Isabella grew up in Estado de Mexico, the middle sibling among nine children. As her parents didn’t bring in much money, Isabella spent much of her childhood working long hours at her family’s grocery store in an attempt to help make ends meet. However, despite her efforts to assist with the business, she was often overlooked as her parents struggled to balance their parental duties with their business workload. Even with all of the family around her, Isabella never felt she was appreciated beyond being a number in the headcount or a member of the workforce. That was, until she met the boy from the auto shop next door.

He seemed to find any excuse to visit the store when Isabella was working, making frequent, seemingly needless purchases as a thinly veiled attempt to spend more time with her. While she was at first put off by his frequent and awkward attempts at sparking conversation, she began to admire his tenacious nature. Rain or shine, he would be there, checking in on her when everyone else was too busy. For the first time, Isabella felt truly special; he wanted her and her alone.

The pair began dating at age 22. They shared dreams and ambitions with one another, planning out their future and hoping to make something of themselves—to end the ceaseless cycle of barely scraping by and overlooking of things that matter most in life. They wanted to leave the country, and move to the United States where it was said that everyone had a chance to live a life of wealth and prosperity. In order to achieve their goal, they started saving a little each month. Bit by bit, they stashed away pesos until they had finally saved enough for the monumental move.

At age 20, the pair left Mexico, entering the United States with little more than a few years’ worth of savings and a rusty SUV. They were ready to embrace their future with open arms. However, the reality they encountered was far harsher than the dreams they had woven together. Despite their best efforts, stable work proved elusive, and their meager savings dwindled with alarming speed. Things were growing desperate, and just as they were reaching the end of their savings, Isabella became sick. She was pregnant.

That night—in the cramped, dimly lit motel room they had been calling home—her boyfriend held her close, whispering promises of perseverance and resilience into her ear, assuring her they would face whatever came their way together. But come morning, she awoke to an empty bed. Isabella was abandoned, pregnant, and utterly alone in a foreign land.

Through tears, Isabella kept moving forward, not only for herself but for the life she was preparing to bring into the world. If the world wouldn’t offer her a job, she would create one for herself. She traveled from bank to bank, city to city, pitching her business idea again and again only to face rejection after rejection. It seemed the whole world was against her until finally, a small Santa Fe bank recognized her relentless spirit and granted her a sizable loan. With determination in her heart, Isabella transformed an old, abandoned factory building into her dream business: an artisanal bakery. While it would never make her rich, her business was a local success.

Just two weeks later, Isabella gave birth. She held her baby boy tightly in her arms, quietly promising that she would never let him go through what she went through. He would never feel unloved, he would never be abandoned—because she would be with him every step of the way. Together, they would get through it all. After enduring so much, Isabella finally found home.