Rio Rico High School First-Generation Student Scholarship

First day of sophomore year, new school, new country, new language. Leaving Mexico for the U.S. wasn’t just about crossing a border, it was about crossing into a new chapter of my life. A fresh start full of new aspirations, opportunities and challenges. Starting school wasn't easy, feeling sometimes out of place and not knowing why I was forgetting things. When the doctor said the word “epilepsy,” my world shifted but instead of limiting me, it ignited a determination to understand, adapt, and push forward. Suddenly, my journey wasn’t just about adapting to a new country, it was about learning to navigate an entirely new reality. But rather than seeing it as a limitation, I chose to see it as a challenge, one that would push me to adapt, persevere, and fight for the future I wanted. Math has always been a challenge, but in the U.S., it felt like an impossible puzzle. Taking MAT 151-College Algebra and MAT 187-Accelerated Pre-Calculus was incredibly difficult. Numbers tangled with letters, formulas seemed endless, and in a language I barely understood. I spent hours, even days studying, but when it came to class or exams, I would freeze. It was frustrating knowing I had put in the effort, yet struggling to recall the information when I needed it most. At first I thought it was just simply the stress of adapting to a new country and the weight of my diagnosis, but my struggle wasn’t just with math, It was with my own mind, I refused to let myself give up. “Cesar’s most admirable quality is his resilience. He doesn’t just face challenges, he conquers them. His positive approach to setbacks and his view of them as valuable learning experiences is a testament to his determination and strength. This resilience was particularly evident in my MAT 151 class, where he struggled but never gave up. He could have taken an easier class, but he chose to take MAT 187 his senior year. This decision and his subsequent growth and success in Math are a testament to his resilience.” Mr Kumar. Being in Mr. Kumar's classes not only helped me with math, but also helped me become a better person. He taught me to be more responsible, have better time management, as well as to be more respectful, have better discipline, develop my critical thinking, be more adaptable to any situation or problem, work hard and don't give up. Another thing I'm very grateful for is that Mr. Kumar believed in me, knowing all the hardships I was going through, he was always there for me when I needed him. My persistence paid off when I passed the class and finished the semester with an A, proof that I was stronger than my circumstances. I want to study architecture because it is more than just buildings, it’s a way of giving and transforming the world around us. Architecture creates spaces that shape lives, that inspire communities, and combine creativity with functionality. My major goal in life is to be the leader of an architectural project like a hospital or a school . Through innovative and eco-friendly designs, I aim to create structures that improve quality of life. Something that is sustainable, functional, and aesthetically inspiring. Challenges will always arise, but I know that with perseverance, creativity, and a strong will, I can overcome them. And through my work I hope to leave a lasting impact, creating spaces that inspire, uplift, and serve communities. But always being thankful, grateful and blessed.

A good educator is very important in the life of a student since they can influence the growth of the student not only in the academic field but also in personal, social, and emotional development. In my case, Mrs. Rendon has been a very influential educator in me, since she has provided me with practical knowledge and has helped me develop a mindset of leadership and problem-solving. Mrs. Rendon has inspired me to be a better student by shaping my confidence and motivating me day after day, she helps me believe in my abilities and skills. She has guided me toward my future, she guides me and helps me see my academic options. She has helped me a lot to get involved in extracurricular activities and improve my skills in time management, organization skills, and especially in public speaking. One of the times where I had to overcome an obstacle was when Mrs. Rendon invited me to participate in the States of FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America), one of the participants for personal reasons could not go to participate and left her team incomplete. Mrs. Rendon asked me if I wanted to take her place and I said yes because I knew it was going to be a great learning opportunity. What that competition consisted of was that my team and we had to present to a judge how we would use social media to do marketing about a pet event. I had less than two days to prepare for the presentation, my team and I got together so they could teach me the presentation and so I would be more informed about the topic, when we were practicing, I gave my team ideas on how to improve the presentation and they liked it and we improved it with my ideas, we were practicing the presentation the whole way. This had me very nervous because we had to speak in public and this is something that thanks to Mrs. Rendon’s class I had experience because she teach us classes about public speaking. This helped me a lot and we did the presentation very well and passed to the next round. Going to the State of FBLA was a great opportunity since it was 3 days of a lot of learning. A little about me and my background, my name is Gema Hernandez, I am 17 years old, I study at Rio Rico High School, I come from a Latino family, my parents are in Mexico and I have the opportunity to study in the United States. My vocation is centered in physical therapy and occupational therapy, since I wish to help people feel well physically and mentally, giving them the opportunity to carry out their daily activities with safety and confidence. My special interest lies in working with children, helping them develop or recover the motor skills and physical strength necessary to carry out their daily tasks without worries and in the correct way. I firmly believe in the power of rehabilitation to improve quality of life, especially at early ages, when physical and mental development is crucial for a healthy and active future. For me, it is not only about teaching movement techniques, but about encouraging independence and self-confidence in my future patients, so that they grow up with the ability to face each day with enthusiasm. My goal is to contribute to children not only achieving their physical health goals, but also feeling the emotional and mental support necessary to thrive in every aspect of their life

Mr. Kumar's MAT 151 College Algebra course completely broke and rebuilt me. Before enrolling in this class, I was a lazy student whose good grades relied solely on natural talent. The ease of on-level classes padded my GPA and allowed me to have a great record without valuing what it meant. When I first heard about Mr. Kumar's class, I assumed it would be another slightly difficult obstacle that I would overcome. This misconception was completely shut down on the first day however, as I found myself completely lost in the questions my teacher handed to me and even more estranged from my classmates who understood them. My "natural genius" was reduced to nothing but a formality and the bad habit of working without effort only led to my grade dropping. The first months in this class can be easily summarized with the image of me sitting in a classroom confused, keeping quiet, taking down notes of things I didn't understand, and gazing at the clock anxiously waiting for the class to be over. The intensity of Mr. Kumar's class gave me a mirror for my condition: I was lazy, my work ethic was nonexistent, and I had no foundation to be successful at my current pace, not only in this classroom but in any kind of avenue that I'll come to take in life. When November came, I reached my absolute worst academically and mentally. The personal issues I've always dealt with reached their peak and ripped away from me the drive to not only work, but live as a whole. I let every aspect of my life slip in this state of emptiness, which led me to score 42% on one of the most important tests in the class. My grade was now a 60%, which would have terrible consequences on my GPA once the semester was finalized. Through a seedling of responsibility, I managed to end the first semester with a C, but contemplated dropping the course. The prospect of leaving Kumar's class was a viable, but disgusting one. Although it entered my mind enough to be entertained, it always left my train of thought with an unsatisfactory aftertaste. Would I leave the class and take the easy route like I have all my life, or completely dedicate myself to overcoming the curse I've placed against me? Ultimately, I decided that I would take the second semester, and with that decision came a promise to myself that there was no such thing as hoping anymore, only a goal to accomplish: a B or higher. The new mindset I adopted proclaimed that nothing was impossible because every question had an answer. If I dedicated my all to learning the process behind each question, I would be able to answer every single one of them. I studied intensely with no time limit until it was engraved into my life, and so were my new habits. The amount of hard work I put in the class changed my way of life and can be shown by the accomplishment that I am proud to share: I proceeded to pass every test, ace the final, and finish the course with a B. As I write this, I am enrolled in MAT 187 Pre-Calc and currently hold an A. The turbulent times that once plagued me turned into the biggest blessings I've received. My GPA is now a 3.9 unweighted, I was accepted to the Franke Honors College of the University of Arizona, and am now in the top 5% of my class. Sincerely, I owe it all to the obstacles I faced.