For as long as I can remember, my parents exposed me to a life of community service. I remember one of my mother’s “on this day” post which was a picture of my mother pushing me in a stroller during a breast cancer awareness walk. I must have been a few months old. It’s definitely a memory I don’t remember, but I think this is where my path of selflessness, being a doer and inspiring me to stand up for the things I believe in. She was with a group of her sorority sisters and friends. She could have been at home with me as a new mom, but seeing her out there in chilly Rochester in October showed me that I needed to get out of my comfort zone too. Throughout the years this passion for service continued to grow. I’ve walked in the rain for Crohn’s and Colitis to raise funds and awareness, helped my dad in his efforts for MS research as a volunteer during the MS 150 Bike Ride, and dedicated myself to service as a Boy Scout. These experiences have shown me that selflessness extends beyond individual acts. It requires dedication and a desire to make an impact. As I researched for my Eagle Scout project, inspired by First Christian Church of Katy's Transparent Closet program, I created my own series of Transparent Closet Pop-ups with their support. These offered and continue to offer a safe and dignified environment for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults to come and access no-cost clothing and basic essentials. I reached out to local businesses and religious organizations to ask for item donations. Through my efforts, I was able to collect over 150 pounds of clothing, spanning across 15 different shopping categories, and many more basic essentials. I hoped to provide these youth hope and recognition, a simple gesture that told them that they were seen. At the end of my service project, I completed my own personal assessment to understand the impact of our work. My project surpassed my expectations. I supported over 100 youths in shopping in a safe space and contributed 160 service hours. This experience taught me even more about the needs that underserved and marginalized populations have, and I saw how much comfort and stability safe spaces and needed services can provide to my community. I was most nervous about this because I was the leader. I was now responsible for planning and executing the project, which included managing over 14 volunteers to register and attend these safe spaces that I had planned. But once again, I realized that I didn't give myself enough credit for my ideas and efforts. Leading was always a daunting experience for me because it led to an immense amount of pressure and anxiety, but now I realize that I am capable of so much more. I have to constantly remind myself that my community, and myself, are better served when I give myself credit and work to my absolute best abilities. The personification of selflessness is an array of actions and experiences leading to being selfless, from donating new toys to organizing pop-ups for queer youths. My path has been characterized by an utterance and display of empathy, kindness, and the willingness to help others. These experiences have equipped me with the zeal to take on challenging and innovative, self-initiated service projects to give back to underprivileged and needy communities. These small acts of kindness can lead to profound change. Creating a more welcoming environment for all individuals.

“There has to be more to life than just imagining a future for yourself. I can’t just wish for the future; I have to take risks to create it.” (THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END by Adam Silvera). As a queer Afro-Latino witnessing society's injustices faced by minorities within my community has fueled my determination to advocate for change. My heritage and family background have shown me a sense of fight and dedication not only for myself but for my people too. My parents, born and raised in New York, faced many challenges in earning their college degrees. Despite society's expectations and struggles, my mother continued her education even when pregnant with me, juggling the responsibilities of motherhood, work, and pursuing her degree. Her devotion and sacrifice, alongside my father's support, taught me that obstacles can be overcome. Born while my mother was attending college, I spent my early years in the daycare on campus, which happens to be the same university I will be attending this Fall, a proud legacy. Listening to their college stories and witnessing the importance of networking and community-building has provided value in my life. After relocating to Texas for better educational opportunities for my siblings and me, I realized the importance of education in breaking barriers. While our new community lacked diversity, my parents' encouragement and stories of their experiences growing up inspired me to pursue higher education. As the first among my siblings to venture into college, this scholarship not only alleviates the financial strain on my family but also signifies a beacon of hope amidst years of financial and social hardships. From the lights and water being shut off to the sacrifice my parents made by ensuring my siblings and I ate first, the journey has been filled with many obstacles. Yet, these adversities have only fueled my determination to succeed, knowing that the struggle is but a temporary phase in breaking the cycle of hardship. Throughout my years of volunteering, I have recognized the importance of personal and professional growth. Obtaining a college degree will not only provide me with valuable skills such as organization, focus, and leadership but also give me additional tools to make a greater impact in my community. With a degree, I intend to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts industry, particularly in media representation. By creating minority representation in the media I produce, I hope to inspire others and be a role model for future generations of BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ members. When I give back to my community, by mentoring and counseling young people, specifically through scouting programs, I want to create a more inclusive and supportive environment. As someone who has benefited from scouting but lacked representation in my adult leaders, I hope to fill that gap. As a college-educated individual, I will have a platform to advocate for policy changes and reforms that address the root causes of discrimination. I am committed to using my education to drive positive change and create a more just and equitable society for all. My heritage, family background, and commitment have shaped my desire to pursue a college degree. I aim to promote a diverse safe space in the arts industry, give back to my community through mentorship and counsel, and strive for community change. By harnessing the power of education and service, I hope to create a brighter marginalized community everywhere.

The movie that I'm telling you to clear your calendar for, get the good popcorn with real butter, use the bathroom beforehand, and get ready for the ride is ‘The Mitchels Vs. The Machines’. Many animation studios, especially during the past decade or so, have a nasty habit of releasing mediocre film after mediocre film and bad sequel after another and Sony is no exception, with the exception of Spider-verse, of course. But in between both Spider-verse movies, The Mitchels Vs. The Machines was released in 2021. While its popularity and relevance died out quickly, it was undeniably a masterpiece with amazing humor, storytelling, and a message about family and the evolution of technology. Where many animated films try to gel their ‘comedy’ with their story, many try way too hard and prioritize making a cheap joke every five minutes to the point where it feels forced and just not funny. However, in the Mitchels Vs. The Machines, for me, the movie became two hours longer just because of the number of times a subtle joke hit just right that I would have to rewind seemingly every two minutes. There was hardly ever a joke that failed to get a smile out of me. The work put into the animation also made the movie about a day longer because of the amazing animation, I simply had to rewind and play the movie in slow-mo to soak in every individual frame on screen. This may seem odd but as an animation student in high school with the intent of pursuing a degree in 3D animation, I can not help but be in awe of so much of this work. It took 6 years to make this movie and it shows; I wouldn't be surprised to hear that 5 out of those 6 years were spent purely on animating it all. The animators truly had a passion for what they do and it just fills my soul with enough warmth to send me into a heatstroke. To call this movie ‘eye candy’ would be astronomically disrespectful to the animation team. With studios pushing out animated movies in the hope of getting a piece of the market share, the art tends to suffer. Time is not given to animators to do their best to bring a world and characters to life. There's never a dull moment in this movie and it truly represents the artistic integrity of the animators. For those reasons, I would highly recommend watching it with a friend or two.

I don't have a favorite Spider-Man actor, but I do have a favorite Spider-Man: Miles Morales, the first Spider-Man to be a POC. After the release of Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse and Across the Spiderverse, I really started to understand and appreciate the message behind Spider-Man: Anyone can wear the mask. I truly believe that no one got the message until the creation of Miles 50 years after Spider-Man's debut in 1962 because up until that point, or at least until the release of Spiderverse, the vast majority of Spider-men in the public eye were all white men. What kind of weight does the message “Anyone can wear the mask” have if a half-Puerto Rican Afro-Latino teenager can't dawn the title of Spider-man? I not only love Miles so much because I'm also Afro-Latino and Puerto Rican but because of how much he represents Spider-man more than Spider-man. Miles is also a very unique Spider-man; it's not very often that you see a Spider-man make an effort to be a part of the community of New York, the most you may see is Spidey looking for a lost cat or gathering someone's pigeons. But Miles, in both the movies and the most recent PlayStation games, is more than just a guy who will beat up criminals for free. On and off Spider duty, Miles actively engages with his community and helps to make a lasting impact on people's lives like helping a college senior with their final project or looking for stolen instruments for a music museum. Traditionally, Spider-man just beats up the evil billionaires trying to destroy New York and stopping small robberies conducted by petty thugs. Miles is so much more than that, he's much more relatable and believable. Also as a Puerto Rican and Afro-Latino, it's easy for me to see myself doing what he does: helping and protecting the community he loves.

The movie that I'm telling you to clear your calendar for, get the good popcorn with real butter, use the bathroom beforehand, and get ready for the ride is ‘The Mitchels Vs. The Machines’. Many animation studios, especially during the past decade or so, have a nasty habit of releasing mediocre film after mediocre film and bad sequel after another and Sony is no exception, with the exception of Spider-verse, of course. But in between both Spider-verse movies, The Mitchels Vs. The Machines was released in 2021. While its popularity and relevance died out quickly, it was undeniably a masterpiece with amazing humor, storytelling, and a message about family and the evolution of technology. Where many animated films try to gel their ‘comedy’ with their story, many try way too hard and prioritize making a cheap joke every five minutes to the point where it feels forced and just not funny. However, in the Mitchels Vs. The Machines, for me, the movie became two hours longer just because of the number of times a subtle joke hit just right that I would have to rewind seemingly every two minutes. There was hardly ever a joke that failed to get a smile out of me. The work put into the animation also made the movie about a day longer because of the amazing animation, I simply had to rewind and play the movie in slow-mo to soak in every individual frame on screen. This may seem odd but as an animation student in high school with the intent of pursuing a degree in 3D animation, I can not help but be in awe of so much of this work. It took 6 years to make this movie and it shows; I wouldn't be surprised to hear that 5 out of those 6 years were spent purely on animating it all. The animators truly had a passion for what they do and it just fills my soul with enough warmth to send me into a heatstroke. To call this movie ‘eye candy’ would be astronomically disrespectful to the animation team. With studios pushing out animated movies in the hope of getting a piece of the market share, the art tends to suffer. Time is not given to animators to do their best to bring a world and characters to life. There's never a dull moment in this movie and it truly represents the artistic integrity of the animators. For those reasons, I would highly recommend watching it with a friend two.