By: Luis Mirón / Special for Real America News 06 from January 2021
Series: ‘Odyssey of students with insecure housing: obtaining a degree when homeless’
Third of six articles:
Margot Rowe has 23 years, is a full-time student at California State University Northridge (CSUN) and has two jobs to pay for her education . When he left his parents’ house nine months ago due to the difficult relationship with his mother, he was forced to choose between continuing to study or being homeless. A support network of friends changed her situation.
The oldest of four siblings, Margot grew up in a mostly white Simi Valley suburb with a mother and father at home. Margot does not consider her family as poor, but neither does she consider them affluent.
The arguments between Margot and her mother started during their high school years and although things improved when they enrolled in community college, tensions at home escalated after enrolling at CSUN.
“My relationship with my parents is not as horrible as other people’s, but mostly my mother and I fought a lot and there were times when I didn’t want to go home, ”she explained.
Margot remembers that one of her jobs was at Freudian Sip, a cafe on campus from CSUN, where he often worked until one in the morning. When he returned home he used to wake his mother up, which led to fights. Some nights he slept in his car to avoid making a fuss and starting an argument.
“I saw the pattern so many times that I did not want to live it again, so I decided to leave,” said the young woman.
She took the difficult decision to leave home, even though what he earned was nowhere near what he would need for the rent (about $ 600 per month), college costs (about $ 4, 000 per semester), transportation and food. Still, she hoped that becoming independent would improve her relationship with her mother.
“I didn’t tell my mom that I was leaving until three days before, and she didn’t take it very well”, She added.
Without support from her friends, Margot says she would have been left homeless or living in her car. Just when the confinement of the pandemic began, she went to live with her best friend. In return, she bought food for the family and did housework. He lived in the family’s guest room but did not have space for all his belongings.
“He only had two boxes of things and he lived on those two boxes,” he explains.
However, the young woman felt blessed to have had this help. Originally she was only going to stay a month, but due to the pandemic that month became seven months.
Currently, Margot lives with another friend and that friend’s father in a house that they rent. He has his own room and pays about $ 600 per month.
“Now, I’m trying to see how I’m going to make it more welcoming while supporting myself financially. stable, because buying furniture is expensive, ”she said.
Margot’s biggest challenge is staying motivated in her studies now that classes are online, while managing the stress of everything. what has happened to him in the last nine months.
“I’m in therapy now because of this. Not being on campus has exhausted me as if I’m not already exhausted enough. I’m completely empty by now, ”she said.
Thanks to the time they have been apart, Margot says that her relationship with her mother has improved. The two have begun to reconcile. In the meantime, thanks to her support group, she hasn’t had to choose between an education and a place to live.
These articles will be published in Real America News from January 4 to 9. You can also read them on the Internet at Real America News.com and in English at elnuevosol.net.
(Translation Patricia Ramos)
Luis Mirón
Luis Mirón is a Mexican journalist from California State University at Northridge. Her passion is telling the stories of people in her community who have no voice. In his third year at CSUN, he seeks to tell those stories in different multimedia formats, such as podcasts, documentaries, and photo galleries. Luis, being an immigrant himself, understands how important it is to give voice to the problems that his Latino community faces every day. His passion for soccer drew him into the world of journalism, but as he grew as a journalist, he fell in love with helping the voiceless in communities of color and sharing his struggle in a way to bring about change.