A Journey of Resilience with Rossy Jimenez

Meet Rossy Jimenez, a passionate advocate for education and empowerment, who draws strength from her immigrant roots and first-generation scholar background. Growing up in Chicago, Rossy’s upbringing was filled with a deep appreciation for learning, community, and resilience. From navigating the challenges of academia to launching her inspiring podcast, Thoughtswithrossy, she shares her journey of overcoming setbacks, finding motivation, and building a multicultural platform that celebrates diverse voices and stories. Join us as Rossy reflects on her experiences, offers valuable insights, and inspires others to dream big despite the odds.

Can you share with us a bit about your background and upbringing? How have your experiences as a first-generation scholar and immigrant shaped who you are today?

I grew up in Chicago in a low income first generation immigrant household. At home, my mom and dad always emphasized the importance of education over the years to my brother and I. We would spend hours at our local library getting free tutoring, exploring the city with our tortas packed, and participating in random sports. My family was a part of the community amongst other immigrant families around our neighborhood who had all left behind their home countries and extended family. We would have carne asadas and volleyball tournaments. My mom would always find a way to support my brother and I to be curious and physically active. I was sheltered from some turmoil while also given leadership roles as the oldest sibling, so I am a master translator, password memorizer, multi-tasker, and problem solver (when I want to).

As difficult as it was having these responsibilities at a young age, it has made my voice hold the strength it does and for me to be as resourceful as I am. I am not afraid to ask questions or start over. My experiences as a first-generation scholar have shaped me to be the person I am today. I am someone younger me needed. And I know I can always learn and find a way to solve any problem that comes my way. My hard lessons have formed me to have such a great desire to dedicate my time to support the youth in any way I can because the experiences first-generation individuals endure is not okay. Much more guidance and community is needed and I want to be a part of that change.

What inspired you to create Thoughtswithrossy? Was there a particular moment or experience that sparked the idea?

During graduate school, I remember looking through the podcasts available on Spotify and craving a positive series to listen to while I studied. All I would see were numerous crime series that I had already spent too much time listening to along with more gossip-oriented podcasts. I randomly came across one podcast for first generation individuals and remember being so excited to listen, but when I started listening all I heard them discuss were all the obstacles that existed and why they did not choose to follow their dreams. I stopped listening after the 1st episode because it pained me to hear that they didn’t dream. No offense to the hosts, but it made me become aware of the lack of representation of the first generation stories on podcasts. It made me think about the flipside: what about all those who chose to follow their dreams, what could they be going through right now? What about all those ‘real’ stories behind people who have and have not followed their dreams? Why isn’t there any podcast documenting these stories? All these questions stayed on my mind as I finished graduate school.

It was a spark that grew more intense for me to choose to take a chance on myself and actually launch the podcast. It took a couple of months and a lot of manifesting. As I faced numerous obstacles during graduate school, I felt the need to share my story and say what I really thought because I could not believe how normalized racist comments and demeanors were. I ached to speak my mind because I was so passionate about education. I had so much drive, I wanted to share what I learned and realized along my struggle. Yet, I felt too shy and uncomfortable to be vulnerable in this way with others because I thought my voice did not matter which was the narrative I was fed in higher education and early professional experiences.

After negative encounters with faculty or supervisors, I found myself reading books written by individuals of color along with many other books that fed my soul. I realized how it was a bigger problem than me and that what I experienced is unfortunately common. I wanted to create this podcast to share my hope, love for books, and story so other students or individuals do not feel as alone and hopeless as I did during this process. Because there truly always is hope.

Reflecting on your journey, what have been some of the most significant challenges you’ve faced in pursuing your education and career?

I have struggled in the institutions I have attended to be respected and nurtured academically as a student and young professional. I have learned to observe and stay quiet in the face of racism and microaggressions to protect myself. And learned to believe my voice held no value and that I was not enough because I was not doing enough, when actually that was the farthest things from the truth. For me, hiding myself and my voice has caused me to doubt the greatness I hold and it wore me down in ways I would not wish my worse enemy to experience. By staying quiet, I lost hold of my true nature in the name of making my dream come true (becoming a speech-pathologist) which was the hardest fact to come to terms with.

Can you tell us about a particularly tough moment or setback you encountered along the way? How did you overcome it?

In the last month of my 2nd year of my graduate school program, I was in a big car accident where my car flipped twice on my way home from a school placement. I was not critically injured in any way by the grace of god. I was confronted with having to navigate a concussion, car insurance inquiries, my own health care services, and staying in my graduate program. There was no real support from my professors. I stayed focused and consistently asked individuals I knew for help because I was at a loss of what to do. Yet, no one could help me in the ways I needed guidance and support. I had to resort to staying quiet and do as I was told to not be kicked out of my master’s program. I leaned on my family and community for strength and reassurance to meet every requirement asked of me to receive my master’s diploma and licenses to practice as a therapist. I learned to be patient and truly forgive because living in anger only hurts me the most. I let myself feel my feelings and accept love and support. And with time, I find all the love around me allowed me to start again and get up every time I fell.

In your work, you emphasize the importance of resilient stories. Can you share one of your own resilient moments with us?

I had to choose between feeling like a victim to resistance from administration and studying hard to pass my national licensing exams. I chose to fight and study when I felt fear in my bones. Yet, I showed up everyday for months to study and pass these exams (really caffeinated of course) but I showed up. I had to study when everyone in my graduate school generation had already begun to work as therapists and I was “left behind”. It was very difficult, but it helped me realize the true strength I hold in my essence. I had to experience this in order to feel it and truly trust myself because I could look fear in the eye and push past it.

Who or what has been your greatest source of inspiration in your personal and professional life? How have they influenced you?

My parents have been my greatest source of inspiration in my personal and professional life. I have seen the way they have chosen to love and work hard to move forward given the labor-heavy jobs and long hours. They have encouraged me to grow and explore. We have had many beautiful conversations about life and education which have made me be so determined and fregona. They may have not known how to support me with the paperwork aspect of pursuing a higher education and my chosen career, but their love gave me fuel to continue fighting. They have always chosen to try even when they fail, they get up and try again with a beautiful smile on their faces. So from their actions and words, I have leaned upon to move forward.

Building a multicultural community is a key aspect of your work. Can you talk about the role diversity and inclusivity play in your life and work?

I find that in the multicultural community I have grown up in, there is so so much power in our stories. Often times, these stories are shared randomly, but never treasured and shared how they deserved to be. I wish to focus on including as many different cultures as possible to emphasize that importance of holding space for these voices and stories. I hope to create a platform where many feel seen, heard, and understood.

What advice would you give to other first-generation scholars and immigrants who may be facing similar challenges or pursuing similar goals?

I would tell them no one or nothing can take anything away from them. No matter how much authority someone may have, their words and “power” mean nothing. Your own view of yourself is what matters, no one else’s. Choose to dream so big, people may tell you you are delusional, but keep going and do not listen please!

How do you maintain resilience and motivation in the face of adversity or doubt?

I maintain resilience and motivation in the face of adversity by thinking for my love for helping the youth. I thought about the story I wanted to share and how I refused to let anyone or anything keep me from reaching my goal. I took it one day at a time and chose to forgive and trust good things were coming my way.

Looking ahead, what are your hopes and aspirations for the future of Thoughtswithrossy and the community you’ve built?

I hope to tell my own story on my podcast via a new series I will soon start uploading. By hearing other stories, I have gained strength to have the courage to step outside my comfort zone and tell my own story. It is easier for me to support others in the process of sharing their story, but I have always craved to share my own experiences and opinions. I will continue to hold space for other individuals’ stories so the gems their wisdom prove to be do not go unheard. I hope Thoughtswithrossy gives others strength to know they are not alone and to always choose to dream even when it is the hardest thing to do.

My instagram page is @thougthswithrossy.