PD Instore Scholarship

This scholarship will help give me the opportunity to further my education. I come from a low-income household and was raised by a single mother. Despite her hard work ethic, college still remains very expensive and a constant worry for me. I have worked in the past to help save money but still remain in need of financial assistance. As a first-generation student, I am motivated and confident in my ability to strive in college. This scholarship can provide financial relief for me. I want to continue my education to help others in the future and this scholarship would help me achieve my goals. I am planning on majoring in business marketing while also obtaining my esthetician license. In the future, I hope on opening a med spa to be able to make others feel confident in their skin. I am currently enrolled in a cosmetology program to learn more about the skin. Throughout my career, I want to be able to make others feel beautiful and embrace their skin. Growing up my sister had cystic acne which shattered her confidence. Seeing this happen with my sister inspired me to help others achieve their dream skin goals. I am passionate about helping others achieve happiness and confidence and I believe this can be gained through confidence within the skin. I hope to further make a positive impact in the world and furthering my education will certainly help me achieve that goal. My sister and I learned from a young age how to be independent and hardworking. My mom worked every day of the week growing up trying to provide for my sister and me. I worked while in high school as well my sister because money has always been a stressor for my family. Seeing my mom's hard work ethic inspired me to work my hardest in school. My goal as a first-generation student has always been to attend college. My mother has shaped me into who I am and taught me to treat everyone with kindness. I learned to be grateful for every opportunity I have received. As a Hispanic woman, I faced many stereotypes and negative stigmas growing up. Since I have dealt with racism and sexism I have learned to have a very open and forgiving mind. I learned that I could achieve any goal I had because I learned that my differences could benefit me to be my best self. Growing up there were many opportunities my family couldn't afford so I made it a priority to work hard in school to be able to attend college so that my future family would not have to grow up with similar struggles. This scholarship could positively change my life and allow me to gain the education needed to provide for my future family. Growing up in a low-income household I understand how it feels to be in need. My mother has always instilled the value to treat everyone with respect and kindness. I strive to make the community a better place. In school, I was part of a club named DECA which led two community service projects. In the fall we collected hygiene products to donate to the local community shelter. This helped students who couldn't afford hygiene products. In the winter we collected necessities like gloves, hats, and scarves. In Minnesota it reaches below zero degrees in the winter and many kids walk to school and can't afford these necessities so it helped others immensely. During this time I also made tie blankets for the homeless with a school club named FCCLA. The winter can be fatal for the homeless so something as small as a blanket can create a large impact. Not only do I try to help those in need but I try to create a safer environment. I created a public service announcement with my school club FCCLA targeting speeding while driving. This PSA helped encourage students to slow down and create safer roads. I am also a strong mental health advocate. Growing up I struggled with mental health issues like depression and anxiety so I wanted to inspire others to reach out for help. I helped create an anti-bullying campaign and put up posters around the school with mental health resources. I want to create a change in the world and my future goals align with my passion for helping others. This scholarship could allow me to achieve my goals of helping others. The ability to further my education is something I do not plan to take for granted. The opportunity is one that my mother did not have therefore, I am inspired to continue my education.