From the beginning, my parents were adamant that both my younger sister and I go to college. They were both born, raised, and educated overseas. To their credit, they came to the US 10 years ago, and since then they have worked extremely hard and provided my younger sister and me with great resources and opportunities. When I was 10, my dad asked me what I wanted to be. I said I wanted to be a school teacher – my goal since I was 5 years old! he and my mom have been very supportive in helping me pursue my dream, nothing else than becoming a school teacher. Before starting my education studies as a first-generation college student in Massachusetts, I always thought that my goal as a future school teacher will be to actively contribute to teaching curriculums so we can make our local school systems more inclusive and more successful. I'll dedicate my teaching passion to enabling all positive actions while including content in learning (reading, writing, math, social topics, foreign languages, etc.). I will help children, especially the ones in need of more support, to improve their academic performance, intellectually, socially, and emotionally. I will also help to involve community leaders in developing a positive community for children and youth, focusing on female rights and justice. As a social justice believer, I'll dedicate time as a volunteer to ensure I help and support children, especially girls, in developing countries where education isn’t accessible to them. In the past, I have been involved in many volunteering activities in my community, most of them focused on helping on the education of ESL’s children. Through that experience, I have learned that the American Dream does not simply belong to first generation students like myself. I have found that our accomplishments, as first-generation students, are stacked upon the sacrifices of our parents. I used to think that growing up was like the passing of a baton where you’re the next runner and it’s your turn to run your best race, but I now see that this is a team effort, as you expand your horizons your family also gets to experience the benefits. I want to demonstrate to my community that there can be a female, a first-generation student, and a tri-lingual teacher. I believe that success is also very important to me. I hope to accomplish many things in my life, but most importantly, I would like to make my family proud so that they know that all of their sacrifices were worth it. Success to me is having a career that I love and that can make a difference in students’ lives while they undergo through significant personal transformation when growing up. I know that through my hard work and dedication, I can make my goals a reality. However, it may not be possible without these Scholarships. While my parents will help me in any way they can, I am hoping that my hard work and dedication to my studies pays off. I am a very self-driven individual who will accomplish any goal I set in my mind. I am also aware of how without scholarships I may face a financial setback. I am hoping that through the help of scholarships, I will be able to achieve all my goals in a timely manner. Earning this Rita A. Clark Future Educator Award not only will help me financially, but also it will give me the motivation to push myself in achieving my dream of becoming a school teacher.