By Miguel Angel Cornelio Martínez

Making the final decision of seeking my college degree within the United States was hard not only for me, but also for all my family and the people that surrounded me including my friends, my partner, and the people shared my daily life with. As time goes by, the situation in my country, Mexico, has been getting worse in almost every aspect as far as a nation is concerned; therefore, my constant desire of making a truly and helpful change in my country and in the society where I grew-up has guided me through my decisions and aspirations for the moment. In addition, I think that the unprecedented times we have been living for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic has given us a good moment to analyze at a glance the future of Mexico based on its decisions as a whole regarding this circumstance.

It is sad to even think about the health situation we are currently facing. The COVID-19 pandemic has given us multiple low blows in every aspect of our lives. Now, after a couple of months, family members have just memories from their loved ones, thousands of people who were happily living are fighting directly against the virus, and many people are now unemployed. In Mexico, we are fighting back the virus spread with everything we have got; however, this circumstance is getting worse day by day. In my opinion, the worst situation for my country will come when the virus spread decreases because of our mismanaged economy and the recklessness of millions of certain individuals.

Mexico is characterized for being a corrupted country, where a considerable number of politicians and government individuals have made at least one corrupted decision for his or her own benefit. I think that this pandemic will certainly prove the productiveness and efficiency of our government because dark times are yet to come, and with not enough money available to hold on to this situation, we will fall down into a big hole, which will take us decades to re-stabilize. Moreover, due to the corruption within the government members, the money that Mexican citizens pay to the government as bills, taxes, and lease agreements are allocated incorrectly, so this will damage our future because there won’t be enough economic resources to satisfy our needs.

Nowadays, the Mexican society has changed a lot. For example, despite the recommendations from the Mexican Department of Health about maintaining social distancing, avoid crowded places, and stay self-isolated, plenty of people are disregarding these instructions and are risking themselves and others’ health. So, certainly these actions are going to be added to the causes of our collapse as a country.

In conclusion, I think that there are multiple factors that take part in the future situation of our country. The collapse in my country is almost inevitable, either way or another; nevertheless, I think that will depend on ourselves how deep we want to fall into the dark hole. For the reasons already mentioned, that is why I want to study in a foreign country, to see how living in a developed country feels like and be well prepared, academically and personally, to face the big challenges I will come across on my way to success. This fall I will start my college studies at The University of Texas at Austin and one of its mottos is “What starts here changes the world,” so I’m sure that this first-class university will provide me with the necessary foundation to be part of those changes and achieve my goal of making a positive impact in my country.

Miguel Angel Cornelio Martínez from Mexico City, Mexico, will start his college studies in August 2020 at The University of Texas at Austin.