09/11/2026
I have never shared my personal experience of September 11, 2001.
But 25 years later, it still hits just as hard.
We all remember where we were 25 years ago when we watched the news unfold on September 11, 2001.
I was 17, already enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, and waiting to ship off to boot camp in March 2002.
That day, my older brother came home from work and begged me not to go to boot camp.
Not sure if he was trying to scare me out of going but I remember him telling me, “If you go now, you’re definitely going to war.”
At 17 years old and without hesitation, I proclaimed:
“I KNOW!!! Now they HAVE to take me!”
🇺🇸🫡🙋🏻♀️
I didn’t enlist for college money.
I didn’t enlist for the uniform.
I enlisted to honor my parents, their hard work, their sacrifices, and their pursuit of the American Dream for their children.
I wanted to serve the country that had given our family the opportunity to build that dream.
To this day, I carry that same gratitude, responsibility, and commitment to serve.
Today, we remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001, the families forever changed, and those who answered the call to serve—our first responders and our military.
Proud to be Mexican-American Dream. 🇺🇸🫡🇲🇽
