The past ten years have been a roller-coaster in every sense of the word. I have had high and lows. I’ve been terrified and thrilled. Through out these ten years I have learned, lived, and lost so much. These years were filled with adventure, heartbreak, success, failure, growth and so many other things.
There were so many lessons learned each of them very valuable. I am so happy to see how far I have come and how I have grown emotionally, intellectually and in all aspects of life. I would have never imagined accomplishing all that I have, losing all that I have… Losing myself close to the point of no return but then picking myself up and choosing to be resilient.
Embracing everything that was thrown my way. The good, the bad, and the ugly and learning from it all.
This decade broke me in order to make me the person I was afraid to be, but nonetheless the person I needed to be, the person I was destined to be.
Thank you to all my friends and family that have been with me every step of the way. Encouraging me and believing in me, when I was unable to believe in myself.
I could not have made it through the decade with out you all.
Always,
Analucy
2009
Began high school at Eleanor Roosevelt in Greenbelt MD. Overwhelmed because I did not know anyone.
2009
2010
My father Juan Aristides Benavides Navarrete (center) gathered his friends and families and formed the Home Town Association (HTA) of Comite La Estrechura Maryalnd.
2012
Graduated from ERHS with Honors becoming the first in my family to graduate from High School.
2012
Received a scholarship and acceptance letter to Syracuse and UMD. Decided to stay local and attend UMD for undergrad.
2014
April 26th 2014. Maryland Day. This was the last picture I ever took with my father. Later that evening he hemorrhaged and remained on life support until May 6th 2014. He was then taken to El Salvador for his burial.
2014
September 2014. Four months after my father passed my maternal grandfather came to the States to visit. It was the last time he visited he passed away four days after his arrival in Maryland.
2015
In 2015 I traveled so much. From Central America to the Caribbean and back, to the Iberian peninsula and southern part of central Europe.Meet so many amazing people. These trips changed my life completely and helped shape me.
2016
Graduated from UMD with a BA in Government and Politics
2016
My wittle baby came home. Leslie got King and he stole our hearts and money.
2017
The community center my father envision when he created the HTA was finally constructed and named after him.
2017
My little sister graduated high school. Overcoming so many obstacles and tribulation.
2017
Participated in the My Sister City Pageant in the DMV representing my fathers hometown of La Estrechura, Chirilagua, San Miguel, El Salvador and won. Taking on a social project to reduce the gender inequality in education.
2018
Partnered up with the FLAVOR of the DMV. ADOBO. Daniel and Walter helped me by co hosting an event to raise the last of the money needed to finish my project and change the out houses in a school to flushable bathrooms.
2018
Partnered with Washington Adventist University’s ENACTUS program in order to bring development and health awareness to my dad’s hometown in El Salvador.
2019
Ventured out and helped my mom create Tia Chingona. A carry out like food stand in Hyattsville MD. That makes the BEST pupusas in the DMV.
2019
Took a leap of faith at attended Coco Rocha’s Model Camp in New York. After the program I was transformed into a more confident force to reckoned with. Making new friends in the process.
2019
After 12 years we said goodbye to the first family fur baby. Wiley wiley wiley.
