I believe that every moment is a learning experience. I’ve always been a curious individual and have enjoyed learning both in and out of the classroom. I graduated from the University of North Florida with a degree in economics and a degree in geomatics. Throughout my time in school, I, of course, learned a lot from my courses. But I also learned valuable time management and prioritization skills. I worked multiple jobs on top of my schooling, so it was important for me to develop these skills. Upon graduation, I was honored to receive The Stephen L Shapiro Outstanding Economics BA Graduate Award. Accountability has been crucial to my success. I knew from a young age that I would be responsible for funding my education. I grew up in a low income family and I am a first generation college student. I started looking for opportunities early to help me achieve my goals. In high school, I participated in an early college program. I started attending college courses in my freshman year and graduated high school with my Associates degree. I maintained my grades and graduated at the top of my class in both programs. This experience was beneficial, as it allowed me to receive an academic scholarship going into my undergraduate programs, and I had already taken some core classes needed for my undergraduate degrees. Although I did receive some scholarships during my time at the University of North Florida - they did not cover all of my expenses. I took out loans to cover my first semester, but was determined to avoid loans for the rest of my educational expenses. I worked between two to three jobs, depending on the semester, on top of my full course load to make ends meet. I will admit - this experience was not ideal but, I was able to avoid taking out any more loans. I was even able to pay off my existing loans before I graduated! I started looking into graduate programs before I finished my Bachelor’s programs back in 2020. Attending graduate school has always been a plan of mine, however, I have had to overcome some hurdles to get here. As mentioned, I graduated into a pandemic, and shortly after my father received a terminal cancer diagnosis. He quickly became too sick to work. I halted my plans of attending graduate school to find work to help support my parents as we navigated that scary chapter of our lives. This is a decision that I am glad I made for many reasons. My definition of success was transformed during this time. I came to realize that success does not come solely from academic performance. Success is your ability to endure difficult situations and come out the other side with a new perspective. I am excited to be continuing my education as I enter my graduate program this fall. I will be working full time with a full time course load, as I did in my Bachelor’s programs. Although I know this will not be easy, I will continue to hold myself accountable as I strive for my goals.