“I’m a nontraditional college graduate. I was a teen mom. I started college way later and then I stopped for a while. I got my associate degree in 2010 and stopped and said, ‘This is enough,’ though, realistically, I could do more. My thing was how am I going to expect my oldest or any of them to push for anything if I’m not doing it myself. So I did it. I just received my bachelor’s last year from UAB. Criminal justice. It was so important for me to walk, but stinking COVID didn’t let me do that. I wanted to prove to them that it wasn’t what people said it was supposed to be like, but momma did it, and you guys can do it, too. There’s no barriers that you can’t jump over.” – Aleyda Villegas of Oneonta.

Aleyda Villegas wanted to earn her degree for herself but also to set an example for her children. (Tamika Moore / People of Alabama)

The mother of three hopes that her example instills in her children that they shouldn’t let anything hold them back in life.

“They can do whatever they want to do. Whatever they work for, whatever they put their minds to, nothing can stop them. They just have to work really, really hard,” Villegas said.

These are the faces and stories of people from all walks of life who call Alabama home. People of Alabama is a Red Clay Media and Alabama NewsCenter partnership.