I'm Cristian Flores, a Mexican-American, from a small town in the Central Valley of California named Atwater. The most important thing to me is my family, I love them dearly. My sisters mean the world to me, I really enjoy taking care of and teaching my younger sister. I have a 4.3 weighted G.P.A. for all four years of high school, I took part in Cross Country, Soccer, Track, Link Crew, Youth 2 Youth, and Leadership, and Hispanic Youth Leadership Club. Youth to Youth Mentoring is a program where I got the opportunity to mentor young junior high students. For example, I served as a guidance counselor for these students. They were able to share their difficulties in life while I sat and listened to them. Afterwards, I gave helpful advice and encouragement to help them through their difficulties. One student in particular was very unconcerned with giving effort and uninterested with participating. I realized that this student may be depressed and in order to help them I would need to understand the underlying problem. After getting to know each other I discovered this student felt they didn’t have a real reason to put effort into life much less academics. I related to him because at one point in life I also felt the effort I gave was useless and it was not worth trying. Fortunately, someone in my life was there to lift me up and help me back on my feet. Now it was my turn to lead someone out of the dark cave I was once in. First I explained I used to be in the same situation as them but that it is important to change your mindset to succeed in life. In addition to that, I described how having determination and setting a goal will be crucial to keep moving forward. Furthermore, I made it clear that putting effort into their life and academics is investing into their future. After a few moments of letting the information process my mentee looked at me, agreed, and told me they would begin to try in life. It wasn’t until the next time I would see them that I realized I had a positive influence on my mentee. Participating in discussions, speaking with confidence, and listening to others became a good habit for them. They were even excited to show me how their grades were improving in all subjects. To sum up, I was able to steer my mentee’s life in the right direction. I will always use my ability to help others in need.

My family has struggled with financial problems for as long as I can remember. My parents have moved from a dangerous part of Mexico to the United States for a better life. They've sacrificed everything for me and my siblings. Currently, my dad works all day to support my family, my mom can only work part time now due to medical issues. Their combined income is $36,000 a year. That is used to provide for my family which consists of two adults and three children. We only live comfortably enough to where we don't have to worry about a roof over our head and food to eat. This scholarship will be important because it will help pay for my tuition at University of California Davis. I'm graduating high school with a weighted grade point average of 4.3 over all four years, I'm a valedictorian, I have completed ten college courses, and I take part in community service. I have the drive and ambition to complete a higher education in the tech industry. The financial situation I'm in is the only obstacle I face that can't be removed on my own. I will not stop until I've secured a job that will allow me to provide for my entire family. I must go far in my career so my parents' sacrifices will not be in vain. I've decided to pursue a career in the tech industry because I have a deep interest in medical technology. I've always wanted to pursue a job in the medical field. My interest in technology has grown, and my appreciation for technology grows as I get older. Working with technology in the medical field is my desire. It's what I'm interested in and there are many good benefits that come from working in the medical field. This scholarship will help me pursue my goal and take care of my family.