Mother to Many

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

-Martin Luther King Jr.

Gaby Zubia is a living example of letting love drive her to bring goodness into the world. Gaby is an NDMV member who serves with the I Have a Dream Foundation in Boulder, CO.  Rather than letting her experiences in life harden her heart, she makes a choice each day to keep it open. She wants to give children hope that they can find joy and purpose in life despite what they go through.

“There was a dark moment in my life years ago–my daughter brought light to it.” Gaby said. Her daughter is a “dreamer”: a participant in the I Have a Dream Foundation Program. 

Gaby described a dreamer as someone who is very talented and dedicated. “A dreamer is a student who comes from a difficult past and a heavy background who needs an extra shoulder to lean on,” she said. “A lot of the parents [of dreamer students] are undocumented, they did come from another country to pursue their dreams for their family”

Gaby's role in the I Have a Dream Foundation is not just a job, but a calling. She sees herself in her daughter and in her students, and this deep connection fuels her passion to serve. “What I love about serving is being able to show up for the students and heal my inner child while serving,” Gaby said. Gaby uses her opportunities to help kids feel valued, heard, cared for, and appreciated.

“When I first signed up, it was because of the flexibility. I wanted to figure out how to give back to my community, be a mom, and do what I needed to get done,” she said.

“I believe things fall into place when they need to. Something about Dreamers and the program gave me a chance to give back to the community I came from,” Gaby expressed.

Once Gaby got to know the students, she surprised herself. “I started to feel emotions for kids who weren't even mine.” Now, she’s found an opportunity to be a mother to many.