Mother, Daughter Overcome Obstacles to Graduate Together

Born on an American Indian reservation in Washington, Annamarie Pedroza endured a traumatic childhood that led to drug use by the age of nine. By 21, she was “fully addicted,” a condition not uncommon in her family. “Every semester I would either get low grades or quit going altogether,” she says. “Drugs and alcohol had a firm hold on my life and I eventually gave up on school.”

When she was 25, Annamarie had her first child – Alicia Pedroza – and then, 10 years later, two boys whose father gained custody of them. Around that time, she also felt it best to send Alicia to live with her grandmother. “For seven years, I rarely saw my children and my addiction grew,” she recalls. “I lost jobs and found myself in and out of jail until I became homeless in 2013.” But when she gave birth to her youngest son, Child Protective Services (CPS) became an active part of Annamarie’s life. As she puts it, “When my son was put into foster care, it was the turning point that I desperately needed. I was broken, at rock bottom.”

She did the work needed to maintain sobriety, and Annamarie began to fight for her children. “My view on life changed – from victim to survivor,” she says. “I got my children back in my life, and consider myself blessed that our relationships have healed.” Annamarie also gave herself another chance at college. “Unlike my previous attempts, this time I had a plan, and nothing was going to get in the way,” she asserts. The fact that she was named 2018-19 Student of the Year through MJC’s CARE program is evidence of her drive. She also inspired her daughter to consider college. 

“I didn’t have an easy life growing up, but I always had what I needed and sometimes even what I wanted,” Alicia recalls. “My mother had her struggles, though, and it affected my mental health to be separated from her and my little brothers. That led to some bad decisions during high school.” She persisted though and, during her senior year, Alicia was encouraged to apply for a scholarship based on overcoming adversity. “I didn’t see myself going to college, but since my mom was doing it, I decided to try,” she says. “To my surprise, I got the scholarship, and it kept me in check because I had to earn A’s and B’s to maintain it. Doing that inspired self-confidence.” 

As a result, mother and daughter both graduated from MJC in spring 2020 – Annamarie with honors and three associate degrees (human services, social and behavioral science, and chemical dependency), and Alicia with associate degrees in sociology and social and behavioral science. Now they are both pursuing their dreams at California State University, Stanislaus. 

“I’m proud of how far I’ve come and excited to see how far I’ll go,” says Alicia, who plans to get a master’s degree to become a licensed clinical social worker. “I also hope that my struggles and accomplishments encourage others to do great things.” 

As for Annamarie, she has been a registered substance abuse counselor for over a year “helping women take their lives back. The woman I’ve become has a wonderful supportive husband, the love of my children, and the opportunity to give unconditional love in return. My goal is a master’s in social work, so I can become a CPS worker. This would give me the opportunity to help others – and give back to CPS for its positive impact on my life. I know I’m far from perfect – but progress, not perfection, is what’s important.”