re fighting for. Taking a moment of peace isn’t weakness—it’s survival. It’s how we keep going when the world refuses to slow down for us.

Sometimes, that moment comes in the quiet walk to class before campus wakes up. Sometimes, it’s in the deep exhale after an exam or the sound of laughter between friends at the end of a long day. It’s in remembering why we’re here, why we’re fighting, and who we’re doing this for. We carry the dreams of our parents, our grandparents, our communities. But we also have to carry ourselves.

So, take a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. The world will keep spinning but, for just a moment, let it spin without you. And then, when you’re ready, step back in. There is still work to get done.