Vianey Garcia’s day doesn’t begin and end as so many students do. Waking up early to cross the border, then spending hours after school to teach English or volunteer and repeating the process are all part of a regular day for Garcia, where she will finish as a top-10 student, too.

“I was used to like another system like the Mexican education system where you have to do a lot of homework and sometimes we did not even have seats at school, it is very different but I liked it,” Garcia said.

Garcia, volunteers at the visitor center at Chamizal National Park for community service hours that were needed to graduate. Garcia usually goes her eighth period out and after school also.

Garcia, crosses the border to come to school because she was unable to stay in school in Mexico.

“In Mexico you have to pass a test in order to go to high school so I was going to pay for the test but I did not have the opportunity since I am a United States citizen, so if I wanted to take the test I had to be a double nationality, so that is why I had to come here,” Garcia said.

Garcia, also helps teach English to kids in Mexico and she enjoys it because she also learned English in Mexico. Garcia, feels sympathy for the kids because she knows how frustrating it can be when you are not improving. Garcia is impactful in kids lives as she is teaching them a new language which is beneficial to them.

“I feel like I am making an impact when students are not my students and they move to another level I feel proud whenever they come up to me and say they miss me as their teacher,” Garcia said.

Garcia’s days are usually busy without having any free time, but she enjoys it as it makes her days go by faster. Garcia, usually gets home at 9 p.m leaving the right amount of time for her to get everything done and continue the same routine the next day.