I grew up in Mexico and my dad helped me pay for school by sending money from the US. Now, I'm helping other immigrant families do the same.

• Rosario Escarpita's father worked in the US to help pay for her schooling.
• She now sends money to family members living in Mexico.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Rosario Escarpita. It has been edited for length and clarity.

When I was a child, my mom would wait anxiously each month for a payment to arrive from the US. My dad and two sisters were already there. My mom, another sister, and I lived in Durango, Mexico. My sister and I worked to help our mother run a small bodega and butcher shop, but the money from the US provided much needed support to help us make ends meet.

I knew we weren't alone. I went to private school for part of high school. There, I saw that my classmates and friends were able to have this chance at a better education because of their dad, aunt, or older sister working north of the border.

When I was 17, I immigrated to the US. I graduated from high school and went to college. I had four children. Now I'm the one sending money back to my sister, niece, and friend who still live in Mexico.

Remittances can help with limited opportunities

Remittances are money that migrants send to their family members and loved ones back home. For many people in developing countries, they're a lifeline. Each year, migrants in developed countries send hundreds of billions of dollars back to their home countries.

Globally, that makes a huge economic difference in the economy. More importantly, it changes individual lives. It lets a little girl like me afford a better school, gives my sister the chance to take her daughter out to celebrate a birthday, and helps my friend pay her bills during tough times.

In the US, we have an individualistic mentality around finances. I can understand that since there are many pathways to success here. When we've worked hard to earn money, we expect others to do the same.

But in developing countries, that's often not an option. There's not a clear pathway for people to continue their careers, even if they have higher education. A trained doctor might make more money selling food than practicing medicine. Remittances can help — the little amount we send stretches and has a big influence.

We can help the next generation

In my job at Ria Money Transfer, I talk to a lot of people about why they're sending money home. The language, skin color, and currency change, but the reason for helping is always the same: They want to provide a good start to the next generation of their family.

Of course, not everyone has a family working abroad. Children in those families don't have the leg up that kids who benefit from remittances do.

Last year, Ria partnered with Save the Children to address a little bit of that gap. Through the partnership, we were able to facilitate preschools that served more than 2,000 vulnerable kids in Mexico City.

In November, I went to Mexico to see the program. It was so humbling and emotional. Before that, I didn't understand quite how big the influence would be. Then, one mother told me that if it weren't for the preschool, she would have had to lock her children in their house while she went to work. If she didn't do that, they wouldn't have had food. I'm so grateful she didn't have to make that brutal choice.

We can all do a little to help

My four children were born in the US. I think sometimes they get tired of me talking about how grateful they should be. But they do recognize it, especially when we visit family in Mexico. I share my story with them to show that they can do hard things, such as balancing school, sports, and contributing to the house.

In the land of plenty, it's easy to think that we don't have enough to share. We might wish we had more to help. But if we all give just a little amount, we can make a huge difference in the lives of people who are less fortunate. I'm proof of that.