José Ventura and Margarita Melendez Mexican-American Scholarship Fund

When I say I am a first generation Mexican American college student, it carries the weight of generations. My grandparents worked the fields. My parents worked long hours. And I work with the knowledge that every step I take in education is a step they never had the chance to take. I am the bridge between their sacrifices and the future they dreamed of but could not reach. I grew up in Mission, Texas, where faith, family, and grit were not only values but survival tools. I watched people I loved put their bodies on the line in labor that barely paid enough to keep food on the table. Education often felt like a distant dream, something meant for others. Yet even in the smallest moments, like my mother urging me to stay focused on my books or my father walking through the door at night with tired eyes but proud shoulders, I felt a responsibility forming. Their work gave me the foundation, and my job was to build something greater on top of it. In high school, I played varsity baseball all four years, learning discipline, leadership, and resilience from the game. I also captained my school’s mock trial team, leading us to the state finals for the first time in school history. Standing in that courtroom, raising my voice on behalf of my team, I discovered the true power of advocacy. I saw how words could move people and how preparation and courage could change the outcome of a case. That moment revealed the path I wanted to take for the rest of my life. After graduation, I joined the Army Reserves. The military tested my limits and gave me lessons that still guide me today. I learned that strength comes from persistence, that unity is built through sacrifice, and that responsibility is something to be carried with pride. Those lessons prepared me for the life I live now, balancing the demands of being a student, a soldier, and a professional. In 2023, I moved to Houston to begin the next chapter of my journey. I started working full time as a paralegal at The Cobos Law Firm while pursuing my criminal justice degree at Sam Houston State University. Each day I meet clients whose stories echo the struggles of the families I grew up around in Mission. They are hardworking people who face devastating setbacks, often through no fault of their own. They walk into our office discouraged and uncertain, but when they leave with dignity restored, I am reminded of why I want to be an attorney. Law is not simply a career for me. It is a calling to give hope where it has been lost and to fight for justice where it has been denied. Being a first generation Mexican American student is not about checking a box on an application. It is about carrying the weight of sacrifice, the dreams of my parents, and the pride of my culture into every classroom, every courtroom, and every community I serve. It is about making sure I am not the last in my family to achieve this, but the first of many. I believe stories shape futures, and mine is still being written. But one thing will never change. I will use my story, my education, and my career to open doors for others. I will make certain that the sacrifices of my family were not in vain, and I will prove that hope, faith, and perseverance can change not only one life but entire generations.

I grew up in Juárez, Mexico, and was born across the border in El Paso, Texas. Since the age of eight, I walked across the border on a daily basis to attend school in the United States. I started out not knowing any English… I was scared stepping into a classroom where I could understand neither my teachers nor classmates. Each morning, however, I told myself that education was my tunnel — not only for me, but for my family. My folks were deported when I was a kid, and that moment has been instrumental in shaping my life as I try to navigate it today. It made me grow up sooner without them around. I learned to take care of myself, to survive on my own, and that no matter what life throws at you, it still goes on. Education was something I could not afford to be cavalier about anymore; each assignment, each class — every opportunity mattered now. I was in similitude paying back my parents for the price of parenthood. Like it was juggling school, responsibility of a family, and I had to work alongside. In high school, I got my first job at sixteen, working in both a restaurant and selling solar panels. I was not doing it for the extra money, but I needed to do my part and help my family. Considering those works, I learned how to be disciplined and speak to people of any background; the customer is always right. I found out success is not just a function of talent, but showing up every day (tired as you might be) and giving it your all. Flash forward 8 years later, I am now 18 years old and a student at the University of Texas at El Paso majoring in Forensic Science with a Bio track. My hope through education is to one day save the world, law enforce murder investigations, victims with no justice, and exonerate science. Like my degree will mean more than a job–it will mean I got there first. Unlike most of the people I know, I am proud of being a first-generation, Mexican-American college student. I am the first in my family to traverse this road and I know, because of me, that there will be others. Graduation is going to be more than just a cap and gown for me and my family, my culture, all the people I continue to inspire that want to drop out because they have been told their dreams are too big. It will be a note that traveling to cross the bridge every morning, suffering from the language struggles, working honestly round the clock, and surviving all of it was not just another waste but an effort about igniting change. I am determined to make this journey of mine worth every sweat and tear because I want to prove that being Mexican-American is not a weakness, it is one hell of an advantage. We are a resilient, loyal, hard-working culture. Encouraging younger students in my community to have big dreams just steps away from where they are. If my story helps just one person realize that they are stronger than they think, then everything I have ever been through will have been worth it. I am still at the beginning of my journey, but I know where my journey will end. I walk to my degree, my job, and few pictures like other people. By the time I walk across the commencement stage, it will be the swiftest, most prideful border crossing of my life.

Hi, My name is Martha, and being a first-generation, Mexican-American student is a big part of why I’m so passionate about pursuing higher education. My parents are immigrants who came to this country with very little, and their sacrifices have shaped not only my life but also the values I carry with me every day. Growing up, I saw my dad work long hours as the sole provider for our family of five while my mom stayed home to take care of us. She’s a deeply faithful woman who often woke up in the middle of the night to pray and ask God for strength and guidance. Even though we didn’t have much, my parents always found ways to make things work. My mom would take us to thrift stores, and she taught me the value of being resourceful and grateful for what we had. But being frugal came with its own challenges. My parents’ hardships made them cautious, and even as they financially recovered, they rarely allowed themselves to enjoy life. That stuck with me because, while I admire their resilience, it also made me realize how important it is to find joy in the life you work so hard to build. As a first-generation student, I didn’t always know what I wanted to do with my life. But when I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, everything became clearer. My parents told me to see it as a reminder to slow down, take care of myself, and focus on my future. That advice changed everything for me. It helped me embrace my passion for coding and computers, a field I now see as an opportunity to create a better future, not just for myself, but for my parents, too. Being a first-generation, Mexican-American student means carrying the hopes and dreams of my parents while paving a path of my own. It means honoring their sacrifices by working hard to achieve the opportunities they didn’t have. It means showing gratitude for their resilience and using their story to inspire my own journey. I’m passionate about being a first-generation student because it’s about more than education, it’s about giving back to my family, representing my community, and proving that hard work and perseverance can overcome any obstacle. I hope to one day give my parents that break they deserve and show them how much they mean to me and give them a chance to enjoy life. Thank you so much for allowing me to share my story.

Walking up the endless stairs at Seattle Pacific University with a burrito made of chilaquiles con huevo in my hand, I was struck by the magnitude of the moment. There I was, a first-generation Mexican-American on a predominantly white university campus with a breakfast made by my mother at 4 am before heading to work with my dad. In that instant, I was reminded of all of the challenges and struggles that my parents and I faced to make my education possible. As I headed to the commuter lounge to heat my burrito before going to a group study meeting, my heart was filled with overwhelming gratitude. I am passionate about being a first-generation Mexican-American student because my graduation will be the culmination and fruition of many sacrifices, hard work, and determination. It is with guilt and inspiration that I have watched my parents wake up at 4 am to commute an hour and a half every day to their jobs. Their work ethic has inspired mine and it is through them that I learned that with hard work and ambition, anything is possible. Working the moment I turned 16, late nights studying to maintain a high GPA, playing volleyball, and endlessly volunteering all in the hopes of getting into a university. I am determined to make the most out of my education and take advantage of every opportunity available to me. I currently work as an accounting assistant and although it is challenging to balance school and work, I know it'll be worth it in the long run. As a Mexican-American, I grew up being at a crossroads between my two identities. My collectivistic Mexican upbringing clashed with my individualistic American environment and I felt that I was "ni de aquí y ni de allá". I remember wishing my family could be “normal” and I wondered why we didn’t wear cashmere sweaters and eat steak and salad every night like the Americans on TV. I resented that other kids had parents who could speak English and that they didn't have to act the adult by interpreting and thus growing up too fast as a result of these responsibilities. I can also count on my fingers the number of times I tried to ask my parents for help with my homework (three times). I so desperately wanted to be a kid who could rely on their parents and ask them for help instead of having it be the other way around. But by wanting so much to be “normal”, I ignored the beauty of my cultural upbringing and how it has shaped who I am today. Instead of complaining about my circumstances like I used to, I have realized that all of these experiences have given me valuable skills and lessons that I can use in the workplace, at school, in life, and to help other people. I am fiercely independent, resourceful, self-driven, empathetic, caring, and resilient. These characteristics are the reason that I will graduate with honors, get a good job, and make my parents as proud of me as I am of them. They are my biggest supporters and I will make their sacrifices worth it. Getting to graduate university when my parents did not even finish middle school is a blessing I do not take lightly. Just like my parents have worked hard so that me and my siblings would not have to face the struggles that they did, I will also do the same for my future children. Being a first-generation Mexican-American student is difficult, but it has become my greatest strength.