Aimee Navarro

When Aimee was just a toddler, she found herself leaving her home country of Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico, with her mother and sisters. Coming to the United States as a Spanish speaker was hard for Aimee. She remembers feeling different than everyone around her, due to the cultural barrier. Finding a welcoming community in the U.S. was no easy task for the Navarro family, but then they found Notre Dame.

As a fifth grader at Notre Dame Middle School, my peers were just like me. They were all Hispanic girls and for the most part we came from similar economic backgrounds.

Notre Dame became the community that Aimee was searching for. It was comforting to be surrounded by girls who were just like herself.

Notre Dame gave Aimee the opportunity to showcase her talents and embrace her culture in a safe and comforting environment. “Little did I know that by the time we graduated and went on to high school, we would all be individuals whose talents would be uniquely showcased.” Teachers, tutors, and volunteers ensured that the students were involved in the school and community, allowing them to form relationships with the staff and the other families.

Aimee was able to carry the talents and skills that she developed at NDMS into high school and eventually college. By forming relationships with local organizations, such as the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee, and keeping the relationships that she developed at Notre Dame, Aimee found the resources that she needed to be successful and go to college.

“As an undocumented, underprivileged woman, college seemed out of reach. I did not limit myself to what the statistics said I could accomplish; instead, I listened to the people who encouraged me every day.” Now Aimee attends Marquette University with a full-tuition scholarship, and she is ready to enter the professional world very soon.