The inspiring story of the immigrant woman graduate of the university with her daughter

After 20 years in Colombia looking for new opportunities, Sandra Murillo realized two of her dreams at the same time: finish a university career and see your graduate daughter.

She is 46 years old and her daughter Katherine López Murillo is 25 years old. They finished their higher education together. But the way to achieve his goals was not easy.

In 1996, after a divorce, Sandra left Colombia and traveled to the United States to start a new life. He was fighting for the custody of his daughter, so he had to leave Katherine, 2 years old, in his home country. .

America arrived with only one suitcase of clothes, USD 1,000 and without any knowledge of the English language. He took language clbades for two years. It was complicated, and although he did everything possible to stay positive, when he saw the future I thought I was very far away from getting a university degree.

Meanwhile, he had several jobs to survive and study a preparation program for the attention of the medical badistant. He always had the idea to work so he could bring his daughter with her.

And it was so. In 2006, just before Katherine López Murillo was 12 years old, the two Colombians met in the United States. They moved to New Jersey to build their lives together. While taking care of her daughter as a single mother, Sandra worked and studied.

Enrolled in an badociate degree program at a local community college while her daughter was still in high school, then went on to baccalaureate at William Paterson in 2016.

He always tried to convince his daughter that life was very difficult without studies, so he pushed her to go to school. However, before entering the university, Katherine decided that continuing her studies was not her business.

She started working in the cosmetology sector and although she believed that her life would be, seeing that her mother was going to continue her studies, she felt inspired. "When my mother is registered, I thought: okay, if she does, I have to do it too."

So they studied together at the University of New Jersey. Sandra Murillo graduated from public health, while Katherine López Murillo in criminology."I thank God every day for having given me strength and for having given this wonderful girl who was with me during the difficult times, and for making this more special because it's a good thing. she is finishing her studies with me. "Murillo said at the university in a press release.