18 pennies…18 pennies…What could you do with 18 pennies?  Imagine that these pennies are the only amount of money you have to your name with no job or career.

I guess you could make 18 wishes at a wishing well if you believe in wishing wells, but then you’re penniless and the chances of those wishes coming true aren't very good.

Now I want you to honestly take a moment and think about what you could try and do to make a life with a mere 18 pennies.

The Journey

My father came to this country illegally, from Mexico many years ago, when he was just a teenager.  [Set aside whatever opinions you may have about immigration and listen to the real topic about this post.]  He had 18 pennies in his pocket and he thought he had a lot of money.  We all know having that amount, realistically, doesn't make us rich, and that 18 pennies seems almost meaningless.

When you see a penny on the ground, do you bend down and pick it up?  Most people probably wouldn't see that penny on the ground and those that may see the penny, don’t even bother to pick it up.

My dad dropped out of school after 6th grade to help support his family in Mexico.  Then he immigrated to a foreign country where he was “illegal,” lost, and didn't speak the native language.

The American Dream

It was going to take a lot of hard work for him to succeed.  Both my parents came to the United States to live “The American Dream,” and for my dad that meant doing so with little to no money to his name…literally!

For many years, my parents have worked long hours at a stressful and physically demanding job and somehow managed to go home and raise three kids.  This photography business is no exception to the lessons on the meaning of hard work that I learned from my parents.

Despite my father’s lack of “higher education,” I am proud to call him one of the smartest men I know and the reason why I work hard at everything I do in my life.  My father achieved “The American Dream!”  I see his success, the success by my mother and siblings, as well as my success in my career and education to be a substantial result of his hard work and passion to succeed in the United States.

First-Generation American

As a first-generation Mexican-American I have received my bachelor’s degree in Communication Emphasis in Radio/TV from Southwestern College and a Masters degree in Communication from Wichita State University.

I even played soccer at the collegiate level and I worked as a lecturer at Wichita State for five years where I taught Public Speaking.  At the same time, I was working my first photojournalist job at KAKE-TV, the ABC affiliate in Wichita, KS.

I now work for 41 Action News, the NBC affiliate, in Kansas City.  I have traveled the country for work covering tornadoes, disasters, politics, and even two Royals World Series trips. 

I will continue to add to my father’s success by continuing my career both in television news media as well as Giovanni Garcia Photography.  Although still a new business, Giovanni Garcia Photography derives from the lessons taught to me at a young age about passion, hard work, and a desire to avoid the word “can’t” in my daily vocabulary.

My father had a lot of dreams for himself and his family.  If my dad is reading this, “Dad, you are a great father and role model.  I want you to know that my achievements are yours as well mine, thank you!

Success

If you take anything away from this blog post I hope you take these last few words to heart.  Life can be hard, bitter, and at times downright mean.  There will be people in the world that are out to simply hold you back, but you can be strong.  It takes little effort to simply give up, but it takes a strong person to work hard and succeed.

Success can be measured in many forms, but to me it is measured by the 18 pennies in my pocket.  Never give up on your dreams and remember that you can do anything, even if you only have 18 pennies to your name.