Haz la luz de la tea, no hay mujer fea

Do what is right, not what will gain approval

Carlos learned this proverb from his mother four years ago when he was leaving his home in Nicaragua to come to USC.  Leaving the comforts of home was a difficult decision for Carlos but he knew USC would give him an educational expierence he could not find anywhere else.  This left his struggling with the fact that she would only see her son a few times a year.  Carlos had never been away from home very long and moving to a completely new environment in Los Angeles concerned his mother.  She did not want her son to change who he was just to confer with the Los Angeles norm, so she told him this proverb.  Carlos had been raised with a strong sense of morals and responsibility, and moving do Los Angeles did not concern him.  While his mother had complete faith that Carlos would only succeed when in Los Angeles she wanted to make sure that he did not lose sight on the things that had made him such a good person.

This is a proverb that rings very true, especially in the fast past and always changing California lifestyle.  It is very easy to get caught up in the current trend to fit in and before you know it you are a completely different person.  You can never go wrong when you do what you know is right and stay true to yourself.