My name is Areli Mojica Rios. I’m a Senior at Preble High school. I am looking to pursue a Bachelor's degree at UW-Green Bay as a first-generation College student. Growing up Hispanic has helped shape me into an independent and high-achieving person. As a first-generation Hispanic-American, it was lonely growing up until I was enrolled in grade school where I began building my connections. This forced me to get comfortable being uncomfortable which has become an advantage. In grade school, I began to learn English along with all the other content that a young child is taught. This environment forced me to stay mindful of the barrier along with lifestyle and societal practices that may not resonate at home and vice versa. To this day, I am mindful of any barriers that may affect productivity or efficiency in my work. If there are any barriers, I ensure to accommodate them if needed, ultimately bringing my work up to standards and hopefully exceeding the expectations. I will use my experiences and education to foster a community that practices being emotionally honest with one another as well as encourages children to engage in these practices. With these foundations set in place, the community can advocate for equity rather than equality, recognizing that each person has different circumstances and accommodating to ensure that each person has the resources they need to reach an equal outcome. Equity leads to long-term, sustainable, equitable access for generations to come. Equity is a process with the outcome of equality.