“God knows life was not easy for the three of us.”

Summary:

At five years old, living in an apartment in Los Angeles, Kate Cordova was faced with many hardships: no stable home, divorced parents and most importantly, two baby brothers.

She was then aware that she had to step it up and try harder to help out her parents with the kids. From a young age, Kate’s done everything for her brothers so they don’t go through what she’s been through.

Now, 2019, she’s working hard to help out her parents, going to work, and trying to juggle college on top of it. At the end of the day, she just wants to see her brothers succeed and do what they want.

Kate sat down with student Joshua Cordova and former student Dean Cordova to talk about these things and the journey she had getting to where she is right now.

Transcript:

(Note : Dean is another sibling that is later in the interview)

Joshua Cordova : Hey

Kate Cordova : Hi- Dean! 

JC : It’s okay

KC : You can edit it?

JC : I can do it. I hope so. All right! I got questions. I wrote them so I’m prepared. So, first of all, how are you? 

KC : I’m good. I’m great. I was hungry, but not anymore. (laughs)

JC : Good good. Okay, umm, first question I have for you is, how was growing up with Dean? Just like, specifically Dean.

KC : Specifically Dean. Just Dean?

JC : Yea just Dean. 

KC : Uhh, it was great, I think. I don’t remember much, but- no it was good it was good because its just I felt like there was someone I could take care of, which is good. I had to take my mind off of things so. And he was so chubby and cute. He was like the chubbiest baby in the world, so it was just so cute. It’s crazy now, like he’s taller than me, that’s why I get so emotional because he was literally- I used to carry him right here and like, he was so tiny. But, it was fun, it was fun, learning like, how to cook, you know, growing up because I made to make something. 

JC : Well, how old were you? 

KC :  When he was born? 

JC : Yea. 

KC : (begins counting) I was like, 4 or 5. Yea, 4 or 5. Yes, I was like 5. Put 5, I was 5.

JC : All right. Okay, um, follow-up question, how was it like when I was added?

KC : It was horrible! It was horrible! (laughs) I was so jealous! Because I was like, noooo. Okay well, first of all, all the attention got shifted to Dean and then I was like, Joshua! What?! Yea, I mean I loved you obviously, but I was very jealous because I was like, no moms not paying attention to me anymore, and then that’s when it really was like, wow, like I have to step it up because I have 2 little ones looking at me so, but it’s great now. At first, I’m not gonna lie, like I was very jealous, so yep

JC : Cool, all right (inaudible) Um, after that, like you’ve grown up now, clearly. You’re like, almost 20?

KC :  Yess!

JC : Congrats

KC : Thank you guys

JC : So, um, you’re in college, Northridge, yea, how is that like?

KC : It’s- It’s great, like honestly, I used to hate school-

JC : I’m pretty sure we all did

KC : Yea

[new sibling enters the fray]

Dean Cordova : I think we all still do

KC : But, I don’t know, there’s- now it’s different because it’s something bigger and at the end of it, I’m actually- it’s huge, like after this, my career, I can actually start doing what I love, so like high school, obviously, it’s preparing you for college, but this is it. This is, these next like what year? year and a half? It makes it or breaks it for me, so it’s good knowing that I’m going somewhere where, one, I love the campus, and like I love the professors and like the teachers, or whatever you call them, and like classmates, but it’s much more rewarding knowing that at the end of it, there’s something big going to come out of it, so like my work is going towards something more now so. I love school, I used to hate it, but it’s great now so.

JC : Good to know. Uh, what major are you in right now?

KC : Communications. I’m in a communications major, officially. Started off as a CADV major, which is Child Adolescent Development. Um, realized I didn’t want to do that, so now my major’s communications, but it’s for music. It’s not specifically going into like real public speaking as someone would take communications, I’m using it to get into music, to work in radio so. And I’m attempting to pursue marketing as a minor so, major communications minor marketing.

JC : Marketing how?

KC : Like business marketing, just so I could know the analytics, how to look at numbers, likes it’s going to help me move up in radio and also then to become an ANR because you have to know a lot about business and stuff, and it’s just also good to know man. You gotta know these things, I don’t know who knows, maybe one day y’all want to start something and then I can help you guys and I’ll know how to do it too.

JC : True. What’s been the worst and best thing that’s happened for you?

KC : oof

[laughter ensues]

JC : She just went “oof”

KC : *sighs and taps nails on table* I-I don’t know. Worst?

DC : I think we-we had a couple

KC : I’ve had a couple, some I cannot speak about, but I think just, maybe growing up in a household where I didn’t have mom and dad, it was kinda hard just because partners, I guess, our parents with weren’t the greatest, so it always put me in a situation of being in the middle, so not necessary them being divorced, but just, I never really had a home to go to, so it was just that, I think that was like the worst thing, like growing up was like, well what the heck? I have no stable home and you know, I have to go through all of this, and look at these things that no child should go through, but that’s why I’m glad, like at least now you guys are older and it’s not the same, so I’d think that would be the worst thing, just growing up and- I had great parents, but not a stable home life. 

JC : So you were like, in between?

KC : In between. I think yea, that just sucked, not the stability was the worst and then greatest thing? I think moving out. Even though right now it’s so hard, like you know, everything going on, being an adult. I think- since I was, oof, a young one, I was always like I wanna move out, I wanna move out, so the fact that I was able to do it while I’m a teenager who’s going full time third-year in college and working full time, it’s like, that’s the greatest thing. I’m able to balance my life now. There’s a balance now! So, I think that’s the greatest thing, so I don’t know.

DC :  That’s the payoff

KC : Yea, that-there you go. I learned a lot though, from the worst I guess so. I think that would be moving out. 

DC : So yea, the good things do come from bad things

KC : There you go. Experiences man.

JC : Yea, all right. You mentioned full time work, full time college.

KC : Yes

JC : How do you juggle those two in your schedule?

KC : Boy let me tell you! It’s- It’s hard. It’s hard one because, so I moved out, so now, I’ve always had this responsibility of like, financial stuff, but now it’s real, like I have to make rent, I have to pay the wifi because if not, I won’t be able to do my homework or I have to pay the gas or the light, all stuff like that, so I guess, the way I plan it out is school’s my priority and that’s- I’ve made it very clear in every single job I’ve worked in, I’ve let them know. And if it doesn’t work for them, then I’m like thank you so much for the opportunity, goodbye. So I think that’s the one thing, how I balanced it, was finding a job that allowed me to focus in school, so the days I do go to school, I plan my schedule around that. So, it’s not I plan my um, how do I say it, like I don’t plan my school schedule around my work schedule, I plan it around my work schedule around my school schedule. I don’t know how to explain it. So okay, I go to classes Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, so Mondays and Wednesdays, I do not have class because those are, I mean school- ehh- work because those are my days of class, Saturdays I also have class, but I work after. And then all the rest of the days I spend them working 8 hour shifts, 8+ hour shifts to make up for the two days that I lost and then if, lets say I go in at 12pm, in the mornings I focus in school or when I get out, I focus on school, school work, you know? So, it’s a lot of that, and a lot sacrifices, like if I want to go out and I know I have an assignment due in a couple of days and I haven’t started on it, I gotta make that sacrifice, so it’s a lot of that, a lot of like, no I can’t do this, no I can’t spend money on this, I have to be careful on this, it’s just a lot of priorities, like making sure you know what your priorities are, and handling them. So, that’s how you- that’s my advice, like make sure you get a job that allows you to do school work and to go to school because some jobs don’t. And then also being mindful that you are not going to be able to party every weekend because you have to get stuff done, so I think that’s how I balance it. Just, I don’t want to mess up what I’ve started, so gotta finish strong.

JC : So, when do you get out of school?

KC : Hopefully, 2021. I’m hoping the first semester of that year. If not, I’ll probably be second semester, but that’s my goal, 2021. Don’t know when exactly, but 2021 is the year.

JC : So like, around there?

KC : Around that time

JC : Yea

KC : Yea. Either Fall or Spring semester. Is that how it is? I think that’s how it’s-I don’t even remember what it’s divided into, but yes. One semester of 2021.

JC : Next. Do you want to ask a question? 

DC : Uh, sure. Oh um, how was school like, your process?

KC : In high school?

DC : Yea

JC : Or just school in general

KC : School in general?

DC : Yea, school in general

KC : Uh, it started off bad. Like, I-I went to a private school and then I got caught in the wrong crowd, started making mistakes, had to leave that private school then move to Apex, which was- first year was hard. Well, it was my second year of high school, but my first year at Apex, it was so hard just because I felt very alone and very- there was not a lot, like I didn’t really have mom and dad to talk to and just, you know, a lot of stuff going on personally. So it was hard then and then my third year, which was my junior year was hard because I didn’t really have any friends. The reason why I went was because Julie and Martha, my cousins, our cousins went there, so that’s the reason why I went. So then it was like a process of a well, what now, I have no friends now because I stuck around with people only I, like only people I knew so, then I had to make friends so then now it’s like oh my god what am I going to do? So, I decided to join cheer. Cheer made things a lot better because I had at least coach to talk to and then just the girls, I had friends now and stuff like that. But then senior year came around, that’s where you get lazy, you start procrastinating, you know, I started working junior year too, so it was just a lot of like, work, social life and then just a lot of more personal growth that I had to do, preparing for college, you know, all these things. Relationships, like both intimate, like you know, as in boyfriend-girlfriend or friendship relationships or family relationships, so high school was a lot of stress, but I learned the most, those years in the sense of like, okay Kate, it’s time to get your stuff together, what do you really want to do in life? So, that was that. Now college, it’s great. My first year was- my first year was horrible though. I failed two classes, spent a lot of time crying because honestly I was not academically prepared to be in college yet. I had nobody. And well I mean nobody, I mean nobody, like CSUN, you’d think that you would know people from high school, but you don’t see people anymore, so I had no one. I was struggling because no one could help me, like there was nobody else who was in college from our family or anyone who could tell me this is how you do this, this is what you do, this is – I had to commute, it was like two hour drives here, you know, to campus. So, I was exhausted then I worked in Hollywood. It was just a lot of stress, but I think now my junior year, I think I’m doing a lot better. Sophomore year, all A’s because I really pushed myself then, I was like no ones going to help you but yourself girl so. And it was a lot of like, looking at you guys like, okay well this is what you have to go through because when Dean and Josh are in college, they’re going to know that they can count on you because you went through it. So, it was like taking the experiences just [bleep] oops. Just making it like, the best I could make it so, yea. I like college so far and I hope you guys go to college too because I promise you like, I don’t party, like that’s the thing, that I don’t party in college, as the movies make it seem, but I still have a lot of fun and it still makes me very proud to know that I’m like, doing it. And then, I’m going to be able to help you guys through it too, so go to college young ones.

DC : Very inspirational

KC : No, I’m serious. College is good for you, even if you think you have it, like you don’t know what you want to do, even if you’re- you feel like you have nothing going for you, you feel like either or worthless or this and that [sound thing] all these problems, like it should not stop you from going to school because getting that higher education, even if you just get your associates, even if you started at community college, even if you take a year off, you feel good at the end of the day. Like you know, thinking about walking across that stage, getting that diploma, like it makes me so excited, so I feel like everyone should just think of it that way. It’s not going to be easy, but it’s not impossible.

JC : All right. Final question

KC : Go ahead

JC : I think we’ve been going for like 15 minutes now, yea

KC:  That’s good

JC : Um, overall, what makes you, like the person you are right now? What drives you? Who drives you?

KC : You guys! You- you boys drive me and this everyday to everybody, like everyone I meet, like that’s-that’s the whole reason I’m doing this. Like, that’s the whole point why I moved out, why I’m still in school, why, like why I try hard because God knows life was not easy for the three of us. You know, especially like me, being the oldest. At the end of the day, I could just- if I could just, when you graduate high school, Kate, I want to go to college or Kate, I’m moving out, Kate, I landed this awesome job, Kate, I’m doing something I love, like, that’s it for me, like, I don’t ever want you guys to ever go through what I went through, to feel the [bleep] oop. Excuse my language. But the stuff that I- so that’s what I do it for, I do it for you guys, specifically both of you because you know mom and dad aren’t getting any younger, so like, as much as like yes, I do it also so I can help them buy a home, you know give them all these things, and take care of them when they’re older because you know we going to have to take care of them, I want you guys, who are going to be like my age later in life, like to know that you’re not alone and to know what you’ve got me and that, if I did it, then you guys can do it for sure, like there’s no excuses, like none, because you’re going to have me, who’s going to be working ten times as hard to make sure that you guys never need anything, like you’re always going to have anything, that emotional support, that financial support, that like, I’m a call away, like facetime away, like no matter what, so that’s why I do it, so you guys can get inspired to do it too. 

DC : Aww

JC : Aww

KC : So, you know, parents, but mostly you guys so. Yea. Thank you so much, Joshua!

JC : Thank you for coming!

KC : Of course

JC : You live like, all the way over there

KC : That’s fine of course. It was an hour and a half, but-

[laughter ensues again]

KC : But, I’m here. I promised so. Yay!

DC : It was nice meeting you again

KC : It was nice meeting you

[laughter ensues again again]

KC : Great to meet you! Thank you so much for your time!

DC : Thank you for coming into this interview

KC : Yea of course. Thank you for having me

JC : You know, we haven’t seen you in a couple of weeks, but you know

KC : I know

DC : You’re such a liar, We saw each other a few days ago

KC : No. Oh yes we did see each other

DC : On Monday

KC : Yes. I know. I have to make time to come out her more because- but the thing is, it’s hard because my life’s out there now. But, I will make more time and as soon as I can, I’ll take you guys to get the ice cream thing. BUT, all right-y my loves, it’s time for Kate- it’s time for Kate to go because I have to go somewhere, but I love you

DC : I love you too. We love you

KC : Thank you

JC : Yea

KC : So, bye! Bye teacher, students who are going to be hearing this

JC : Somewhere

DC : Somewhere

KC : Somewhere in the world

[ending words]