The most significant challenge that I have faced in my life would have to be figuring out who I am as an individual. Growing up I was constantly being told who I was and who I would become. Everyone from family members to teachers always said that I would only make it so far in life just because I was a female. They would say my options were limited and that eventually I would just end up getting married and becoming a house-wife. I believed everything I was told up until the day I walked into high school my freshman year. I was presented with an endless amount of possibilities for my future and all I had to do was simply choose my path. Ever since I started school I have always been referred to as “the other one” because my sister was the smart one, the one everyone wanted. For that reason growing up I was always in my sister's shadow, it didn’t matter what I did because my sister had already done it. Every year was the same, I was always assigned to the teacher that my sister had during that grade level. Teachers were always telling me how different I was from my sister but not in a good way and that I should aspire to be more like her because I would not make it in the real world. For years I tried to fulfill their dream of following my sister's footsteps but deep down I knew that all my effort was worthless if I wasn’t true to myself. I stopped letting that idea, the once unbearable feeling that teachers didn’t want me in their class because they already knew that I would never be good enough like my sister was. All I ever wanted was to be seen as my own individual person and not the lesser version of someone else. When I realized that I could not expect others to view me as my own person if I was constantly trying to be someone else. I focused on finding my own path, it wasn’t easy to involve myself in things that were out of my comfort zone. Eventually it became clear that I wasn’t the quiet shy person that I believed that I was, instead I was an outgoing person who wasn’t afraid to be proactive when prompted. My freshman year I focused on what I wanted to major in and what college I wanted to attend. I always knew that eventually I would want to study forensics and enlist in the U.S. Army but I never knew how to voice it. Once it was clear to me that I could do both after high school I made it my goal to not let anyone tell me what I was and wasn’t capable of. Now that I’ve expressed that passion I have to be more than what everyone expects me to be, I have people that support me and are willing to help me achieve my goals. Regardless, it doesn't stop people from trying to talk me out of my passion. I have come too far for all the sacrifices that I have made to be worthless if I decide to give up now. Everything that I have accomplished is just the beginning of my success. It would’ve never been possible if I had continued to live my life in the shadow of someone else.

My name is Anazari Pedro Garcia, I am a seventeen-year-old high school senior. I come from a Mexican decent family. Taking that into consideration I am bilingual, I speak both English and Spanish. I am seen as resourceful by teachers and instructors as am fluent in both languages and am capable of translating. When tasked to do something like translating I make it my priority to make sure that I am understood that way anyone and everyone is successful. I have been part of the JROTC program since freshman year at Dunbar High School. I currently wear the rank of cadet, First Lieutenant. The JROTC program has helped me become a better version of myself and has helped me prepare for my life after high school. For my career, I have decided upon Police Identification and Records Officer. I am confident that I will succeed in this career field because it has always been my passion and when I discovered that I could also take a U.S. Army path I became even more enthusiastic about my choice. I have chosen a military career path because I am determined to improve my leadership skills and I am willing to grow along the way. I was part of the JROTC Raider team freshman year during the spring season. In sophomore year I was on the varsity female team that year we made it to State competitions. Due to personal situations, I was not able to be a part of the Raider team during my junior year but I am now taking part of the Raider team for my last year. I have participated in community service alongside the JROTC program and outside of the program. I have assisted in parking details for home football games. I have assisted at home track and field meets, and I have helped in everything from signing in athletes to helping judges with the event they are at. Although I have always known what I wanted to do after high school I knew I couldn't do it all on my own. I was recommended for the AVID program after freshman year and have been a part of the program ever since sophomore year. During my junior year, I was invited to join the National Honors Society. Upon receiving the invitation I reached out to my teacher and instructor of preference and asked if they would be willing to write a letter of recommendation for me. Thanks to my dedication and ethics for my education I was admitted into the National Honors Society with the help of the letters of recommendation that both my teacher and instructor gladly provided.

I hope to become a Police Identification & Records Officer in the U.S. Army, after graduating from college with a Master's in Science.