The Taylor Swift performance that inspires me most is her 2021 Grammy Awards performance of songs from Folklore and Evermore. Rather than relying on fireworks or an arena filled with fans, she chose a small stage decorated like a woodland scene and performed with just a guitar, her voice, and a few collaborators. It was stripped down and intimate, yet powerful. That moment reminded me that true influence doesn’t always come from spectacle—it comes from authenticity and the courage to be vulnerable. I connect with that message deeply. My own journey has been one of persistence and learning to trust in my voice, even when the challenges ahead felt overwhelming. I earned two Associate degrees in Business—one in Management and one in Administration for Transfer—along with a certificate in Entrepreneurship and Small Business. Each milestone required resilience and discipline, but more importantly, it required believing that my passion for helping others could guide me forward, even when the path was difficult. Just as Taylor’s performance showed that simplicity and honesty can still captivate millions, I’ve learned that sincerity and commitment can be powerful tools for creating impact. My career goal is to become a registered agent, helping small business owners navigate taxes and financial responsibilities. This goal began with something simple—helping my grandmother organize her business receipts at the kitchen table—but grew stronger after volunteering with a nonprofit that supported entrepreneurs. There, I witnessed how financial guidance could relieve stress and give people the freedom to focus on what they love. To me, this scholarship represents more than financial assistance—it is a way to keep moving forward authentically, staying true to my passion while expanding my ability to serve others. With your support, I can continue building the education and expertise needed to provide affordable financial services to small businesses, which are often the backbone of a community. Taylor’s Grammy performance showed me that it isn’t about the size of the spotlight, but about what you do with it. In the same way, I want to use my education and career not just to succeed personally, but to shine a light for others, proving that with the right guidance, they too can thrive.

For the longest of time I saw my parents work endlessly for the love of their children, without a high school or college education they always found a way to make things work and to provide a safe environment for my siblings and I to grow up in, they always surrounded us with a world that was so vibrant and and full of life. From the time I was nine my parents planted a seed that would sprout into the generation that I now carry within me. For the past nineteen year, I have been involved in preserving the sacred traditions of our grandparents, through dance, prayers, and ceremonies. I am currently pregnant with my first, and as my belly starts grow more and more, and I start to feel my baby girls kicks its fills my heart with so much happiness, and excitement to bring her into this world, to hear her first cry, her first laugh, holding her in my arms. As my baby continues to grow inside me, I think more about my educational choices that I am making, giving up is not an option for me. When I graduated from my community college in Business Aministration, I thought that’s exactly what I wanted for myself, but being pregnant aligned me in a different direction in reconsidering what makes me happy, and the happiness I will surround all my children with. My future plans are transferring to another University that will offer the degree I truly want to pursue, which is Horticulture, for the longest of time I wanted to become a Horticultural Therapist. My dream is to start a nonprofit organization that helps out low-income communities by assisting individuals who are struggling mentally, emotionally, or physically through the power of growing plants, being able to grow their own fruits and veggies and taking them home with them. This form of therapy is ancient, not only are patients reconnecting with the plants but reconnecting with themselves as well. Receiving a higher education means giving my children everything my parents would have wanted to give me, since they did not have that opportunity, it means that their sacrifices actually translated into all the love they gave to us, it means creating a solid future for my first child and and all my future babies that are yet to come. I strive to give all my babies a beautiful life but choosing an educational career that makes me happy as well.