”Forty - Love”... my opponent exclaimed with a hint of excitement in her voice. She served the ball and I just stood there frozen. It was the second set, I lost the fist set, the match score was 1-2. As we switched sides, my coach pulled me aside. Asking me what's wrong. I couldn’t respond, all I wanted to do was lose. The girl that I was going up against, she was ranked higher than me, and better than me. However, my coach told me the most important lesson I have ever learned. “Just keep the ball in play.” Simple as that. After I got a slip of my water I walked, took the balls and walked to my court and turned around. I started to count to 10 and took deep breaths while counting. A trick my coach taught me to calm the nerves before playing. It helps me not get in my head and stop doubting myself. “1-3. Love all. First serve” I shoot. As I throw my ball. “Out” my opponent yelled. Just keep the ball in play. I keep replaying my coach’s words. By just keeping the ball in I was able to win that set. Then before we started the tiebreaker my coach pulled aside and told me, “I know your tire, but that just means that your opponent is tired as well. Outlast her, I know you can”. With those encouraging words and a lot of mental strength I was able to win that match. A match where I was destined to lose. Tennis has taught me many lessons, the most important lessons that I have taken are to be in the game and outlast your opponent. As a perfectionist, I always want my serves to be perfect to hit the outer corner of the service box. Something my coach has taught me, is that at times your hits, your work doesn't need to be perfect, but enough to keep you in the game. By doing just good enough you are still in the game. Being consistent enough where you are outrally them. At times, when feeling scared or discouraged, being able to be consistent is enough to allow you to still be in the game. I have applied this to my academics by doing your homework everyday you will understand the concept and do well in that class. With being consistent it builds up your confidence, which allows you to move around and beat your opponent both physically and mentally. If your opponent sees that you are consistent and see that you are gaining confidence. They are more likely to start messing up due to over analyzing situations. Tennis has taught me valuable lessons that I have applied in my academic career. Honesty, I am a more confident person due to tennis.

“You think there is money in that industry, immigrants can barely survive. You think they will have money to pay for a lawyer?” At the age of 7, my dreams were crushed by my father. Over time, this has only made me more determined. As I continue my path to becoming an immigration lawyer my goal is to help people start a new chapter in their lives. I want to be their voice, making sure that they are treated with equal rights, by opening my own law firm. Growing up in a rural, unincorporated community has opened my eyes to the lack of resources available for undocumented people. It is very common for undocumented people to get taken advantage of and have poor working conditions. Due to them being scared about reaching out because of not having citizenship. I want to help them not feel scared anymore, but feel safe and have the opportunity to start over. Rightfully in this great country. Having no support from my family made me even more determined to accomplish my goals. I understand that living in a rural community has impacted my parent’s views on education. However, I want to prove to them that education is the gateway out of poverty. As an older sister, I want to set an example to my younger siblings that education is always an option. I am more focused on my studies to show my parents that education can take you a long way. I joined AVID and GEAR UP programs that help prepare first-generation students for college. These programs have been my support system and have shown me that no matter what your situation is, college is always an option. I dived into extra-curricular activities to pave my way and ensure I was making it to college; I became Senior Class President, took dual enrollment courses, joined AP classes, became the captain of the girl's varsity tennis team, and participated in the Science Olympiad all four years. As well as other clubs that include math club, CSF (an honor role program). As a proud founding member of the Banned Book Lovers (BBL) club, we explore banned books while analyzing the reasons, and debating whether they should have been banned. Living in a rural, low-income community, where the majority of the population are Mexicans, it is a close-minded and conservative place. Being in this club has allowed its members to be exposed to different types of literature.To spread awareness, my club has put out stands in the library of banned books and we give descriptions of the book and why students should read it. By spreading awareness we hope to bring more recognition to these issues. In addition, my club has presented in multiple English classes to spread awareness about our club and our motive. We continue to bring light to these hushed issues to help make my community more acceptable while increasing our reading levels. Proving that I have ambition and am determined to do great things.

At the age of 14, I made an unbreakable promise. I promised my great-grandma that I would go to college on her deathbed. As my great-grandma was reaching the end of her life. I was the one taking care of her. I would cook for her, give her medication, and keep her company. Throughout this, I was attending school, but due to COVID, school was through Zoom, allowing me to take care of my grandma. My great-grandma has always been my role model. She was the person who truly believed in me and my potential. She would reaffirm my doubts and would numerously tell me to keep pushing. Looking back, she has made unbelievable sacrifices for my family to have a better life. As an immigrant, she had to learn how to live in this country on her own. As a woman, it was looked down upon to leave her home country with your children. On her deathbed, I promised that I would go to college and have a better life. Looking back, my great-grandma has taught me that I can do anything, regardless of my gender. She taught me the definition of resilience and hard work. She would always say, you sow what you reap. Now I finally understand what she was trying to teach me. That hard work pays off. Through my struggles, these lessons have been the fire inside me to keep going. During my junior year and senior year, I have been under a lot of stress. I was taking challenging classes and very involved, as the student council president, captain of the girls' varsity tennis, and involved in other clubs, while maintaining a good GPA. I can push through because of the lessons I have learned. I know how much my great-grandma sacrificed for me to have a better opportunity. I will not let her sacrifice go to waste. This has affected me by motivating me to fulfill the promise I made. I will not let the lessons that she has taught me go to waste. This is the promise that I will not break. In addition, I joined speech and debate in my freshman year of high school. I quickly fell in love with speech and debate. As a person who loved to talk, having people listen to you talk about whatever you wanted for 10 minutes was the dream. As I attended more competitions, I started to be more careful about the topics that I chose my speech would be about. I enjoyed using speech and debate as my political stage. I am grateful that I was able to express my concerns about our society through speech and debate.

For as long as I can remember my Mexican father has shaped my life, just as the river shapes the water that flows through it. My father never valued the idea of education. He couldn’t care less if I got good grades. It is important to him that I understand manual and physical labor. Growing up in a rural community, my father made sure that I knew how to cultivate the land and how to take care of farm animals. After telling my father that I wanted to further my education, I faced discouragement and a lack of support. I felt like I was trying to go against the current of the river. Having no support and knowing that the person who was supposed to believe in me, no matter how far I shot for the stars, seemed unmovable, I constantly felt lost and doubted my abilities. Having no support from my family made me even more determined. My determination gives me the strength to withstand the current of my rigidly directed river, forming a new steam. I am more focused on my studies to show my parents that education can take you a long way. I joined AVID and GEAR UP programs that help prepare first-generation students for college. These programs have been my support system and have shown me that no matter what your situation is, college is always an option. I dived into extra-curricular activities to pave my own way and ensure I was making it to college; I became Senior Class President, took dual enrollment courses, joined AP classes, became the captain of the girls varsity tennis team, and participated in Science Olympiad all 4 years. Although, living in a rural community means everyone is living next to or under the poverty line. My family has always struggled with money barely meeting ends meet. Last year, I took the initiative of working at my family’s local restaurant to start saving up for college. However, I now realize that it won’t be enough to pay for my tuition. Getting this scholarship will have a huge impact on me. It will at least help me get books or help me pay for my tuition. As well, it will help me open more doors and opportunities for my life. In addition, I will need additional help due to being a first-generation student. I unfortunately will not have the guidance that many college students have. This scholarship will allow me to get the extra help that will provide me with the guidance to be successful in college. As I continue my path I believe this is necessary as I begin my journey to become an immigration lawyer. I will continue my studies and then go to law school to become a lawyer. After that, I want to open up a law firm and help people. I learned that at times, you have to take the initiative and follow your dreams, even if faced with discouragement. I understand living in a rural community has shaped my parents' views. However, I want to prove to them that education is the gateway out of poverty. Even though me and my father share the same last name, we will not share the same fate. My father can be the river pushing me to go through its path, and I will be the water that creates a new stream.

For as long as I can remember my Mexican father has shaped my life, just as the river shapes the water that flows through it. My father never valued the idea of education. He couldn’t care less if I got good grades. It is important to him that I understand manual and physical labor. Growing up in a rural community, my father made sure that I knew how to cultivate the land and how to take care of farm animals. After telling my father that I wanted to further my education, I faced discouragement and a lack of support. I felt like I was trying to go against the current of the river. Having no support and knowing that the person who was supposed to believe in me, no matter how far I shot for the stars, seemed unmovable, I constantly felt lost and doubted my abilities. Having no support from my family made me even more determined. My determination gives me the strength to withstand the current of my rigidly directed river, forming a new steam. I am more focused on my studies to show my parents that education can take you a long way. I joined AVID and GEAR UP programs that help prepare first-generation students for college. These programs have been my support system and have shown me that no matter what your situation is, college is always an option. I dived into extra-curricular activities to pave my own way and ensure I was making it to college. I became Senior Class President, took dual enrollment courses, joined AP classes, became the captain of the girls’ varsity tennis team, and participated in Science Olympiad all 4 years. As well, I have also volunteered at my local elementary school and have done an internship there being a teacher assistant. As I continue my path, I believe this is necessary as I begin my journey to become an immigration lawyer. I will continue my studies and then go to law school to become a lawyer. After that, I want to open up a law firm and help people. I want to prove to my parents to my little siblings that furthering your education is worth it. That it is the gateway out of poverty. Even though me and my father share the same last name, we will not share the same fate. My father can be the river pushing me to go through its path, and I will be the water that creates a new stream.

At the age of 14, I made an unbreakable promise. I promised my great-grandma that I would go to college on her deathbed. This was when COVID was at its peak, school was through Zoom, allowing me and my uncle to care for her. I would cook for her, give her medication, and keep her company. After a while, my uncle’s liver started failing and we took him to the hospital. With most of the patients at the hospital having COVID, unfortunately, my uncle got infected with COVID and passed away. A few months later my great-grandma also passed from falling into depression from my uncle’s passing. At first, it felt more like a chore to be with her. As a teenager, the idea of spending time with your grandma wasn’t that appealing. However, with time I grew to appreciate her presence. She was the first person who truly believed in me and my potential. She would reaffirm my doubts and would numerously tell me to keep pushing. Looking back, she has made unbelievable sacrifices for my family to have a better life. As an immigrant, she had to learn how to live in this country on her own. On her deathbed, I promised her that I would go to college and have a better life for my family. Through my struggles, this promise has been the fire inside me to keep going. I know how much my great-grandma sacrificed for me to have a better opportunity. I will not let her sacrifice go to waste. I am more focused on my studies to keep that promise. I now understand her intentions and that education can take you a long way. I joined AVID and GEAR UP programs that help prepare first-generation students for college. These programs have been my support system and have shown me that no matter what your situation is, college is always an option. I dived into extra-curricular activities to pave my way and ensure I was making it to college. I became Senior Class President, took dual enrollment courses, joined AP classes, became the captain of the girl's varsity tennis team, and participated in Science Olympiad all 4 years. As well as have also volunteered at my local elementary school and done internships there. I now understand that my great-grandma making this promise to me was to ensure that I had a chance at a better life. A chance to get out of poverty. So, I will not break this promise.

For as long as I can remember my Mexican father has shaped my life, just as the river shapes the water that flows through it. My father never valued the idea of education. He couldn’t care less if I got good grades. It is important to him that I understand manual and physical labor. Growing up in a rural community, my father made sure that I knew how to cultivate the land and how to take care of farm animals. After telling my father that I wanted to further my education, I faced discouragement and a lack of support. I felt like I was trying to go against the current of the river. Having no support and knowing that the person who was supposed to believe in me, no matter how far I shot for the stars, seemed unmovable, I constantly felt lost and doubted my abilities. Having no support from my family made me even more determined. My determination gives me the strength to withstand the current of my rigidly directed river, forming a new steam. I am more focused on my studies to show my parents that education can take you a long way. I joined AVID and GEAR UP programs that help prepare first-generation students for college. These programs have been my support system and have shown me that no matter what your situation is, college is always an option. I dived into extra-curricular activities to pave my own way and ensure I was making it to college; I became Senior Class President, took dual enrollment courses, joined AP classes, became the captain of the girls varsity tennis team, and participated in Science Olympiad all 4 years. As I continue my path I believe this is necessary as I begin my journey to become an immigration lawyer. I will continue my studies and then go to law school to become a lawyer. After that I want to open up a law firm and help people. To prove to my parents that education is the key to poverty. Then I want to give back to my community and help my people write the next chapter of their lives. Even though me and my father share the same last name, we will not share the same fate. My father can be the river pushing me to go through its path, but I will be the water that creates a new stream.

As a proud founding member of the Banned Book Lovers (BBL) club, we explore banned books while analyzing the reasons, and debating whether they should have been banned. My club combats our school's low reading levels while spreading awareness and acceptance on conservative issues. Living in a rural, low-income community, where the majority of the population is Mexicans, it is a closed-minded and conservative place. Being in this club has allowed its members to be exposed to different types of literature. For most students, including myself, English isn’t our first language and has made our reading levels lower than average. Being in this club strengthens our reading and comprehension skills. A book we read was The Color Purple by Alice Walker. This book is banned for many reasons, but specifically for LGBTQ plus and racism themes. This book opened up the discussion about accepting your sexuality. Due to religion, strict traditions, and overall homophobia, people in my community are scared to be open about their sexuality. Opening the floor and discussing these topics has allowed me to use my voice and express my opinion about topics that may make others uncomfortable. A book that our club read was A Stolen Life by Jaycee Lee Dugard. This book discusses how Dugard was kidnapped and held captive for 18 years. My club was able to raise awareness about domestic issues. This book has influenced many of my peers outside of the club to start reading it as well. Resulting in classmates being informed about the reality of kidnapping and domestic abuse. I live in a community that has multiple convicted sexual offenders; by reading this book, my club has spread awareness about domestic issues. Encouraging that if someone is going through something like this, to reach out for help. To spread awareness, my club has put out stands in the library of banned books and we give descriptions of the book and why students should read it. By spreading awareness we hope to bring more recognition to these issues. In addition, my club has presented in multiple English classes to spread awareness about our club and our motive. We continue to bring light to these hushed issues to help make my community more acceptable while increasing our reading levels. As someone who is open-minded, this club has inspired me to let others in my community be aware that there are pressing issues in our world that we should be more aware of and reading is one way to increase awareness. Additionally, through reading to build awareness we can also build the empathy needed to increase acceptance.

“You think there is money in that industry, immigrants can barely survive, you think they will have money to pay for a lawyer?” At the ripe age of 7, my dreams were crushed, the person who was supposed to believe in me no matter how far I shot for the stars, didn’t. Growing up in a rural, unincorporated community has influenced my immigrant parents to have a close mind on jobs. Having Mexican parents it's common that after high school you start working in the fields. Unfortunately, my parents didn't believe in the purpose of furthering my education. Part of the Mexican culture is that women are supposed to stay at home and cook, clean, and have children. To them going to college is impossible. However, at 7 years old I realized there is no future if I stay in my hometown. It has been challenging having no support from my parents. At times I feel like I’m in the middle of the ocean blindly swimming for land. Having no one to guide me or reassure me to keep swimming. At times I envy my brother knowing that just because he is a man they support him. However, with time I've learned that my parents are not at fault, they are merely doing what they have been taught to believe. It is society who is at fault, it is the continuation of reinforcing machismo. I know that if I wanted to break the chain of machismo. I have to further my education. Even if my parents didn't approve of me going. To me, college is everything. I have spent hundreds of hours researching ways to increase my chances of getting into college. Throughout high school, I have pushed myself to do anything and everything possible to get into college. I have worked hard these past couple of years to make sure my future is bright, even with the constant disapproval from my parents. Going to college and furthering my education is like the raft floating in the ocean that will take me to land. Though the waves might be rough, I have to preserve and pull myself onto the raft. Showing my parents the opportunities college will give me, will change their perspective on how they view women. Proving to them that I don't need to get married to be successful. I will be one step closer to breaking the chain of machismo. Though I might be straggling in the ocean right now, I know that I will soon reach land.

As an immigrant lawyer, I'll help people get a second chance in this country while blazing the path for immigrants to break the chain of poverty.