Thank You, but No Thank You: Overcoming Rejection and Embracing Resilience

Despite belonging to various minority groups, I wasn't raised to be confined by those categories. I believe that we all face our own difficulties and challenges, regardless of gender, color, or race.

I was brought up with a brave mindset, focused on making a difference and with little time for complaints. Moving forward, giving my best, and taking risks have been the guiding principles in my life. However, to be bold and stand out from the crowd, it's necessary to nurture creativity and originality. That was the essence of my upbringing: to go beyond and achieve my goals.

It wasn't a coincidence that throughout much of my childhood and adolescence, I took on leadership roles in several school years, captained the soccer team, and started dancing at church before the age of 3, which helped me early on not to fear the scrutiny or judgment of others. I always maintained a strong posture, expressed my opinions, and

possessed leadership skills. Wherever I was, my goal was to show my worth and contribute in the best way possible. I never went unnoticed.

However, I must admit that even considering myself a person with excellent professional and social qualities, I felt invisible when searching for a job in the United States after completing my studies. Every day, I applied for dozens of positions and received a flood of negative responses that said, "Thank you, but this time the answer is no," obviously not using those exact words. I know that I have many qualities, both technical and behavioral, to excel in my profession in marketing and communications, but it's hard to maintain my self-esteem intact when I am constantly bombarded with emails saying, "No, you're not enough" (that's if you even receive a response from the company).

I won't be hypocritical; of course, it's easier and more comfortable for me to attribute the difficulty of finding a job to my Latin origin and being an immigrant. It's a convenient way to blame something beyond my control for my inability to secure employment. But fortunately, or unfortunately, I can't sit and cry; I need to keep searching for my lost door, which is open somewhere.

Although I still hold hope of finding opportunities, I feel a deep anguish that, for now, will only serve to propel and fuel my desire to be even more daring, creative, and persevering in the pursuit of my dreams.

I know you can't see me now, but you will certainly hear about me in the future!