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Maricela works as a waitress at Captain Benny's, an Austin seafood restaurant, on May 5, 2009. "I wanna be an example for my kids that you don't have to live off the government to survive. It's good for the government to help me with a certain amount of help, but I think I also need to provide my share of responsibility." In 2016, after working 15 years at the restaurant and with her youngest child in college, Maricela was finally able to pursue her education and is on track to earn an associate degree in criminal justice in 2020.