Becoming Beyond the Labels
From Broken to Becoming: A Journey of Resilience, Purpose, and Transformation Beyond Labels
Becoming Beyond the Labels
By Lubicristin Lora, M.Ed.
People often see the title, but they don't always see the story behind it.
They see a woman with a master's degree-an educator, an author, and an advocate. They see someone who speaks at events, mentors others, encourages students to pursue higher education, and proudly recommends College Unbound because she knows what it means to be seen, heard, and empowered.
What they don't always see are the battles behind the smile.
I live with cerebral palsy, but I refuse to let my disability define my future. It has challenged me, but it has also taught me resilience. Every obstacle has become another reason to keep moving forward instead of giving up.
At the same time, life has asked me to carry more than many people realize. I have faced the pain of divorce while rebuilding my life from the ground up. I help care for my mother as she lives with Alzheimer's disease, watching someone I love slowly change while still trying to remain strong myself.
There have been moments when I questioned everything.
- I questioned people.
- I questioned society.
- I questioned why acceptance is still so difficult for those who are different.
- I questioned why opportunities sometimes disappear, even when you've worked hard enough to earn them.
There were jobs I had to leave behind. Doors that closed. Moments that hurt. Seasons that made me wonder whether I was on the right path.
But every closed door has brought me closer to discovering my true purpose.
Today, I continue to advocate for students because I know education changes lives. I encourage people to believe in themselves and to pursue opportunities like College Unbound, where education is about more than earning a degree-it's about finding your voice and creating change.
Through my book, From Broken to Becoming, I share my truth in the hope that someone else will realize they are not alone. My story is proof that brokenness does not have to be the end of your story. Sometimes, it becomes the foundation for something greater.
One of the greatest gifts of this season in my life has been becoming part of the Little Tings mentorship program. It has reminded me that leadership is not about having all the answers. It is about continuing to grow, continuing to learn, and continuing to pour into others while allowing yourself to heal.
As a woman, an educator, the daughter of immigrant parents, a person living with a disability, and someone who has faced personal loss, I understand what it feels like to be underestimated.
But I also know what it feels like to keep rising anyway.
My Mission Is Bigger Than My Circumstances
My mission is bigger than my circumstances.
- I want little girls with disabilities to know they belong.
- I want women rebuilding their lives after heartbreak to know they can start again.
- I want students from underserved communities to believe college is possible.
- I want minorities to understand that our voices matter, our stories matter, and our leadership matters.
I still have questions.
I don't have every answer.
But I do have faith.
I have purpose.
And I have a vision.
I know the woman I am becoming. Every challenge, every setback, every tear, and every victory is shaping her. I may not have arrived yet, but I refuse to stop walking toward the future God has placed before me.
My journey is not about proving people wrong.
It is about proving to myself-and to every person watching-that perseverance, faith, education, and compassion can transform pain into purpose.
This is only the beginning.
And one day, I know I will become everything I have been fighting to be.
