Escrito por: Dulce Ortiz 🇬🇹
Headshot of Mirna Araujo. (Diana Rivera)
Through Mirna Araujo’s unique journey thus far, the graduating senior believes that one of the
best ways to get by is to share your problems aloud because it helps you realize that sometimes
they’re not the biggest thing ahead of you.
Araujo attended school in New York before joining the military and serving on active duty from
January 2017 to June 2020. In that time, she was stationed in Texas and later deployed in Europe
for a year. The deployment allowed her to live in places such as Poland, Bulgaria, and Germany.
Additionally, Araujo says that oftentimes, she doesn’t think about her Dominican roots and notes
that she never felt held back by the stigmas people would put on her various identities.
“I’m a Hispanic, Black woman, so everybody assumes that I have all these struggles and all these
shortcomings,” said Araujo. “I just live my life as a normal person...Maybe it has been I just
didn't notice [the stigma] because I don't dwell on it.”
After her return to the U.S., Araujo came to Maryland to pursue a college education. At the same
time, she began a career with the Maryland National Guard. Originally, she went to UMD for a
degree in biology, but, as she puts it, “A STEM major is not for the weak.” Maintaining an all
day, every day mentality on homework while balancing her duties at work was often
overwhelming for Araujo.
She also found the learning experience challenging because most of her professors were
researchers, so when asking for help, the level at which they’d assist would still be too complex.
Araujo then switched to a Spanish degree, where she felt more comfortable with the workload
and at ease with more welcoming professors. Their support allowed her to find the strength to
graduate from this program.
Although she wasn't involved in extracurricular activities, she admired how UMD has several
educational programs and affinity groups.
In her life, she’s found herself to be her biggest inspiration and finds pride in her ability to adapt
to the things that life throws at you.
“You know, there were times where I felt like I couldn't do it and it felt like it was just too much.
But eventually, I figured it out.”
Upon graduation, Araujo plans to work towards being commissioned as an officer in the military.
Later on, she wants to apply for a master’s in public health and eventually attend medical school.
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