Ramona Orozco

To The Pride Resource Network, I am beyond grateful to have been chosen as the winner of the Carlos F. Garcia Muentes Scholarship. UCSB is currently experiencing a huge housing crisis so last Spring I was faced with the terrifying, but familiar feeling of being on the brink of homelessness again. Thankfully, I was able to secure a one bedroom apartment with two other girls for $3,400/mo. However, being a low income student meant that the enormous weight of figuring out how to pay that each month was all placed upon me. And I felt like the world was working against me when all I wanted to do was continue my education. But tears streamed down my face when I found out I had won this scholarship, not because I was sad and not even because I was happy, but just because I truly felt like someone believed in me. Not only am I grateful to you all at The Pride Resource Network for this scholarship, but I am also grateful for the hope you all gave me to keep going when I was so close to giving up. I hope this scholarship will help other people like me in the future and I hope your organization keeps restoring hope to those that need it most. Thank you.