Growing up as a little girl on the border of Mexico was a challenge. After my parents divorced, my mom faced the reality of raising two girls alone in Laredo, TX. Though she worked non-stop, our world was wrought with financial struggles, unstable living environments and constant evictions. Even as children, it was hard not to be cynical about our future when all my sister and I saw was despair. We had no idea how desperately we needed female role models who spoke of hope. Latina women who had made something of themselves and could say “If I did it, so can you.�

I’ll never forget the day I saw Nancy Lopez on TV. I was mesmerized. It was nearly impossible to believe that someone so much like me had chased her dreams and actually found them. I was great at sports and competition, so what was keeping me from doing the same thing? Nothing! I realized all I was missing was my own dream and the courage to pursue it. So, at 13, I walked away from smoking, drugs and skipping school and poured my energy into sports and an education. It was a proud day when I finally accepted my BS degree in Broadcast Design and Telecommunications 10 years later.
In 2008, I was compelled to write my own story of hope. As it unfolded, it occurred to me that I was only one woman.

Surely there were other Latinas out there who could inspire us with their struggles and achievements. Not one to walk away from a challenge, I set out to find them. It wasn’t an easy task. There were plenty of spammed emails, ignored friend requests and snubs from personal assistants. But in the end, I was given a glimpse into the lives of 32 remarkable women, from all over the country, who were brave enough to dream big. During my research, I stumbled onto the national statistics for Latinas, ages 13-21. They were shocking. High rates of teen pregnancies, attempted suicides, dropouts, the stats go on and on. That’s when I grasped how vital it was to give our young Latina girls something to hope for. A reason to dream big and believe they could succeed.

A year later, I am honored to share our stories with you. My new book is called Aim High: Extraordinary Stories of Hispanic and Latina Women. It offers faith, hope and love, through the eyes of the most remarkable women I have ever met. The sisterhood we developed while putting it together blessed me in ways I can’t express. And somewhere between the laughter and the tears, I started to understand the pride and tenacity and hope that lies in our culture. In the faces of these incredible ladies, I saw the will to aim higher than what they were handed and reach places they wouldn’t have dreamed possible. That’s the legacy I want to pass down to my children.

I’ve always heard that there are two roads in life: the even, pretty path that leads to “average� and the long, uphill climb to “extraordinary.� We’ve seen where “average� goes – remember those national statistics? “Average� gives us teen pregnancies, attempted suicides, drop outs, drugs and gangs. I don’t know about you, but “average� doesn’t cut it for me! I want the road that leads to “extraordinary�. It’s a bumpier walk that works up a good sweat, but the payoff is life-changing. Today, I’m proud to say that I’ve walked that extraordinary path and it’s worth every painful step. I am a mom, wife, realtor, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, franchise owner and now, even an author. I can’t wait to see where it takes me next. Today is a new day. Wherever you are at this moment, I hope you will be inspired to aim high and dream big!
By Laura Contreras-Rowe