When Alexia Cisneros was five years old, she wanted a stethoscope for her birthday. At nine, she cured herself of the chickenpox, and at eleven she knew she wanted to be a pediatrician. “If you ask me how many Barbie dolls I used as practice dummies for my surgeries, you would be surprised,” Alexia said. “Ever since I could remember I’ve wanted to be a doctor.” However, when Alexia turned 17 she was hospitalized for major depression disorder.

“The summer before my junior year was the hardest time of my life,” Alexia said. “I was so involved in school and in my community. I was trying to get everything perfect for college.” Alexia spent the summer before her junior year taking two college classes, working at a restaurant, volunteering at a daycare and being involved with different student organizations.

Alexia’s mother, Blanca Cisneros, believes her daughter had put too much on her plate. She said she rarely had a conversation longer than five minutes. Cisneros said her daughter was always busy with something, but was worried this time it would be too much.

Alexia said her schedule was so tight that two months after her junior year began that she collapsed. “I was in a study group for the SAT and all of a sudden I started crying,” she said. “I think I cried for seven hours straight. I couldn’t control it. At one point, I started yelling. It was an explosion — I had hit rock bottom.”

Blanca Cisneros took her daughter to the local medical center and they admitted her right away. After several psychological tests, the doctor diagnosed Alexia with a depression disorder.“When they said she was depressed, I thought they made a mistake,” Blanca Cisneros said. “My daughter has never been sad or upset, she was always happy.” Blanca said the doctor explained that stress in females and in college-ready students can lead to depression.

Blanca Sanchez-Navarro, Supervising Counselor at Texas State University, added stress is the number one concern for students in college or getting ready to go to college. “There’s rarely one thing that can help with stress, but I can tell you to breathe and it actually can make a different and breathe well,” Sanchez- Navarro said.

Alexia said it took her several hours, but she crossed off many items off her laundry list of to-dos. After being hospitalized for eight days, she  went home and focused on her SAT and nothing else. By cutting back on her commitments and not overextending herself, she was able to de-stress. “It’s weird not being as busy as before, but I have learned how to control my stress and know what is too much for me.”

Many Latina women struggle with being able to relate to the “sassy, sensual, hot-tempered and street smart Latina” mold portrayed by the media. As a Latina woman, I have never quite fit into that mold and often wondered about the existence of Latina role models.

Where Are the Latina Role Models?:
There are still many stereotypical Latina characters in mainstream media. Originally I felt like America Ferrera’s character in Ugly Betty spoke to me, but felt like most of the  humor in the show was at her expense. Despite being a writer, I could not connect with her and didn’t really want to. She did eventually work her way to the top, but I felt like I was left wanting. This experience has happened many times with other young Latina characters. Many of them often miss the mark. I was looking for someone to look up to and say “I want to be her when I grow up!” That aha! moment seemed to happen when I watched the pilot of 30 Rock.

My Role Model is Not Latina:
I related more to characters like Liz Lemon on 30 Rock. Liz Lemon’s humor is more easily identified and even a bigger part of her personality. She is quite sardonic and at times self-deprecating. I genuinely felt like I could relate to her flaws and her vices such as stress eating. In the pilot Jack, Liz’s future boss, describes Liz Lemon as a “New York third-wave feminist, college-educated, single-and-pretending-to-be-happy-about-it, over-scheduled … [person who] buy[s] any magazine that says ‘healthy body image’ on the cover and every two years [takes up] knitting for…a week.” I felt as if he described me as well. Something inside me connected to the socially inept comedy writer. Seeing a strong female character who I can relate to was inspiring for me.

Be Your Own Role Model:
Sometimes, we have to be the pioneers to encourage others to follow their dreams. Our role models can be of a different ethnicity, gender, or sexuality than us. The first woman astronaut in space, Valentina Tereshkova, did not have a fellow woman to look up to that was in the field she aspired to be in.  Lack of role models did not stop her and she achieved her dreams and she became a role model for future aspiring female astronauts.

Choosing a Role Model:
It is unfortunate that we still do not have the variety of Latina characters on television to look up to; however, do not let that stop you from looking to women you know in real life. It may be your mother, sister, aunt, grandmother or small business owner you know across the street. You can have more than one role model and not all of them have to resemble your outer shell. Sometimes you just have to pick out the best qualities of the best women you know and make them a part of your own. You might be a role for someone else by using the characteristics from YOUR role models.

Hope for the Future:
You may be a big-shot lawyer one day, a best selling author, a politician or even an astronaut. The point is to never let lack of representation affect your lack of ambition. You might even pave the way for feature generations of Latinitas as the first female or Latina in your chosen field. The world needs more people achieving their true potential and if that means expanding your pool of role models, then in the mean time, so be it!

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) topics are hot button issues. Despite the controversy, LGBT stereotypes are important and growing issues for teen girls. Many realize what they like and who they like at a young age, like I did, but it can also take a while for others to accept it. On T.V and in movies, little girls are portrayed dreaming of  Prince Charming. Even though some of them would prefer Princess Caring.   I have seen my teen peers not take a girl seriously when she admits she is a lesbian or bisexual. It is taken as a joke. They see this as being a “phase” that they will soon outgrow.   This is a story that I know all too well, since it has happened to me.

Nonetheless, I just want to applaud the open minded and accepting people who do not see homosexuality as a bad thing. After all, love is love. For the girls out there who feel pressured or are afraid to let people know their “secret,” just know that you are not alone. Some girls are also the victims of bullying and teasing because of who they love. Don’t let people’s cruel and insensitive remarks discourage who you are. You are who you are! Most importantly, do not let religious people try to convince you that you are going to burn in hell because you like the same sex. Just because there was an Adam and Eve, doesn’t mean there would be anything wrong with a Madam and Eve.

Fighting LGBT  Stereotypes and Lesbian Myths:

1. Lesbians are only for the bedroom.
You see, when some guys think of lesbians, they think of them as sleazy. The media has sexualized lesbians by making it seem as though they are sex objects. This is a disgraceful stereotype! Lesbians are intelligent, hardworking, women, mothers, daughters and sisters.  They deserve the same respect as anyone else on this planet.

2. Single or not interested? She must be a lesbian.
Nowadays, people tend to believe that girls “become” lesbians because they simply cannot get a boyfriend. How disgusting is that? Society has led many of us to believe that we are automatically supposed to like boys. Then, when a lesbian refuses a guy’s gestures, she is put down for it or is taken as a joke. So being rejected by a guy or having the fear of being rejected by a guy would cause a life changing experience? WRONG! No means no, why should we be made fun of for it?

3. All lesbians dress like men.
Another absurd generalization with lesbians is the clothing. Some people believe that if you are a lesbian, then you are automatically a ‘butch’ and will proceed to dress like a guy or want to imitate a guy. Ignorance is a powerful thing, isn’t it? You cannot make generalizations like this. There are billions of people in this world. We are all not the same. We are not going to have the same styles or same attitudes. A girl could look “perfectly straight” and be a lesbian. The same with men, a man could look perfectly straight and still love men.

LGBT Support:

There is never a specific reason as to why girls are lesbians. It just happens and it can be beautiful. Girls, just believe in yourselves. You have the right to find any kind of happiness. Most importantly, don’t let anyone tear you down or make you feel like an object or less than a human. If you are having trouble with your sexual orientation, I am sure there is someone out there that you can reach out to for guidance. Someone is always there when you’re in your time of need, I can assure you.

A Latinita shares her thoughts on strict anti-immigration laws being put into place in states like Arizona, Virginia, Idaho and Alabama.

New laws are requiring police to arrest anyone they believe is residing in this country illegally. States are having problems with the rise of immigrants entering the country. They believe that passing this law is the solution, but it doesn’t end there.  These laws apply to students as well. School officials are forced to check the immigration status of their students. This means that students that are not legal residents of the United States could be charged with a crime.

There are plenty of reasons to why this law is cruel and unfair, it obviously violates human rights. The fact that toddlers could be denied the right to attend elementary school is baffling.

Suppose someone you knew had entered the country as an undocumented immigrant, and they were not going to school because of the fear of getting called into the principal’s office. No child should be denied the right to an education. The states that are passing these laws have seen no better way to stop the immigrants from coming in to the United States.

The Alabama Attorney General argues that a significant amount of the state’s prison population is made up of “illegal aliens.” According to him, the illegal immigrants are taking away job opportunities from the documented U.S. citizens. The economy is suffering, but are the immigrants really the reason there are no jobs in this country? Give it a thought. Why are people complaining that there are no jobs because of illegal aliens, when they are only four percent of the state population?

A common myth whispered by all that support this law is that it is believed that immigrants do not pay taxes. If it were true, this would be unfair…but it is simply a misconception. Of course, immigrants pay taxes. Although they do not have a social security number they can have an ITIN number. When they receive a paycheck, taxes have already been taken out. The supporters of this HB-56 law believe that they are not paying for the education of their children because they do not pay taxes. Education is actually funded by tax receipts that come from beer, sales and utility.

Immigrants do pay taxes and are contributing to the state in one way or another. U.S. citizens are protesting that they have no jobs because the illegal immigrants are the ones being hired. There are plenty of job positions available that would much rather hire legal citizens, yet these people are wasting their time protesting when they should be filling out job applications.

Car crashes are the number one killer of teens.  Eight teens a day are killed in car crashes reports the Center for Disease Control. In 2000 alone, 4,877 teen deaths were the result of preventable crashes according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). We ask ourselves, “How can we stop this? What must we do?” Let me tell you the only person who can change the number of teenage deaths due to car accidents is you. Behind the wheel you have a very big responsibility. Some of the many dangers for teen drivers are driving at night, different distractions, speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, and driving under the influence.

Driving At Night:
I will start with the first danger, driving at night. Many teenagers in the U.S. start driving at the age of 16, when they are sophomores or juniors in high school. As a 16 year old junior in high school myself, I know it is very dangerous to drive at night, especially alone. According to the Texas Transportation Institute, this is the leading cause of teen driving dangers due to factors like visibility challenges and slower response time because of fatigue. Your life is in your hands. Driving at night, particularly to somewhere you aren’t familiar with, can lead to accidents. If you are driving at night, it would be so much safer to drive with an adult.

Distracted Driving:
This is a big cause of car accidents in our society. Some distractions may be texting, making calls, changing the radio, applying make-up, eating or reaching for something. By doing any one of these distractions, you may see your life flash before you if you are not careful. Using your cell phone while driving should be the least of your worries. If it is that necessary to use your phone, then pull off to the side and turn on your emergency lights. A report on t-driver.org found texting and driving causes reaction time to double and those drivers have a harder time staying in their lane and maintaining a consistent speed. Also changing the radio is not that important, so why risk it? Ladies, I know we are very concerned on how we look, but doing your make-up in your car is ridiculous. I mean it can wait until you arrive to your destination. Eating is also a big leading cause. Just get the food to go and eat it when you get home. I mean it is not going anywhere. These are just a few of the many distractions that can occur while driving.

Speeding:
Another danger would be speeding. Many teens my age are into racing on the freeway. Racing is not to be done on city streets. Racing with your friends does not make you or your car look cool. You can have a serious accident by speeding. Your destination is not going anywhere, so you should drive carefully.

Not Wearing a Seat Belt:
The fourth danger is not wearing a seat belt. Safety belts save over 13,000 lives every year reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A safety belt is your best and last protection if you are in an accident. I don’t understand why it is so hard to put on a seat belt in a vehicle. It is there for you safety.

Driving Under the Influence:
Last but not least is the danger of driving under the influence. Drinking and driving is the number one reason teens have accidents. Just because you are at a party and everyone else is drinking doesn’t mean you should too. Don’t follow the crowd, be a leader. If someone offers you a drink tell them, “No thanks, I am driving.” “No” is not a hard word to say. Designated drivers save lives. If one of your friends is drinking, be a designated driver or call them a cab.  By participating in any of these dangers your life can change in the blink of an eye. You are responsible for everyone and everything inside the vehicle.

When you are driving ask yourself, “is this worth it?” Do not risk your life for something so simple. The number of teens that are dying can change. Only teenagers can make the difference.You can make the change by driving safely and encouraging your friends to make driving decisions too.  For every American teenager killed in a car crash, about 100 more are injured. Why be that teen? Stand up and make a difference today.