my future college career,” Brito interjects as a reminder. At one university, Franco describes having an overwhelming feeling of not being welcome. Another, she says, felt like a military bunker. Then they came to Loyola. “When I arrived to Loyola, I felt at that mo-


ment that this is my place,” she recalls. “This is the place where I want to finish my studies.” Brito wasn’t thrilled by this news, consider-


ing that she had also chosen to attend Loyola. But she also recognizes just how much her mother loves the University. When Franco completed her associate’s degree a year later, she remained true to her word. With the help of a transfer scholarship, she joined her daughter as a fellow Loyola student.


Like mother, like daughter? Brito and Franco commute to campus each


“Yeah, I go to school with


my mom. It’s definitely weird. But you get used to it.” —PATRICIA BRITO


environment, there is always a time of integra- tion, a time of adaptation,” Franco says. “Those adaptations are difficult for everyone, but you know what? You get through. You just have a very defined goal and know how to get there, even if it is difficult. You maintain your steps, step by step, even if you find people that say ‘no, you’re not going to [succeed].’ You know you are, and that is the key.” Although she’s easily understood, Franco


still apologizes for her lack of fluency in English. Occasionally she pauses mid-sentence to translate a phrase from Spanish, or slips in a word or two in her native tongue. The language barrier has slowed her progress, but it never deterred her from continuing her education. After moving to Chicago in 2010, she enrolled at Wilbur Wright College. There, a professor gave her a copy of the Paulo Coelho novel The Alchemist and told her to spend 10 minutes every night before bed writing out the book by hand as a way to learn sentence structure. It worked. Her writing improved, and her educational journey continued. At the same time, Franco was helping Brito


prepare for college. They visited several local campuses, but Franco didn’t feel at home at any of them—“We were going to these for


morning from their home on Chicago’s North- west Side. Franco wakes up around 5:30, goes to the kitchen, and prepares her traditional cup of Cuban coffee (“It’s disgusting,” says Brito of her mom’s favorite beverage). Franco takes her time slowly sipping her coffee and tidying up the house, while Brito wakes up later and quickly gets ready to rush out the door. Often, she has to push her mother to leave on time. “She takes forever,” Brito says. “For me, drinking coffee is a ritual,”


Franco replies. “Twenty minutes!” clarifies Brito. “You’d


think my mom would be the first out the door, but I’m always the one saying ‘Come on! We have to leave because we’re going to be late.’” The odd-couple nature of their relation-


ship reflects the unique bond the two share, a comfort level more like two old friends than a mother and her college-age daughter. Both find humor in the sometimes awkward mo- ments that have arisen out of their situation. When seeing her mother across the quad, for example, Brito wasn’t sure whether to call out “Mom” or “Tamara” to get her attention (it turns out “Tamara” worked better). The two took one class together, and Brito found herself admonishing her mother for making too much noise snacking during the lecture. Franco would sometimes forget to do the homework and ask her daughter if she’d done it, to which Brito would respond, “Yes, but shouldn’t this be the other way around—you do the homework and I ask you?” Though both were students in the Col-


lege of Arts and Sciences—Brito majoring in political science and religious studies, Franco


studying anthropology and philosophy—they were able to maintain their independence and respect each other’s space. But Brito never tried to avoid her mom on campus. “I’m not the kind of person who’d say we’re not going to have any kind of relationship while we’re in school,” she says. “You know, I’d miss seeing her around.” As they approach graduation, both reflect


on how far they’ve come. Brito made up her mind at age 6 as to what she wanted to do with her life. Watching her parents go through a divorce, she told her mother, “I’m going to become a lawyer one day so I can defend you in court.” Now she plans to take a gap year to study for the LSAT and apply to law schools, with Loyola being one possible destination. Franco, who completed her degree require-


ments in the fall but will walk with her daugh- ter at commencement in May, is one step closer to her dream of being a college profes- sor. She’s applying to graduate programs and has only one place in mind to continue her studies. “I don’t see myself outside of Loyola,” she says. “It’s like an extension of me.” It’s possible both will remain at Loyola as


they continue their education, but for now they are more focused on graduation day. To make the moment even more meaningful, Franco’s mother, whom she has not seen in two decades, will travel from Cuba to witness both her daughter and granddaughter gradu- ate. It will be the first time Brito has met her grandmother, or at least the first time she can remember since leaving Cuba as a toddler. It’s going to an emotional day for Franco,


who will finally receive the college degree she’s tirelessly pursued for most of her adult life. To do it alongside her daughter, who has been by Franco’s side through all of her struggles, is one of those unpredictable mo- ments in life that fills her with joy and pride. Brito is her legacy, Franco says, and she just hopes she’s set a good example. “If I can show my daughter that you never—even if things are so difficult—you never give up,” she says, “then my job as a mother has been well done.” Brito has indeed been paying attention, qui-


etly observing every step of the way. “I admire the fact that she’s come so far,” Brito says. For a moment, she sets aside the gentle teasing and turns to look her mother in the eyes. “Even though I don’t say it a lot,” Brito tells Franco, “I am very proud of you.” L


Elizabeth Czapski (’17) contributed to this story. SPRING 2017 15


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