Being a first-generation college student means stepping into a world my family has never had the chance to navigate. It means learning how to apply for college, understand financial aid, and plan a future with little guidance, while carrying the hopes and sacrifices of my family on my shoulders. As an immigrant from Venezuela, this journey feels even heavier, but it has also shaped me into someone determined, resilient, and deeply grateful for the opportunity to pursue higher education. One of the biggest challenges I have faced is navigating college as a noncitizen. Because I am not eligible for FAFSA and was ultimately rejected from TASFA, my family and I have had to shoulder the full financial responsibility of my education. My parents work incredibly hard to support me, sacrificing their time, energy, and comfort so I can stay in school. Watching them do this motivates me every day to keep going, even when the stress feels overwhelming. There are moments when I fear not being able to afford another semester, but giving up has never felt like an option. Instead, I pray, apply to scholarship after scholarship, and push myself to succeed academically. Despite these obstacles, I have worked hard to excel in my studies. I am currently studying Landscape Architecture, a field that combines creativity, problem-solving, and service. My dedication has placed me among the top students in my class, and I have even earned the highest score my professor has seen in years. These achievements mean more to me than grades alone. They represent perseverance through uncertainty and proof that my background does not define my limits. My dream is to use landscape architecture to give back to the communities that often go unseen. I want to design green spaces that bring people together, reduce stress, and make neighborhoods feel safe and valued. Growing up as an immigrant has shown me how much our environment affects our sense of belonging. I hope to create spaces where families, children, and immigrants feel welcomed and cared for. This scholarship would relieve a significant financial burden and allow me to focus more fully on my education. More importantly, it would be an investment in a first-generation student who refuses to let obstacles stand in the way of her goals. Being first-generation is not just about being the first to attend college. It is about courage, sacrifice, and the belief that a better future is possible. I carry that belief with me every day, and I am committed to turning it into impact.

Since I was a kid, I always knew my brain worked differently. I’ve always felt like my thoughts moved way too fast for the pace of the world. Although I didn't know it then, I know that it's because I suffer from severe anxiety. Anxiety has always been like a second voice in my head that follows me everywhere; It’s what prevented me from speaking to others easily, offering myself to help strangers, and showing off my works and talents. I would always back away because I was so afraid of everything: being judged, failing, not fitting in. My struggles with mental health only intensified in high school, especially when I found myself in a toxic relationship that chipped at my confidence and sense of worth. Anxiety made me believe I had to stay, that I wasn't strong enough to leave because I was so scared of the consequences and such. It wasn't until everything felt like it was collapsing around me that I realized something really needed to change. In what felt like the lowest moment in my life, I finally prayed about it and truly surrendered to God one night. Crying my eyes out, my heart racing like never before, I asked God for clarity over my life, to help me get the strength to leave that relationship behind, and especially to help me deal with my anxiety. After that moment, I finally understood the power God holds over our lives and how he can truly take our pains away and help us carry those burdens. The next day, I got the courage to leave that relationship behind, and although it was such a scary experience, my anxiety that had been accumulating over that long time had vanished, and I was finally at peace. I learned to rebuild all those friendships I was fading away from, I opened up to my family about my struggles and found a new comfort in them, and most importantly of all, I finally began putting myself first and made it my goal to not let others bring me down. God taught me to live with my anxiety and find strength through it. During my remaining years of high school, I started running for officer positions in different clubs, getting more involved in my church, and even started doing things way out of my comfort zone, like singing in a production in front of 40,000 people and using my talents to help others. Now, as a freshman at TAMU studying Landscape Architecture, the confidence I built at the end of my high school years has helped me meet so many people and be able to present my projects in front of large classes. My anxiety doesn't hold me back as it did before and doesn't stop me from enjoying life more freely. Living a life where I can put my trust in God, who I know has a path for me and great promises, friends who I can talk to and are there for me, and a family who helps me with anything, I’ve gotten to enjoy life so much better and carefree. My life dealing with anxiety has led me to be someone who has to overcome an extra step that not many deals with when it comes to overcoming problems, and I don't complain about it. Because of all of this, I've turned into a stronger, more faithful, and independent woman who is ready to overcome anything else life throws at me, because my biggest enemy is myself, and if I can overcome those thoughts, then I can be unstoppable.

I have never had a traditional path, and I have never been the kind of student who had everything handed to them. I am an immigrant from Venezuela living in Texas without citizenship, and that alone has shaped my life in ways many students never have to think about. I grew up knowing that no matter how hard I worked, there were doors that would not open for me as easily as they did for my classmates. I cannot apply for FAFSA, and many financial aid programs simply do not look at students like me. I watch friends with lower grades and fewer qualifications receive financial support that I work tirelessly for, and it reminds me every day that my journey will always require more effort, more faith, and more resilience. This year proved that in the hardest possible way. My family and I waited months for an answer from TASFA, hoping for even the smallest bit of help to make college possible. We filled out paperwork over and over again. My dad took days off work to go to the financial office, only to be told that they needed something new each time. The finish line kept moving farther away, and then, without warning, they told us that I would not receive any help at all. My family works unbelievably hard to give me the chance to attend college. They left everything behind in Venezuela, and even now, they sacrifice their comfort and their time so I can chase a future they never had. When we were rejected, I saw the exhaustion in their faces. I felt the stress heavy on my chest, and I realized how alone this situation can feel because very few people understand what it is like to fight something this specific and this out of your control. But I also knew I could not give up. That night, I prayed, and since then I have continued applying to scholarship after scholarship, hoping that each one brings me closer to staying in school for another semester. This experience has become one of the lowest points in my life, but it is also the moment that showed me who I am. I continue to do my best in school and fight for every opportunity I can find. I try to keep my grades high because I want scholarship committees to see the effort I put in. My hard work has placed me among the top students in my class, and I even received the highest score my professor had seen in years. Even when I do not know if I can afford next semester, I refuse to let fear stop me from chasing a future I believe in. Despite all the stress I carry on my shoulders, I treat others with the same kindness I wish the world would show to me. My circumstances are not an excuse to hurt others or shut them out. Everyone is struggling with something, even if it looks different from my own challenges. I try every day to be patient, caring, and supportive. I help my family in any way I can because they work so hard for me. I show up for my friends even when my mind feels heavy. I choose to enjoy the moments I have with the people I love, because being selfless and surrounded by support makes life easier to face. My dream is to become a landscape architect. I love landscape architecture because it creates solutions through nature. It turns empty, neglected areas into spaces filled with life. It brings communities together in places that feel safe, welcoming, and beautiful. Growing up as an immigrant, I know what it feels like to live on the outside and to feel like you have no place that represents you. I want to design parks, paths, and green spaces that make people feel seen and valued. I want to give back to the communities that raised me, even when they did not always accept me. I want to build places where families, immigrants, children, and anyone who feels overlooked can breathe easier and feel at home. My path is not traditional, but I would not change it. These challenges have taught me strength, compassion, and perseverance. They have shown me that the greatest battles are often invisible, and the people who seem quiet or calm may be carrying the heaviest loads. I have learned that kindness is powerful, that faith is grounding, and that I can overcome anything as long as I refuse to give up. I am determined to keep fighting for my education and to one day use it to lift others up, just like Andrea Worden did throughout her life, because not only do we share the same first name, but also passion.

Ever since I was young, I knew my mind worked differently from the people around me. My thoughts always moved faster than the world, and although I did not understand it at the time, I now know it was because I struggled with severe anxiety. It felt like having a second voice in my head that constantly doubted me. It kept me from speaking up, offering help, showing my talents, or even trying new things. I held myself back because I was afraid of being judged, of failing, and of not fitting in. My anxiety became even harder to handle when I entered high school and found myself stuck in a toxic relationship that slowly chipped away at my confidence. My anxiety convinced me that I had to stay and that I was not strong enough to leave. I feared the consequences and felt trapped in a situation that drained me emotionally. Everything in my life felt like it was falling apart, and for the first time, I realized something had to change. At one of the lowest moments of my life, I prayed and surrendered everything to God. Crying and overwhelmed, I asked Him for strength, clarity, and the courage to walk away from what was hurting me. That night changed everything. I finally understood how much peace God can bring into our lives when we trust Him. The very next day, I found the courage to leave that relationship. It was terrifying, but for the first time in a long time, I felt at peace. The anxiety that had been building up for so long seemed to release its grip. After that moment, I began rebuilding myself. I reconnected with friends, opened up to my family about my struggles, and learned to put myself first. For the first time, I realized how strong I truly was. This is when leadership began to enter my life. I started running for officer positions in my clubs, became more involved in my church, and even participated in activities far outside my comfort zone. One of the biggest steps I ever took was singing in a production in front of forty thousand people. That experience taught me that leadership starts with having the courage to show up, even when fear is loud. Now, as a freshman at Texas A&M studying Landscape Architecture, the strength I built during those tough years continues to guide me. I am able to present my projects in front of large classes, meet new people, and take part in opportunities I used to be too afraid to try. My anxiety no longer controls my choices or limits my potential. Instead, it reminds me of what I have overcome. Because of what I went through, I have become a stronger and more confident woman who knows how to face challenges. I learned that the biggest obstacles are often the ones inside our own minds, and defeating them opens the door to everything else. I am proud of how far I have come, and I am ready to lead, overcome, and keep growing no matter what life brings next.

I realized I had a passion for professional design and construction long before I even knew what architecture was, and, funny enough, it all started because of video games. It might sound off topic, but growing up, video games were more than just passing time. They taught me about overcoming challenges, pushing through until the end, and making sure I stay determined even when it gets hard. Over time, I noticed a pattern of games that would hold my attention the longest, and it always seemed to be the ones where I had full creativity to build. Games like Roblox, Minecraft, and The Sims would let me create anything I could imagine, save it, and tear it down to start all over again. I didn't realize it then, but those moments of trial and error, creativity, and problem-solving were the signs I needed to lead me down the path to architecture. As I grew up, I started paying more attention to the world around me in a different way. I noticed how the sidewalks in my neighborhood, the parks, and the gardens would play a role in how people interacted with the environment. When I started studying architecture, learning about the thoughts behind all these structures and designs just gave me so much excitement. The same feeling I would get from building in my favorite games is what I experienced learning to take site plans, design them digitally, and then hope to see them created into the real world someday. Architecture is such a beautiful career because we learn to take a place, redesign it, and leave an impact on the world around us while also fixing real-world problems to try to impact our communities for the better. After just one semester of studying architecture, I loved looking at the small details the architects have used in their projects, which we see every day. By the way, landscape architects used certain trees that add a pop of color to our homes, how windows were placed to have lighting in certain ways around my house, and how parks and sidewalks affect the flow we explore in our neighborhoods. I admire these details around me and hope to someday influence the world in those ways. Whether it's a family home where kids will grow up remembering, or a park that serves as a memorial for really special heroes. I'm someone who loves using my talents to serve others and improve the community around me, so this career feels like a natural path for me. It's so beautiful to admire and also so interesting to see how people design places in certain ways to improve and fix problems. With this degree, I want to be able to solve challenges just like I would while playing video games, and through experimenting, redesigning, and staying determined through the process, my ultimate goal as an architect is to create spaces that people will admire, enjoy, and feel comfortable around, just like the architects who helped shape my world did.

Since I was a kid, I always knew my brain worked differently than most. I’ve always felt like my thoughts moved way too fast for the paste of the world. Although I didn't know it then, I know that it's because I suffer from severe anxiety. Anxiety has always been like a second voice in my head that follows me everywhere; It’s what prevented me from speaking to others easily because I was so scared to say the wrong thing or be judged. My struggles with mental health only intensified as I entered high school, especially when I found myself in a toxic relationship that chipped at my confidence and sense of worth. Anxiety made me believe I had to stay, that I wasn't strong enough to leave because I was so scared of the consequences and such. It wasn't until everything felt like it was collapsing around me that I realized something really needed to change. In what felt like my lowest moment in my life I finally prayed about it and truly surrendered to God one night. Crying my eyes out, my heart racing like never before, I asked God for clarity over my life, to help me get the strength to leave that relationship behind, and specially to help me deal with my anxiety. After that moment I had finally understood the power God holds over our lives and how he can truly take our pains away and help us carry those burdens. The next day I got the courage to leave that relationship behind, and although it was such a scary experience, my anxiety that had been accumulating over that long time had vanished and I was finally at peace. I learned to rebuild all those friendships I was fading away from; I opened up to my family about my struggles and found a new comfort in them, and most importantly of all, I finally began putting myself first and made it my goal to not let others bring me down. God taught me to live with my anxiety and find strength through it where my remaining years of high school I started running for officer positions of different clubs, getting more involved in my church, and even started doing things way out of my comfort zone like singing in a production in front of 40000 people and using my talents to help others. Now as a freshman at TAMU studying Landscape Architecture, this confidence I built at the end of my high school years has helped me meet so many people and be able to present my projects in front of large classes. My anxiety doesn't hold me back like it did before and doesn't stop me from enjoying life more freely. Living a life where I can put my trust in God who I know has a path for me and great promises, friends who I can talk to and are there for me, and a family who help me with anything, I’ve gotten to enjoy life so much better and carefree. My life dealing with anxiety has led me to be someone who has to overcome an extra step not many deals with when it comes to overcoming problems, and I don't complain about it. Because of all of this, I've turned into a stronger, faithful, and independent woman who is ready to overcome anything else life throws at me, because my biggest enemy is those inside thoughts and if I can shut them off then I can be unstoppable.