Learning has no age

On a warm summer day, enjoying the radiance of the sun and the blessings of Mother  Nature, I was reflecting on a meaningful conversation I had with my late grandmother: “Granddaughter, never take your education for granted. If only I were in your shoes.”   

Such deep and wise words from a resilient woman born in Puerto Rico in the 1920s and who obtained only an eighth-grade education. In the present time, I often play that conversation in my mind because I found her insight to be powerful. Her strong interest in higher learning is the reason why I decided to go back to community college even though I had dropped out a few times, and why I eventually decided to pursue interdisciplinary studies at UMass.  

 As someone who has worked different jobs over the years and never had a concrete plan, it felt impossible to attain a degree. When I decided to reenroll and return to community college for the third time, it was before the pandemic, and I encountered some delays. I had to write a letter to get readmitted, and I couldn’t register for any courses until the following semester. And then, of course, came the obstacle of how I would pay for it. It became apparent that there was a cycle that wanted to repeat itself. Maybe it’s generational and due to a lack of resources—neither of my parents went to college.  

My late father was an immigrant from Dominican Republic, and my mother migrated to the United States from Puerto Rico. Neither of them grew up with access to higher education. Having better circumstances felt like a challenging, wild dream. But I took a great leap of faith and determined to change my outcome. 

I remember walking down those halls at the community college, where my destiny felt like a gamble, but I was ready to take a risk. What encouraged me to take another bet on myself was the idea of future students looking back at my journey and gaining tenacity.   

Completing the first phase of my educational journey was both difficult and fulfilling. Never, in a million years, had I imagined getting my associate degree in liberal arts. Growing up, I always had an admiration for creative fields such as journalism, music, and filmmaking. Art was something my grandmother and I would often disagree about. As an orphan child who struggled with financial instability throughout her life, she thought it was risky for me to pursue a creative career. Having a traditional job at an office was a safer route. As I got older, I understood that her outlook came from good intentions. My grandmother wanted to protect me, and she was uneducated on how talents can be turned into a side hustle or profession.

Now, at UMass, in this new phase of my studies, I’ve been able to rediscover myself and set the tone for my future. Being in the interdisciplinary program gives me the opportunity to study more than one concentration. I still have flexibility, like I did at the community college, and I can grow at my pace. I’m a firm believer that education doesn’t have an expiration date; learning has no age.

My goals and ambitions have shifted. My motivation used to be finding a stable job, having a nice salary, and defeating the cycle of poverty. Now it is about finding purpose and using my education as a tool to make a positive impact in my community. For example, mental health struggles are something a lot of people in my life have to deal with. Especially coming from a low-income household, money can be stressful and kill your drive and ambition. If I wasn’t persistent, I wouldn’t have persevered through many storms. I want to connect with individuals who want to break barriers in educational systems because I believe that unity is the key to change in our society. By coming together and collaborating, we can open locked doors.

I want to be the individual that motivates someone to say no to limitations. There will always be times of uncertainty, doubts, and setbacks, and we don’t have to have everything figured out. Failure happens, but success is possible. The truth is, we are students of life. I want you to know it’s okay to make mistakes. You can create your own unique story. 

Be yourself. Be authentic.

Chabelli Hernandez ’26 is from Lowell, Massachusetts. Under the pen name Latina Bohemian, her creative work has been featured in Tell Digital Literary Magazine, Worcester Magazine, Cape Cod Times, and Mill Pages Magazine. As a child, her interest and passion for the arts became a great outlet for expression. A proud alumnus of Bunker Hill Community College, she graduated with an associate degree in liberal arts. Now at UMass Amherst enrolled in the Interdisciplinary Studies program, her goal is to inspire future students that it is never too late to attain higher education.