I exemplify a spirit of excellence in my everyday life by constantly smiling and letting my actions speak for themselves. I pride myself on my ability to constantly get up and face my obstacles instead of letting them overrun me. I consistently give back to my community by volunteering at my local shelter, assisting elderly residents at long-term care facilities, and being a board member at my local library. My community means everything to me, and I do the best that I can to reflect my love for it through my actions every single day. I wake up every day with a positive attitude, and show others respect and kindness, as I am a firm believer that you will never know what someone is going through just by looking at them. I like to believe that a smile or a kind word can make a difference in someone's day. I constantly strive to be the best version of myself every single day, and I hold myself to high standards. I have immersed myself in giving back to my community because my small town of Perry, Iowa, has given me a sense of family and love. After the passing of my father and grandmother, the community rallied behind my family and raised almost twenty thousand dollars to help my family pay for funeral arrangements. I owe my community so much, and I pride myself on being able to give back every day, whether it be through a good attitude or with community service. I volunteer at my local animal shelter every Sunday, and I find great comfort in knowing that I am helping to improve the living conditions of our animals. I also volunteered at my local assisted living center, where I helped elderly residents attend mass and worship. I have not attended recently, as I have been focused on getting my Nursing Assistant License so I can better help our elderly. I pride myself in being a part of being a board member at my local library, where I get the opportunity to vote on different opportunities for the community and find ways for more people to read books! I am truly grateful to every single member of my community, as they have been my whole life since my father and grandmother's passing. I hope to give back more soon to my small town, as they have shown me what a community truly is. My spirit has never broken; when faced with the unimaginable, I have stood strong, and I truly believe that I have exemplified the spirit of excellence, despite it all.

Success for me looks like accomplishing goals, achieving one's most genuine potential, and surpassing any obstacles that once stood in one's way. Success for everyone looks different, as everyone has different goals in life, as well as different obstacles that stand in their way. My drive to achieve success was instilled in me by my parents, who gave me everything even when they had nothing. I know that with this scholarship opportunity, I will be able to take one step closer to achieving success. I am fortunate to have been raised in a family of hard workers who loved and supported one another in any way that they could. I am proud to be the daughter of immigrants because it has drilled a deep hunger inside of me to harness my truest potential and become worthy of reaching success. Success for my parents looked different from my idea of success because they were in a different position and faced different obstacles than I do now. Success to my mother looked like three little girls sitting around the kitchen table with an empty bowl of food sitting in front of them with full bellies. To my father, success looked like coming home from a hard day's work to see a house full of love and warmth, knowing that his daughters had the best possible futures ahead of them. Success to my parents revolved around us, their pride and joy. Like I wrote earlier, success to me looks like accomplishing goals, achieving one's most genuine potential, and surpassing any obstacles that once stood in one's way. The idea of success runs through my mind throughout the day, as it ran through the minds of my mother and father. With the opportunity that is currently being presented to me, I can achieve great levels of success because I will be able to focus on my education rather than worrying about funds or any monetary issues. The biggest obstacle on my path to success is monetary issues. After the passing of my father, the thought of pursuing a higher education seemed to disappear, and I did not think that I would amount to anything higher than a high school diploma. It took a long time to find my standing and realize that I can achieve success if I face my obstacles with my head held high. It may take me a longer time to gather up funds, but the situation I am faced with currently does not frighten me. I know that it makes me stronger than many of my peers. When I was faced with an unimaginable loss, I pushed through, and I kept my eyesight on the future; I kept my eyesight on my goals for success. If I am awarded this scholarship, I will use it to pay for my college tuition at Hawkeye Community College, where I plan to continue my studies to become a Respiratory Therapist and save lives in a hospital setting. I'm positive that my dedication, work ethic, and drive will lead me to reach success.

At 16 years old, I was my father's urn bearer. I got to place my father in his final resting place as they lowered my grandmother's casket next to my father's. The air was extremely cold, and I refused to wear gloves so I could feel the wooden box that would encase my father's ashes forever. The biggest and strongest man I have ever had the honor of being related to was reduced to ashes. I lost my father and grandmother on December 23rd, 2024. I woke up that morning and told my dad goodbye, reassuring him that he could pick the movie we were going to watch for family movie night when he returned. Since it was so close to the holidays, my mother left for my grandparent's house to help prepare for our early Christmas party the day after. What I didn't know was that my dad stopped by his mother to take her to work with him, as he usually did. My father left the house at 9 am and was pronounced dead at 12:59 pm. Thirteen minutes after my father passed, my grandmother was pronounced deceased. My father had gotten into his little red truck for the last time, riding next to his mom, his best friend. If I had known that my father would reach an uncontrolled intersection and be struck by a driver who failed to yield to the right of way, I wouldn't have let him leave the house. The house was too cold without Dad, and it wasn't a home without him. We moved to my grandmother's house a week later. My father, Javier Hernandez, was beloved by our community. He was the smartest and kindest man in the whole world. He devoted himself to creating a better community for my sisters and me to grow up in. My dad was always smiling from ear to ear, telling me that kindness is free. He would do free construction jobs for people who were in need and give out scholarships to the kids in high school who needed financial aid. His construction company, Javiers Construction LLC, gave many people opportunities for employment and funded projects within the community. I saw hundreds of faces at his and my grandmother's funeral, each one with a story to tell about my dad or grandmother. I will mourn my father longer than I have known him. He was 39 when he passed, and I was 16. My grandmother, Amelia Hernandez, the sweetest soul with the warmest smile, died beside her son, my father. My grandmother was a kind and nurturing soul, she would sneak my sisters and me candies when my parents would tell her not to. She devoted herself to caring for her family and community. My grandmother was always smiling just like my dad, her front tooth was chipped and she'd stick her tongue out through the gap while giggling when someone said something particularly funny. I will miss her for the rest of my life. She was taken far too soon at the age of 62. Losing both of them has opened my eyes to the fragility of life. I know now that each life on this Earth is a gift from God, and as long as they are here, we must treat them as such. I know that my dad and grandma are rooting for me up there, as they were my biggest cheerleaders. I know now that I must work harder, as I have two angels watching me closely and guiding my way.