At a young age, I had to learn the struggles of substance abuse within my own family. I'll strive to demonstrate how my personal experience of drug addiction within my family has changed my beliefs, relationships, and career aspirations. I will prove that I would be a good investment from this scholarship because I will bring awareness of substance abuse within the homeless population throughout my career. On my moms' side of the family, she and her cousin had to raise themselves in Los Angeles. They would party late and hang out in a nasty crowd. To them, it turned into a lifestyle. Fortunately, my mom got out while she was young, but my aunt never did. More than 20 years have passed, and my aunt is still too deep. In school, we took educational courses on substance abuse. I distinctly remember how ashamed I felt because someone I love was suffering and needed help. She went to rehab. Unfortunately, it was not successful. She ended up getting pregnant twice and gave birth to what people refer to as heroin babies. My heart broke because I raised my cousin for the first year of his life. We were unable to adopt him. When the second baby came, child protection services took her as soon as possible. It was devastating. All that had happened, my aunt's unable to find her way. Now she is on the streets and can not be found. My beliefs about homelessness drastically changed when substance abuse hit my family. Currently, I am attending my local community college and plan to transfer to the University of Pittsburgh in the fall to continue my education in spreading substance abuse awareness. During my spare time, I volunteer at my local community food pantry. Whenever I did, I felt like I was making a difference, even though I know it is small compared to the world's homelessness social issues. In my city, we face a large homeless population. Which a lot is because of drug addiction. I plan to use my education to further me ahead in my career. I wish to save enough money and unite with like-minded individuals to make a community center and home pods for the homeless. The community center will provide support groups and educational courses for substance abuse for the local schools. I believe anybody given the right help and support can turn around and better themselves. I wish to be that light and helping hand to anyone who wants to get off the streets and make a positive change in their lives. I plan to specialize in being a public defender and have the best interest of the minorities in the community. Hopefully, I can gain local recognition and pursue politics. In a perfect world, my dream job would be to become a senator having my voice heard to make a social change. I want our community to stop being ashamed of the people who suffer from substance abuse and see them as real people with real problems who need help. Undoubtedly, I have seen the horrors and felt the pain of substance abuse firsthand. It's a terrible thing that many families face. It has changed my beliefs, relationships, and career aspirations for the better. Now my life goal is to make a difference by helping others and lowering the amount of substance abuse within homelessness in our communities throughout the growth of my career. I plan to change my community and help those in need. I hope that my efforts are recognized and will provide a spark of change around the world.

Dear Scholar Selection Committee: Throughout my essay, I will strive to demonstrate how I am working to address the important social issue of homelessness by telling my story. First, I'm a first-generation Hispanic college student. At a young age, my family struggled with finances. They didn't receive any help to get them into the position they are in today. I intend to use my personal experience of homelessness to bring awareness to the struggles of low-income families and the homeless population during the growth of my career and volunteering. My parents didn't come from a wealthy background. In reality, they had it very rough growing up. Just after their families learned about their teen pregnancy, my parents were kicked out and didn't have the time or the chance to graduate high school. Therefore, they never had the opportunity to consider attending college because they were trying to make ends meet and provide for their two children at eighteen and nineteen. At a point, we were even living out of our family car. Fortunately, they worked hard to be able to give me the opportunity that they never had. Currently, I'm attending my local community college and plan to transfer to the University of Pittsburgh in the fall to continue my education. I intend to major in political science and minor in real estate to get my license. I plan to use my degrees to learn about property and civil laws. During my spare time, I volunteer to address the homeless social issue. I work with my local Community Food Pantry by going to markets and asking for donations to help feed our community. In addition, my family and I have family traditions. During the fall, we round up all our donation clothes, primarily sweatshirts, and we drive around handing them out to the homeless on the streets. While during the summer, we would drive around our city and pass out water bottles. Whenever I volunteer, I feel like I'm making a difference, even though it is small compared to the world's complex homelessness social issues. Furthermore, I plan to use my education to further my career. I hope to save enough money and unite with like-minded individuals to make a community center and home pods for the homeless. Anybody given the right help and support can turn around and better themselves. I wish to be that light and helping hand to anyone who wants to get off the streets and make a positive change in their lives. I plan to specialize in being a public defender and have the best interest of the minorities in the community. Down the road, I hope to gain local acceptance and pursue politics. In a perfect world, my dream job would be to become a senator and have my voice heard to make a social change and look out for the minority. Undoubtedly, I have seen the horrors and felt the pain of homelessness firsthand. It's a terrible thing that a lot of families face. My life goal is to help others and lower the amount of homelessness in our communities throughout the growth of my career. Despite my struggles, my parents raised me to have a good heart. I plan to change my community and help those in need by continuing to volunteer and pursuing an education that can help address the homeless social issue. I hope that my efforts are recognized and will provide a spark of change around the world. Lastly, I'd like to thank the committee for listening to my story and considering me for your scholarship.

Dear Scholar Selection Committee: I wish to apply for your Growing with Gabby Essay scholarship. Despite my previous troubles, my courageousness and strength will show my worthiness for your scholarship opportunity. Throughout my essay, I will strive to demonstrate how I've grown from the struggles this past year by revealing how I am remaining on track and proving myself every day. After high school, I got accepted into my dream institute, the University of Pittsburgh. It did feel like a dream at first, but over time it subsequently changed. I'm from California and have never been away from my home and support system. I believed I could've handled it, but the long distance and homesickness began to kick in towards the end of the first semester. I felt very isolated. Perhaps it was a mix of the long distance with the seasonal depression. But as a result, the spring semester was the worse for me mentally. I hadn't made many friends and had to help pay my tuition, so I got a job. I ended up working overly much. When I wasn't working, I was stuck in my dorm room, not concentrating on academics. My family and I believed it was most reasonable to return home by taking a gap year and focusing on my mental health in a supportive atmosphere. The first few months were challenging, but I slowly came to terms with my current situation and began to work on my mental and physical health. My daily routine has transformed substantially. I stopped staying up late and started waking up early to kick off my day. I added a morning exercise and terminated my procrastination by keeping myself productive with scholarships and hobbies in my daily routine. Luckily, after my self-discovery, my values and dreams remained the same. I nevertheless wish to pursue law and return to my dream college again. Throughout my journey of self-discovery, I can confidently say I feel happier and more comfortable in my skin. I learned to have my priorities straight and not give up on myself. I discovered a way to balance them both. I'm finally making myself proud rather than seeking the approval of others. I've learned what I ought to do to get me back into the position to go back to school and mentally handle the challenges I will face once I am back. During this past year, I have transformed myself tremendously. I learned to focus on applying for scholarships to help pay for the following semester. In addition, self-care habits have mentally prepared me for the next school year by feeling more comfortable and brave. Doing these has made me feel a sense of relief of finally being enough for myself. Overall, I'd like to thank the committee for listening to my story and considering me for the Growing with Gabby Essay scholarship.

Dear Scholar Selection Committee: Throughout my essay, I will strive to demonstrate how my Hispanic Heritage background has affected how I see the world for the better. My parents raised me to embrace our culture by staying connected to our roots. It has made me value my family's closeness and be more inclined toward my education. First, I am a first-generation Hispanic college student and the first in my family to graduate from high school. Currently, I am attending my local community college and plan to transfer back to the University of Pittsburgh in the Fall. During my spare time, I volunteer to address the homeless social issue. I work with my local Community food pantry by going to grocery markets and asking for donations to help feed our community. At a young age, my family and I struggled with finances. My family didn't receive any help to get them into the position they are in today. The challenges my parents faced have shaped the way I view the world. My parents held on strong to our Hispanic culture. They valued hard work and gave me every opportunity to succeed in my academics and professional achievements. They understand the meaning of hard work and building themselves up in today's society. It has taught me to never take my presence for granted and always try my best. Therefore, I strived in my classes and took advantage of the extracurriculars in school. Taking passion in hard work has allowed me to see it more within the world. In Hispanic culture, we take pride in our family and have respect for others. Within my family and extended family, we constantly express unconditional love and support for one another. I believe we have a moral responsibility to help our families in need. It has created me to feel the support and security of living. By valuing and caring for others, I am more sympathetic and want to lend a helping hand in the world. However, my parents had it rough growing up. My parents raised me to appreciate my Hispanic heritage and apply it to everyday living. I use my culture of hard work and looking out for others to see the world through a different lens. I see how my background affects how I view people. That is why I volunteer. I want to be a helping hand and have support for anyone in need. I know my parents' struggles, and I don't wish that upon any family. Also, I've learned to recognize hard work. Whenever I'm able to, I like to contribute to street vendors. I know how people have to hustle to make ends meet. I've seen it within my own family. I want to support and hope for the best for the street vendors. Overall, I apply my Hispanic heritage in my everyday living. It has grown my character and sympathy for others' situations for the best. I've learned to recognize hard work among others and take advantage of opportunities. I'm thankful my parents stuck to their roots and showed me the meaning of taking pride in my education and my family's closeness.

I am a first-generation Hispanic college student. At a young age, I had to learn the struggles of substance abuse within my own family. I plan to use my personal experience to bring awareness of Substance Use Disorder within the homeless population throughout the growth of my career in political science and real estate through educational courses. On my moms' side of the family, she and her cousin had to raise themselves in Los Angeles. They would party late and hang out in a nasty crowd. To them, it turned into a lifestyle. Fortunately, my mom got out while she was young, but my aunt never did. More than 20 years have passed, and my aunt is still too deep. She was one of my adult figures and used to give me advice about boys in school. All along, I did not know she was suffering from substance abuse. In school, we took educational courses on substance abuse. I distinctly remember how ashamed I felt because someone I love was suffering and needed help. She went to rehab but, unfortunately, it was not successful. She ended up getting pregnant twice and gave birth to what people refer to as heroin babies. My heart broke because I raised my baby boy's cousin for the first year of his life. We were unable to adopt him. When the second baby girl came, child protection services took her as soon as possible. It was devastating. All that had happened, my aunt's unable to find her way. Currently, I am attending my local community college and plan to transfer to the University of Pittsburgh in the fall to continue my education in spreading substance abuse awareness. During my spare time, I volunteered at my local community food pantry. Whenever I did, I felt like I was making a difference, even though I know it is small compared to the world's homelessness social issues. In my city, we face a large homeless population. Which a lot is because of Substance Use Disorder. I plan to use my education to further me ahead in my career. I hope to save enough money and unite with like-minded individuals to make a community center and home pods for the homeless. The community center will provide support groups and educational courses for Substance Use Disorder for the local schools. I believe anybody given the right help and support can turn around and better themselves. I wish to be that light and helping hand to anyone who wants to get off the streets and make a positive change in their lives. I plan to specialize in being a public defender and have the best interest of the minorities in the community. Hopefully, in ten years I can gain local recognition and pursue politics. In a perfect world, my dream job would be to become a senator and have my voice heard to make a social change. I want our community to stop being ashamed of the people who suffer from substance abuse and see them as real people with real problems who need help. Undoubtedly, I have seen the horrors and felt the pain of substance abuse firsthand. It's a terrible thing that many families face. My life goal is to help others and lower the amount of Substance Use Disorder among the homeless in our communities throughout the growth of my career. I plan to change my community and help those in need. I hope that my efforts are recognized and will provide a spark of change around the world.

I am a first-generation Hispanic college student. At a young age, my family and I struggled with finances. My family didn't receive any help to get them into the position they are in today. I plan to use my personal experience of homelessness to bring awareness to the struggles of low-income families and the homeless population throughout the growth of my career. My parents didn't come from a wealthy background, in reality, they had it very rough growing up. Just after their families learned about their teen pregnancy, my parents were kicked out and didn't have the time or the chance to graduate high school. Therefore, they never had the opportunity to consider going to college because they were trying to make ends meet and provide for their two children at eighteen and nineteen years old. During the first years of my older brother's and I's life, we lived out of our family's car. My parents worked hard their whole lives to be able to give me the opportunity that they never had. Currently, I am attending my local community college and plan to transfer to the University of Pittsburgh in the fall. During my spare time, I volunteer to address the homeless social issue. I work with my local Community food pantry by going to markets and asking for donations to help feed our community. Especially put more time in near the holidays because I believe every person deserves a home-cooked meal on Thanksgiving and Christmas. In addition, my family and I have family traditions during the fall and summer. During the fall, we round up all our donation clothes, primarily sweatshirts, and we drive around handing them out to the homeless we see on the streets. During the summer, we would drive around our city and pass out water bottles. Furthermore, I am studying both political science and real estate. I plan to use my education to further me ahead in my career. I hope I'll save enough money and unite with like-minded individuals to make a community center and home pods for the homeless. Anybody given the right help and support can turn around and better themselves. I wish to be that light and helping hand to anyone who wants to get off the streets and make a positive change in their lives. I plan to specialize in being a public defender and have the best interest of the minorities in the community. Undoubtedly, I have seen the horrors and felt the pain of homelessness firsthand. It's a terrible thing that a lot of us face. My life goal is to help others and lower the amount of homelessness in our communities. Despite my struggles, my parents raised me to have a good heart. I plan to change my community and help those in need. I hope that my efforts are recognized and will provide a spark of change around the world.

"During boot camp, we were on the field when I received the news that changed my life forever. The drill sergeant said, 'Congratulations Orosco, you have a healthy daughter'." Full of emotion, the drill sergeant allowed my father to throw a grenade in honor of my birth. This is one of my favorite stories my father shares with me during his time served. From his experience and sacrifices, being a daughter of a veteran has shaped my character and career aspirations greatly. By leading to picking a career in justice. Growing up I didn't quite understand how much of an honor it is to be in a military family because I never understand why my father picked to serve. After my father told me why I soon realized it is a great honor and I am so proud of him. My parents had me and my older brother when they were in high school. They told me stories about how for a year they were living in a car and were homeless. When he found out I was on the way and he decided that was no life for his family and needed to make a big change. He was recruited at eighteen and started his service at twenty years old. He found a way to provide for his family while serving our country. My father's courage and decision of going to the army have shaped my career aspirations. I grew up with pride in my father's served service and it has led me to the decision to pursue a career where I can help the greater good. Growing up I learned how to be independent and to take the opportunity to work hard even if at first it doesn't look like an opportunity for growth. There were many paths I could've followed but I decided to follow the path of law and order. I picked to pursue law because of the sense that I will be providing justice and helping those in need. I want to serve my country in a way I know I could do best. I want to be the voice of change and the light of hope to those in the dark. The strongest aspect that I take from my father is a big heart. I want to make the world a better place in any way I can. When I told my father my choice to major in political science the expression of pride on his face was so bright. That is a moment I will always remember. Thus far, I have finished a year and a half of my schooling, and I still have a way to go. However, every day I grow more knowledge and excitement for the future to see where my career goes and who I'll help on the way. One day my father will be proud of me and be able to say "my daughter is a lawyer" and know all his sacrifices were not forgotten. He will probably never comprehend how much his decision to fight for our country has shaped me. I'm proud to say that my father is a veteran.