From Egg Factory to College
Money was an issue throughout my entire childhood. My mother relied on welfare and family assistance to feed my 3 brothers and me. Due to unpaid bills, it was common for lights, gas, and water to shut off at my house. At times, my family could barely afford food to feed us. I quickly learned how important money was to survive—and I learned that our current systems often fail the families who are working the hardest just to keep the lights on.
When you live in poverty, especially at a young age, you start believing at some point that is where you belong. Even after my earlier accomplishments, including my teen nightclub event business, I continued the life I thought was made for me: hard labor. While I dreamed of one day creating another business, I opted to work at an egg factory as my first job.
The egg factory was brutal, consisting of 12-hour workdays without 1 second wasted. I lifted 50-pound boxes every 5 seconds each day without breaks. The walls and floors were rusted, and the facility was kept cold to preserve our egg stock. Most of my co-workers were undocumented and were taken advantage of by a system that too often treats labor as a disposable commodity. I saw firsthand how people were being exploited, with many only working for a short period of time because they would get hurt.
This made me realize that while I am a proponent of business efficiency, it should never come at the cost of breaking the human beings who do the work. When workers are hurt for short-term gain, it leaves those who are dependent on hard labor unable to work due to injuries encountered from such overworking. Ultimately, this creates a limited workforce and increases the cost of our social programs, taking away any gains the business had. It is a very cheap, short-sighted way of doing business in our economy. These conditions made me realize the urgent need for worker unions and strong representation to protect our community from being treated as disposable.
I was required to work several 16-hour shifts during the 2012 Christmas holiday or risk losing my job. It would be a lie if I said this was easily doable; I cried once because of the brutal work conditions. It was like I was living in a different country. Still, I persevered and continued working to support my family. I have always been driven by a relentless work ethic, and I have the proven ability to lead and perform under the harshest conditions.
As an aspiring 18-year-old, I attempted to find opportunities within the egg factory. First, I identified high-ranking personnel that was easily reachable. Second, I made attempts to connect with them. I remember arriving at the egg factory with craze looks when I wore professional attire; I wanted to make a great first impression on my bosses. I wish I could say I was successful with my attempt, but I was not. I failed to receive a job offer for an office-related position.
12-hour workdays consist of two half-hour lunches and three 10-minute breaks. I spent all my available break time reading college-level business textbooks. I was adamant that greater opportunities existed out in the world. I learned a lot about myself during these industrious days. My biggest realization was that I did not want to work as a hard labor worker for the rest of my life. This led me to consider how we can reform our economy so that hard work leads to real mobility for everyone.
A year earlier, at age 17, I started reading business textbooks. I used to beg my mother to make trips to the public library so I could read their business books. Textbooks were my first and only choice because they contained thorough information. As I explored opportunities, textbooks led me to consider a college education. I was fascinated by the idea of receiving business lectures from a professor. I was ready to challenge my business understanding.
I eagerly signed up for college. After signing up, my only step left was taking a placement exam. Unfortunately, the exams were only available in person during my shift hours. This required me to get creative with my planning. So one day, during my second lunchtime, I ran from the egg factory to college. My lunchtimes were only 30 minutes long. Sprinting was my only option. I vividly remember my placement exam; my clothes were covered in eggs, I was sleepy, and my fingers shook due to my day-long workday. I wasted no time and took the test as fast as possible. That was the start of my college career.
I was born into a life full of obstacles, but I always felt that there was more out there. You could call me overly optimistic or refer to me as someone with false hope. Although I faced these obstacles, they never stopped me from aspiring for something greater—and they are exactly why I am fighting to ensure the “Blue-Collar Scholars” of our community finally get the respect and the opportunities they have earned.