HM Family Scholarship

Thank you for this opportunity to talk about myself and my aspirations. Sometimes, when I think about it, coming up with a straightforward answer can be challenging. One thing I know for sure is I care deeply about my community. Growing up in Haiti, I experienced the challenges of unreliable electricity access. While we had electricity, it was often unpredictable, with power coming on randomly, usually under the cover of night, making it difficult to enjoy fully. Although electricity was scarce, my family still had fortunate access to electricity. I kept thinking of multiple ways of making electricity accessible to everyone in my community. Then suddenly, a brilliant idea hit me. My father and I created a charging station for our neighborhood. When I brought up this idea to my father, it seemed daunting—an impossible task. The large quantity of outlets scattered around the house would be far from ideal and unsafe. I was determined to come up with a solution. I surveyed my surroundings, and there it was: the perfect size plank for installing the outlets. Of course, my father, a former electrician, handled all of the intricate wiring; my doing it would probably result in a lethal bomb when it was powered on. What started as a community initiative evolved into a thriving business. We charged a minimal fee, generating much-needed income for our family. Yet, the most gratifying aspect for me was the expression of gratitude from the community. I was ecstatic, realizing the positive impact I could make. At this moment, I truly understood the power of creativity and that I would enjoy doing it. Growing up in Haiti, free education was a distant dream, and my parents worked tirelessly to keep me in school. The struggle continued, with moments when they fell behind on payments, putting my education at risk. Suddenly, the U.S. became my new home with a world of opportunities and, most importantly, free education! This was a turning point in my journey, emphasizing the value of accessible education. I now had access to endless research tools. This fueled my curiosity to gain knowledge and became the foundation for my aspirations to become an engineer. I plan to take advantage of my opportunities and become an essential societal individual. I also dream of giving back to my parents for all those years of sacrifice. In the end, I want to be a source of inspiration for young minds, showing them that their circumstances do not define their potential. By using my knowledge and creativity, I want to contribute to a world where everyone, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to pursue their dreams and make a meaningful difference. Thank you for taking the time to read my response, and I'll be grateful for any consideration given to me.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Tyler Cruz I am in the 12th grade at Salesian High School. There have been several obstacles placed on my family some have been financial burdens. Before going to Salesian I went to public school. Unfortunately, in public school there were some issues of bullying and not getting the necessary attention in my coursework, so I didn’t do as great as I think I could’ve. As a family we decided that I should go to Catholic school and hopefully not experience any of these issues again. My grades have gone up significantly since I’ve been at Salesian. In elementary school I was barely making it, grade wise, but now at Salesian I have been receiving first and second honors. My parents, make sacrifices to make sure I’m getting the best education I can get, even though they are separated, they agree on my education coming first. Since my dad is permanently disabled and on a fixed income, I have worked part-time at St. Benedict’s church, Salesian’s Echo Bay Summer Camp and at AVJ Mechanic Shop on Saturdays to try to help out as much as I can financially. Getting these weekend and afterschool jobs help in making tuition payments a little easier. My community is pretty important to me, as I stated above I work at St. Benedict’s but I often volunteer there as well. I have volunteered at PS 72, which was my local elementary school; helping teachers set up classrooms and even at the summer program. I used to be a member of Castle Hill Little League and always volunteered to help out with the events and with the younger baseball players. In the summer during the pandemic I started a cleanup by the beach, “Silver Beach” in the Throgs Neck area. My goal after high school is to become an engineer. When I become an engineer I plan to give back to my community in a few ways. One major thing I have thought about for years is that the children in certain areas of the Bronx this don’t have many things to keep them off the street. For example in this community there are a few parks, there is Kipps Bay Throgs Neck, and Throgs Neck Little League, but that’s it. I go to other areas and I see many different opportunities for kids, but not all are treated equal. There are sky zones, Chucky cheeses, roller skating rings, rock climbing but not in the community where I grew up. Once I become an engineer I plan to give back, by building or creating a place where kids can go to have fun and be safe. The phrase knowledge is power reminds me of a teacher who told me once that my education is choices. What that means to me is that knowledge and education makes you powerful and therefore gives you the ability to make choices. Once you are educated no one can take that away from you, that gives you power. The power to choose. You get to decide or choose where you want to live, what kind of house you want to live in, what company you want to work for, what kind of car you want to drive, and so on. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to introduce myself and tell you a little bit about myself and I am thankful for any consideration my application is given.