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Melinda is probably the most genuine person you could ever meet. When we partnered up for the “Humans of West” assignment, she wasn’t interested in the superficial things. She wanted to dive deeper and get to know each other as people instead of strangers. I learned that she values her family and friends. When asked what changed her life for the better, she responded with “my little brother”. She continued to say that her little brother looks up to her, and that she wants to be a good role model for him. You can tell how much she cares about the people around her. She even said that her grandparents are her biggest inspiration. They moved to America from Mexico. She explained to me how much courage and bravery that took, to raise ten kids in a whole new land they weren’t familiar with. They didn’t have much but put in the effort to give a foundation to their family. It was moving to see the appreciation Melinda had for them. She then went on to explain how racism has affected her life. After all her family has been through, and all the struggles she’s overcome its so unfortunate to hear people make jokes and comments about things they don’t know about. Sexism was also a huge struggle for her. Growing up and playing on an all boys soccer team had consequences I didn’t know about before speaking with her. She said how sexism was a huge aspect of it and really made her push herself to prove others wrong. She also mentioned how her childhood was tough because she didn’t have much, but she’s grateful for her loved ones. With one conversation with Melinda you can see how strong and courageous she really is. She has her struggles but she doesn’t let it stop her and I think we should all learn from her.