Some fail to understand the significance of my achievements, what it costs me to accomplish something due to the unfamiliarity with what I’ve had to go through to be on their level. I have experienced some disadvantages, which in a way they have helped me develop strengths and character allowing me to keep going though doubt and uncertaint. Throughout high school, I chose prerequisite classes that would allow me to enter the Certified Nurse Assistant program that my high school offered. However, course selection for senior year came around, and I was denied because I lacked a US citizenship. I still have no words to describe what I felt at that moment. My grades were perfect, I never caused trouble at school, nor failed a class. I didn’t do anything wrong; I was ready. But was stopped by a serialnumber. Then another opportunity offered me a spot at the EMT program. Only 8 out of the 753 class made the program. I felt hope, I wasn't defined by a serial number. Then turns out I needed a Texas ID for clinicals at the hospital and for the National Registry. I couldn't and can't obtain one, again I wasn’t useful. But I kept the class, stayed, was taught, and learned the same content as the other EMT’s. CPR, control bleeding, burns, shock, everything needed take the National Registry, still I was not considered part of the program. Desperation and physical pain in my chest is a way to describe it. What really topped it off was when an agency representative visited us. And he said, and I won’t forget “Those who are ACTUALLY in the program please come sit at the front, those who aren't please go to the back” with embarrassment I stood up went from the first seat to the right, closest to the board in the room to the last one. Everyone looked at me I simply hid my face with anger, and there it was a 17-year-old crying in silence in the back of the room. Humiliated all I could do was sit back and watch everyone else accomplish something I couldn't. I kept this to myself, I didn't want my parents to be disappointed. From a young age a learned some will remind me of how I'm not American enough, others will look down to me but that no matter what I've got to keep going for myself and for my parents who came to this country with nothing, and they gave me everything. Now I’m given another chance, my degree in psychology. Attending college something my family is unfamiliar with. The highest education my parents obtained was sophomore year in high school and I see their everyday struggles because of this. Still yet I adore them, and they play a very important role in my life. After obtaining my bachelor’s in psychology I wish to work with kids and teenagers. I’ve learned how others can go through rough scenes in their life that we don’t tell others about because of that fear of disappointing those who have hope in us. I can serve as a support, some type of help, a safe place where people know they can talk to me without any negative feelings. I want to be there for people because I know how it feels like to be alone. I want to give back to people and maybe even play a part in an impact within their life and teach them how you don't have to have a whole lot to want to do plenty and achieve great things.

My story begins at a young age. As an 8-year-old I was diagnosed with childhood depression after I had my first suicide attempt. As an 8-year-old I had little to no knowledge of the what the real world was like. To me I was simply a small girl from a small town in Mexico who felt some type of empty feeling inside. Let me give you some background information; since I was 2 years- old my dad would leave me and my mom to come and work in the United States for a year or two then he would go back home for a couple weeks then return to work. Since selling flowers in a Mexico City supermarket wasn’t enough to support our small family, he was forced to do this. This cycle continued for most of my childhood; As a kid I didn’t really knew the absence of my dad and the physical abuse from my family was affecting me until one day when my mom wasn’t looking, I locked myself in my grandmother’s room and emptied 46 random pills into my system. Next thing I knew I was on a hospital bed after 2 days of being in a coma. First thing I saw when I woke up was my mom sitting on a small chair next to me, holding my hand, with dark circles under her eyes, a red tone around her eyes, wearing a brown sweater and some grey joggers. She hugged me and apologized to me. I felt tubes and needles attached all over my body, but it wasn’t the physical pain that hurt, it was the fact that the situation had to reach that point for my mom to finally pay attention to me. I didn’t know why I did it, I simply felt lonely and felt like nobody really cared about what happened to me. Not even my family, not even my dad. Over the years however I’ve learned many things that have shaped me into who I am. Today I can proudly say that my name is Britany Osollo, and I’m an 18-year-old Mexican immigrant, a survivor and a fighter because from a young age I have learned how to fight for myself. I have experienced a lot of disadvantages, which in a way is a good thing since those events have helped me develop strengths and character that allowed me to keep going though doubt and uncertainty. It has built me and made me stronger not because I’ve struggled more than the average person but because I live with internal pressure. This has also taught me how others can be going through rough scenes in their life or personal experiences that we don’t tell others about because we feel that fear of disappointing those who have great hope in us. As of now my plan is to go to college at Texas A&M- College Station and obtain a bachelor's degree in psychology and if God and my destiny allows it, attend Graduate school. This is also a way that I’m planning on giving back to people, by serving as a support, a safe place where people know they can talk to me without any negative feelings, to be there for people, because I know how it feels like to be alone. I want to give back to people and maybe even play a part in an impact within their life and teach them how you don't have to have a whole lot to want to do plenty and achieve great things.

Ways in which others have given me, are the opportunities that my parents have offered me. Who left their own homes before they even knew themselves and moved to an unknown country with great hopes and jeopardizing their density to start at an unknown land. Having a dream is easy but not as easy as accomplishing it. Being a first-generation college student of an immigrant family and the oldest sibling can be both a blessing and a curse, because you can never disappoint them since they are extremely proud of everything you do. But we also go through a lot of personal experiences that we don’t tell others about because we feel embarrassment and fear of disappointing those who believe in us. However, that builds us and makes us stronger not because we struggle more than the average person but because we live with internal pressure. The pressure to prove that the many sacrifices that our parents made to give us a chance, the chance they never got in life is worth it. My way of thanking my parents is to attend college and prove how the sacrifices that were made for me to have a chance in my education were worth it. But also, to prove to myself how I can become a better person than the one I was the day before. My motivation is that I see my dad leave for work before the sun is even out and come back home after sun sets. By the time I get up for school he's already gone and by the time I'm ready to go to bed he's barely getting home. During summers he spends all day in the heat and during winter he spends all day in the cold just to give our family a better life. As the oldest I see many things and sacrifices that my parents do for us that my siblings don't see. Starting off with the sacrifices that my dad had to make to be in this country in the first place, it’s because of this that I've learned to value everything and every opportunity that is given to me and how to make the most out of it especially if I see the cost that my parents had to pay, not necessarily talking about financially or materialistic things. Going to college is the next step in my life. Something that nobody in my family is familiar with. While attending college and obtaining a bachelor’s in psychology I wish to work with kids and teenagers afterwards. Like mentioned before I've experienced many unenthusiastic events, but this has taught me how others can be going through rough scenes in their life or personal experiences that we don’t tell others about because we feel that fear of disappointing those who have great hope in us. This is also a way that I’m planning on giving back to people, by serving as a support, a safe place where people know they can talk to me without any negative feelings, to be there for people, because I know how it feels like to be alone. I want to give back to people and maybe even play a part in an impact within their life and teach them how you don't have to have a whole lot to want to do plenty and achieve great things. Everything thanks to my parents who came to this country with nothing, but they gave me everything.