Yocemiht Torralba faced many challenges in getting her diploma. She had a baby as a freshman, but still finished her course work ahead of schedule. She received the Youth Challenge Award from the Rotary Club of Lynnwood, was named Student of the Quarter by the Snohomish Rotary Club, and won $1,500 in scholarships from Valley General Hospital and the Snohomish Education Foundation.
Q: How was your experience this senior year?
A: I took four classes at AIM High School, and I also took four-year course work to become a dental assistant at Sno-Isle Tech Skills Center in Everett. I had to study hard, and I finished Sno-Isle two weeks ahead of schedule and one week (ahead) from AIM.
Q: How are you feeling now that you graduated?
A: I am very happy with my accomplishments. I had to fight hard in my life to prove that I can get ahead. I needed help to study, so I put everything I had into learning English and Spanish.
Q: Why study more Spanish?
A: My parents told me to not only learn English, because if I have to go back to Mexico, no one is going to be translating for me, so I needed to learn both languages.
Q: What are your plans now that you have graduated?
A: I am looking into applying to Lake Washington Technical College. I want to become a dental hygienist and have my own office. One of the things I would like to do is help people, especially helping Hispanics by becoming a translator.
I even have taken my family and friends to dentist consults. I have a family, so I need a place where I can be flexible because I want to be with them. I currently volunteer as a dental assistant to get more experience at Clearview Family Dentistry in Snohomish.
Q: Was there any chance of you dropping out?
A: There was because of money. I don’t live with my parents. It was difficult to study and not work, but my husband, Miguel, told me not to stop. He knows I like studying, and that he was going to work for the both of us and not take me out of school.
Q: What do you do for fun?
A: I like to get together with my family. We either stay at home or go out. I also like running or to go walking.
Alejandro Dominguez: 425-339-3422; adominguez@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
