Maria Maqueda

WIC PROGRAM

My name is Maria Maqueda, and I was born and raised in the Bronx. My parents migrated
from Mexico to give us a better life. I always dreamed of becoming a teacher, but life had
other plans. I became pregnant at 20 and had to drop out of college during my second
semester. For years, I thought that dream was over. I didn’t believe I’d ever go back. I felt too old, too far behind. When I returned to college at 30 and saw others older than me pursuing their goals, something shifted inside me.

I have three beautiful children, two boys and a girl. They are my everything. When I
had my oldest, I started coming to MHHC for the WIC program. I didn’t know much about
breastfeeding, but they educated and supported me without judgment. I always felt respected and welcomed.

During a very dark time, I left a domestic violence situation. I had a four-month-old baby,
mounting bills, and no clear plan. Then I got a call from WIC asking if I was interested in a peer counselor position. I was shocked. I only had a high school diploma and didn’t think I was qualified, but they believed in me and offered to train me. That job saved me. I was struggling financially and emotionally. MHHC gave me hope and a future. Jaimini, the WIC Director, became a mentor. She reminded me that despite the chaos in my personal life, my work ethic never faltered. She and my coworkers encouraged me to return to school and believed in me before I believed in myself. Becoming a peer counselor revealed my own strength. I was helping women navigate the same challenges I’d faced. We grew together. While I supported them, I was healing too. I realized I wasn’t alone, and neither were they.

Now, I work for the Department of Education and I’m back in school, studying Early
Childhood Education. I’m finally on the path I dreamed of years ago. When my kids ask where I work, I smile and say, “I work in a school.”

That’s my dream job, and I got here because of MHHC’s support.

My father passed away from COVID, so he won’t get to see me graduate. I do this for him, for my mom, and to show my kids what’s possible. My short-term goal is to finish my associate degree. Long term, I want my bachelor’s, then my master’s and I want to teach... If you’re going through something hard, please know this: anything is possible. Believe in yourself. Overcome the fear. Keep going. You are stronger than you know.