Like many immigrants, getting to the United States was only half the battle for Perla, a recent Ray High School graduate now attending Del Mar College. Once in her new homeland, the anxiety, fear and uncertainty only grew. Though Perla entered the country legally at age 13, she spoke no English and had a difficult time in school. “People would tell me I couldn’t make it and I would cry a lot because I didn’t have a Social Security card, but I knew I had to go for it,” said Perla, who didn’t want to give her last name because…

The 34th Annual Cottonfest is a local event held yearly at the Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds. The event consisted of a BBQ cook-off, live music, food stands, stand-up comedy, etc. Although it started off as a small local event, it has grown into something bigger than anyone ever imagined. “I remember when we only needed one small table full of judges for the cook-off, and this year we needed seven tables,” BBQ event coordinator Jason Garcia said. The cook-off drew in many teams this year due to other nearby events getting called off. Sixty-eight teams competed which is the…