Before She Was A Star

Before she was a star Isabella Dominguez was an ordinary girl with big dreams of being a movie and music star.

The daughter of immigrants, Isabella worked day and night at Holly's roadside diner to make her dreams come true.

Although it wasn't easy for Isabella, being the daughter of immigrants, but that didn't stop Isabella from pursing her dreams and working at Holly's diner gave Isabella what she needed, and what Isabella needed was an audience.

Isabella began working at Holly's diner when she was fifteen to help her struggling parents make ends meet.

Holly's diner is not your typical diner, but what Isabella found their were good customers and even better friends.

Here is Isabella's story

I am Isabella Dominguez. I am a first born generation American born to Mexican immigrants. My parents came to American so I can have all the advantages of being an American.

Their journey wasn't easy and when I was born everything seemed to being going good for my parents, but when I was fifteen my mother was laid off from her job as a maid.

I knew that I needed to find a job to help my parents and that's when I came across Holly's diner.

I walked into Holly's diner and asked for a job, they were hiring. I had to ask my parents permission. They gave me permission to work at Holly's diner.

Ten years earlier- Holly's roadside diner

Today I begin working at Holly's diner. I hope I make a good impression. My parents are counting on me.

I walk to Holly's diner. It took me fifteen minutes. to get to the diner.

As I approach the diner I see so many things happening. There are guys with trucks and taxi drivers, and families going inside. It looks like it's going to be a long day.

I enter Holly's diner. I spot Holly and walk over to her. We say hello to each other and she welcomes me to the family. I smile at the thought.

Holly introduces me to Becca. Becca has a warm welcoming smile.

Holly tells Becca to show me the ropes.

Becca nods. She leads me to the back where the locker rooms are. Becca shows me where to put my things.

Becca then talks to me about how everything works around the diner. She tells me how to treat the customers, to always smile and to always be polite.

Becca then introduces me to the other waitresses and the cooks. I like them all.

Becca takes to one of her regular customers, a guy name Dave. She introduces me to him. He's a trucker. he stops by Holly everyday.

Becca tells me to take his order, and to give the order to the cook Mario. I do as she tells me.

Becca teaches me the fine art of waitressing for the rest of the day. I love the way Becca teaches me. Whenever I make a mistake, she doesn't yell at me, she shows me how to do it the right way.

The day has come to an end and my feet are killing me, but this is what I have to do to help my parents.

Today is the same as usual, after school I make the fifteen minute walk to Holly's diner.

Today is a whole new day for me as I am going to work on my own.

I'm a bit nervous, but I know I can do it. I enter Holly's diner, and go to my locker to put my stuff away, and walk out to the sitting area.

I grad a pad and begin my day. The crowd is the same as yesterday. I go to my first table, a family of four passing through. I use all the techniques Becca taught me.

I ask how they are doing, and tell them the specials. I'm polite as I take their orders and then I go to give Mario the order.

Next, I go to two regulars who I hear come often. I take their orders and then I once again go to Mario.

For the next couple of hours this is all I do. It gets kind a boring doing the same thing over and over again, so I decide to go to the jut box and pick out a song. I begin to sing.

Holly's goes quiet as I am singing. While I'm singing I go table to table and take the customers orders. I see the smiles on their faces. When the song is finished I get a standing ovation.

Holly comes up to me and tells me I have a beautiful voice. I tell her thank you. She also asks me if I ever thought about singing professionally.

I tell Holly I think about it all the time. I also tell her I want to be a movie star.

Holly smiles at me and says to me that dreams come true in the most unexpected places.

All throughout the day I sing for the customers and I love every minute of it.

The customers love when I sing for them.

It's my fourth day working at Holly's. I do the same routine as the other three days. I enter Holly's, go to my locker, put my stuff away, go out to the sitting area, turn on the jut box, and begin to sing for the customers.

After two hours on my feet, I'm on a much need break, when I see a strange man looking at me. He walks over to me and introduces himself as Tommy Garcia, a talent agent. I look at Holly and she just smiles.

Tommy Garcia tells me he heard about my singing performances and he had to. come see me sing, and he wants to sign me. I also tell him I want to be a movie star. He smiles.

I'm shocked beyond belief. I never imagined getting discovered at Holly's diner, but like Holly said dreams come true in the most unexpected places.

Present time

Isabella is always grateful to Holly for giving her a job to help her parents and for allowing her to sing because with out the diner Isabella's dreams would have never come true.

Thank you Holly for everything.