Starting today and continuing until July 4, The Post, in collaboration with the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream, will highlight stories of U.S. citizens sharing their vision of the American dream in 2026. Today, we hear from Rubylinda Zickafoose, principal of Ola Elementary School in Florida.
My parents worked as migrant farm laborers. My mother’s formal education consisted of just six months in kindergarten.
My father only attended school up to the second grade. They spent their entire lives moving from one place to another, from one state to the next, in pursuit of farm work.
I vividly recall a particular day when I returned home from school, proudly carrying my report card.
My mother was sitting on the porch after coming home from work. I eagerly ran up to her and handed her my report card. She held it upside down, praising me with, “Mi hija, how good, great job, you know, muy bien, muy bien,” even though it was upside down.
I couldn’t help but wonder how she could read it. A friend of mine, Sophia, who was with me at the time, bluntly asked my mom, “How can you read that? It’s upside down. Are you stupid?”
And I remember looking at my mom, and she was just shattered. And I remember her holding her face, crying, and saying that it was almost like she was caught.
I remember staying on the porch with my mom for a very long time.
And I promised her that day that I was going to grow up, be a teacher, and teach her how to read.
Well, I think what [the American dream] meant to me was getting to a point where I made the choices in my life, and I could achieve my dream.
And nobody could take that away from me, and nobody has.
I had to get to a place and remove all those obstacles, become self-sufficient to the point where now I could live my dream of being a teacher, having my own set of kids, having my own classroom, being able to support myself and my son as a single mom. That to me was my dream.
The American Dream Video Project showcases real stories that illuminate pathways to opportunity. Featured at the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream (MCAAD), this series is part of the Center’s celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. MCAAD is Washington, DC’s newest cultural institution, offering interactive exhibits and stories about achieving the American Dream. For more information, visit mcaad.org.
