Who: Lyara Vidal Miranda

Grade: 11th

What is Hispanic Heritage Month? This is from September 15 – October 15  where people in the U.S recgonize hispanics that have made an impact in history.

Lyara grew up in Puerto Rico and moved to America around a very young age for a better life. Most of her family still lives in Puerto Rico. Lyara stated that this affects her because she’s unable to communicate with her family back home as often as she use to. Being from a different country affected her socially in school because a lot of people didn’t want to talk to her. Why? because she didn’t speak English properly and because she didn’t really fit in. She stated that she is more organized than she was back then and  now she speaks more fluent in English. She is excelling academically; she is dual enrolled at the Palm Beach State College and her message to encourage other students is to never give up on their dreams and never forget where they came from.

She stated “I remember when the hurricane hit Puerto Rico and I did not have communication with them [Lyara’s family], I was in a very hopeless mood. This affected my academic life because I had to leave class because I could not hold back my tears.” Hispanic Heritage Month means a lot to Lyara because it is a time where others get to learn about her culture. It is also a very sensitive time for her also because she’s away from her family and away from home. Lyara’s goal for everyone is to “never forget where they came from.”