As I enter my fourth year as a Latino student pursuing one of the most demanding careers, being an undergraduate chemical engineering student has been undeniably challenging. The rigorous level of science, math, and complex concepts required to excel in this field is daunting, especially for an underprivileged Latino student like myself. However, despite the academic and financial hurdles I face, my ambition drives me to use this career to uplift my community as much as possible. Throughout my undergraduate journey, I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to local communities by researching better or alternative resources that are more efficient and sustainable. I’ve pushed beyond the financial and racial disadvantages to discover innovative methods that can create a stronger, more resilient community. My experience at the University of Santa Barbara, where I engaged in sustainable heterogeneous catalyst research, reinforced my belief that my knowledge in this field can directly impact the lives of those around me. My drive to learn has been further fueled by my experiences in school and internships. One of the most important promises I’ve made to myself is to remain open to learning, no matter the circumstances. I realized the value of this when I took on various roles within my club at UC Riverside, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) at Riverside. As a project manager, I understood why continuous learning is essential. With each new role and challenge, my goals evolved, and so did the obstacles I needed to overcome. Embracing these challenges has made me a better student, mentor, and person. The world is constantly changing, and I believe that a commitment to lifelong learning is the best way to prepare for an uncertain future. Another promise I’ve made is to give back to my community. While I’m committed to using my knowledge to improve the community, this promise goes further. I want to ensure that future underprivileged Latino students have an easier path than I did. By creating a legacy of making higher education more accessible, we can foster a future where underserved students are well-represented in traditionally one-sided fields. Giving back to my community means more than just offering financial aid or internships; it’s about creating opportunities and accessibility to resources that can empower the next generation. My time as a Latino undergraduate studying chemical engineering has been one of the most challenging experiences of my life. With my success, I will strive to create a community where opportunities are abundant and where success is attainable for all, not just for me, but for those who have guided me and the generations to come.

As I enter my fourth year as a Latino student pursuing one of the most demanding careers, being an undergraduate chemical engineering student has been undeniably challenging. The rigorous level of science, math, and complex concepts required to excel in this field is daunting, especially for an underprivileged Latino student like myself. However, despite the academic and financial hurdles I face, my ambition drives me to use this career to uplift my community as much as possible. Throughout my undergraduate journey, I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to local communities by researching better or alternative resources that are more efficient and sustainable. I’ve pushed beyond the financial and racial disadvantages to discover innovative methods that can create a stronger, more resilient community. My experience at the University of Santa Barbara, where I engaged in sustainable heterogeneous catalyst research, reinforced my belief that my knowledge in this field can directly impact the lives of those around me. My drive to learn has been further fueled by my experiences in school and internships. One of the most important promises I’ve made to myself is to remain open to learning, no matter the circumstances. I realized the value of this when I took on various roles within my club at UC Riverside, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) at Riverside. As a project manager, I understood why continuous learning is essential. With each new role and challenge, my goals evolved, and so did the obstacles I needed to overcome. Embracing these challenges has made me a better student, mentor, and person. The world is constantly changing, and I believe that a commitment to lifelong learning is the best way to prepare for an uncertain future. Another promise I’ve made is to give back to my community. While I’m committed to using my knowledge to improve the community, this promise goes further. I want to ensure that future underprivileged Latino students have an easier path than I did. By creating a legacy of making higher education more accessible, we can foster a future where underserved students are well-represented in traditionally one-sided fields. Giving back to my community means more than just offering financial aid or internships; it’s about creating opportunities and accessibility to resources that can empower the next generation. My time as a Latino undergraduate studying chemical engineering has been one of the most challenging experiences of my life. With my success, I will strive to create a community where opportunities are abundant and where success is attainable for all, not just for me, but for those who have guided me and the generations to come.

Throughout my life nature has always been able to take my breath away somehow. I have been to many national parks and each one makes me admire nature itself, but I soon realized that our generation has taken that for granted. With the recent problems regarding nature like global warming or nature threatening issues, I have come to realize that I would hate to see nature being destroyed. So I dedicated my career path to help save nature and to preserve all of its beauty as long as we live. Nature is literally a give from above and I would hate to see beauty be destroyed from the world's actions.

One way I like to get away from the stress that school gives me is that I like to go for a run. Since high school, running has always been there when I needed an escape, whether it was from school or life running has had an impact on me. I tend to go on at least a thirty-minute run when I feel overwhelmed or tired of school because when I run I feel like I'm free from everything holding me back. I let go of my problems and fears and just run, but it also gives me a sense of freedom as well because when I run I essentially can go where ever I want to go. It's just me and the outdoors with my mind feeling free. Running to me doesn't always have to feel like a race when I run. Before I used to run to become better for my team and try to break my records, but as time went on I realized that running isn't always about that. Now to me running, or any exercise is just a way to blow off steam and stress to make my mind not feel overwhelmed. I like to stay active and make my time worth it so for me running makes my day feel like it was well used because as I run I think of everything I have done in my day, but also plan out my next days so that I could use my energy and time for me.