Chansocphentra Salcido '20

Chansocphentra Salcido, a senior at Our Lady of Mercy, never thought her dreams of attending college and becoming a conceptual artist would ever become a real possibility. Even though she is exceedingly bright, ‘Pat’ struggled in her elementary school. She found it difficult to interact with her classmates who did not share her passion for study. Pat turned inward. She kept to herself and huddled close to her books, and in the process, became increasingly introverted. Pat truly believed her life’s goals were never going to be realized.

That all changed when she entered sixth grade at Mercy. For the first time, Pat was surrounded by classmates who shared her thirst for knowledge. Who supported each other. Who were motivated to achieve great things. Little by little, Pat drew inspiration from others around her. Her creative nature flourished. The shy girl who never thought life would ever be different found herself making friends, participating in class, singing in the school musical, and building robots. Pat’s future is as bright as her smile – and if you ask Pat, she now has a lot to smile about.