My Dominican identity was never so distinctive to me until I entered high school. I had struggled to find my place in middle school, trying hard to fit in with the “cool” kids, but still nerdy enough to be bullied. Ironically, it wasn’t until I was at a predominantly white private school, and no longer saw faces that looked like me, that I began to accept my true self. Like any other rising freshmen, I was just beginning to embrace who I was, but found myself questioning, who WAS I? All I had ever known was the Spanish slang echoing through the halls of Williamsburg Collegiate Charter School. In the first few months of my new school, I continued to act like I normally would, greeting friends with que lo ques and como estas. I didn’t notice how different I was from my peers until one day during break I spoke in Spanish, and a classmate approached me to say, “This is America. Speak English.” At first, I didn’t fully understand what had happened. I chose to bury what he had said. It wasn’t until I took the sophomore history elective, Cultures in the Caribbean, that the lack of Latin American history in our school curriculum was evident and my “otherness” became even more apparent. In reaction, I began to be more vocal about my culture and confidently speak out. Despite the many setbacks caused by the pandemic in the academic year 2020-2021, this past semester at Lafayette College, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Costa Rica. This experience reaffirmed my passion for learning and education. The curriculum in Costa Rica not only sparked a hunger to learn more about Costa Rica’s past, but also made me question the lack of representation and Afro-LatinX presence in both Latin American History and academic spaces. This deepened my desire to learn more about the untold narratives of Afro-Caribbean perspectives and its beautifully intertwined relationship with both Indigenous and Latin American History. As a first generation Dominican from Brooklyn, I have always felt pride for mi gente and desire to learn more about mi raices because I plan to become an educator and teach the beautiful history, culture, and literature of Latin America that has been excluded from academic curriculum for far too long. Studying in Costa Rica has created a deeper sense of devotion and fascination towards Latin American & Caribbean Studies that is necessary for me to share in an academic and educational setting. Through my education, I strive to uncover and educate others about Afro-LatinX history and reinstate its rightful place within Latin American history. Through my personal and academic experiences, there is no denying that my perseverance and ambition to work effectively and efficiently have developed tremendously, thus also positively contributing to my education. If I were to receive the scholarship, the scholarship would go to paying my tuition. This scholarship would provide much assistance to my family and I financially because as a first generation college student with the intent on completing my higher education, I have struggled to maintain my enrollment at Lafayette College. I would be honored and forever grateful if I were to be selected to receive the Charles Cheesman's Student Debt Reduction Scholarship and would use this opportunity to further support my education. I would also be able to reach my passion of being an educator and writer, give back to my community, and inspire other young Afro-Latinx youths in my community to pursue higher education and their aspirations.

Last semester, I studied abroad in Costa Rica, and my time there had not only helped me get out of my comfort zone both culturally and academically but had also reaffirmed my passion for learning and education. From walking to school and seeing geckos and vibrant colored flowers to visiting the country’s Teatro Nacional in San Jose, the beauty of Costa Rica’s culture and history captivated me. On my class trip in San Jose we came upon the Monumento Nacional, and the scene is detailed as such: There was one woman in the front pointing a flag upwards as she embraced another woman, who was crouched forward, holding a broken sword. Behind the two women were three more marching forward with such strength and courageousness all while in front of them, as if running away from horror and shame, was a man. As I was looking up in admiration and astonishment, I felt goosebumps rising up my spine. Our tour guide then explained how the man running away represented William Walker, a filibuster from America who became Nicaragua’s president and planned to take over Nicaragua and Costa Rica to expand slavery from the U.S. The woman with the broken sword was said to symbolize Nicaragua, the fallen country, but with the help of Costa Rica, the women who valiantly held the flag upwards, and the other Latin American countries, the other three women, victory and triumph were in their hands and Nicaragua had taken back their independence. The profound history, from just that one monument, not only sparked a hunger to learn more about Costa Rica’s past, but also made me question the lack of representation and Afro-LatinX presence in both Latin American History and academic spaces. This deepened my desire to learn more about the untold narratives of Afro-Caribbean perspectives and its beautifully intertwined relationship with both Indigenous and Latin American History. As a first generation Dominican from Brooklyn, I have always felt pride for mi gente and desire to learn more about mi raices because I plan to become an educator and teach the beautiful history, culture, and literature of Latin America that has been excluded from academic curriculum for far too long. Studying in Costa Rica has created a deeper sense of devotion and fascination towards Latin American & Caribbean Studies that is necessary for me to share in an academic and educational setting. Just like the first woman in the monument who fought to protect their country and culture, I strive to do the same through my education to uncover and educate others about Afro-LatinX history and reinstate its rightful place within Latin American history.

Ever since I can remember, I have had an immense love for reading and writing. From a picture of me in kindergarten holding a book with a broad smile on my face to declaring my major in English this spring semester, I have nurtured my love of literature. What initially sparked this relationship was my 2nd-grade teacher, Ms. Bell, when she announced that each class member would create their own story. Ecstatic, I buried my head in my page and began to write away, listing all the traits and ideas that would soon become my first character, Pamela. Once I finished, I looked at my paper, flushed from the excitement that had flown from my imagination through the tip of my pencil. This was it; this IS it, I thought and handed my paper to Ms. Bell. Yes, the page itself was a mere bundle of shapes followed by simple sentences. However, it was more than just that. Later, Ms.Bell handed me back the paper, and I flipped it over to find a comment, Wow, Damaris, you will be a fantastic writer someday. Keep going! At that moment, I knew not only how much writing was a big part of who I am but also the power it has to inspire. In college, although I plan to major in English with a concentration in writing and a minor in Latin American & Caribbean Studies, I am interested in pursuing a career in Education. Education is my passion not only because of the power it holds but also because it is something that isn’t as accessible as it should be. I enjoy the learning environment and enthusiasm that is cultivated and fostered when reaching towards education. In the classroom, students and teachers work and come together in the learning process, but both leave the classroom with a greater understanding of knowledge. With my English major, I will be able to fulfill my dreams as a writer and create pieces of literature that reflect and represent my identity as an Afro-Latina as well as provide a platform to others who share similar experiences. From both my high school and college experiences, I have explored the many paths in which writers like me have used their pens to call to action and ignite that same passion in others. The guidance of faculty members has also helped me learn to use my literary voice as a weapon for change. My love for learning has flourished as well and I am eager to ignite that fire within others by pursuing a career in education and literature in college. I firmly believe that anyone with the help of education can pick up a book or pen and find their inner voice within the page. All they need is someone to light their flame.

It was in the beaches of Costa Rica when studying abroad that I found happiness. It was being in the cool and salty waters of Playa Negra and a scenery of blues, pinks, yellows, and purples ahead of me that I felt a renewed peace. It was in the shores of Zapatilla Cay in Panama that I felt that feeling to. The transparency of the transparent fishes whispered to me with their eyes a truth, a secret that takes long to realize and hits hard when you do; That happiness all along lives inside of you.