When I moved to the United States at eight years old, I was fortunate that my public elementary school provided English as a second language classes, where I became a proficient English speaker. Learning English was a stepping stone in my life toward receiving a quality education. One of the most significant social issues within the United States is educational inequity. Extensive research has shown how students of color, low-income students, English learners, and immigrant students often pursue less education and attend schools with inadequate funding and resources. My experience as a former English learner fuels my passion for ensuring immigrant youth and youth of color receive the same support to meaningfully pursue their education. I aspire to become an education policy analyst as it would allow me to create sustainable solutions within the education sector and ensure that all students are empowered and equipped for success regardless of their background. With my college education, I wish to understand how to serve communities of color because I recognize the pronounced impacts of inequitable systems on them. Upon entering Columbia University next fall, I intend to major in economics and political science because those areas of study would grant me the tools to create more equitable school programs for students of color, immigrant students, and low-income students. Furthermore, I would like to contribute to the groundbreaking research regarding public and urban education happening at Columbia, with a focus on bilingual education. I would especially love to work for Columbia’s Institute on Education and the Economy. Under the supervision of expert faculty, like Professor Jeffrey Henig, an expert in urban politics, I could research the quality and success of ESL education in American public schools. Such research would be valuable when promoting and advocating for bilingual education in American public schools. I have already begun tackling educational inequity within my local Newark community. My small business, Para KIDS!, creates bilingual children’s literature to promote bilingualism and prevent language barriers from negatively impacting youth in their learning journey. As the founder of Para KIDS!, I am committed to motivating youth to become lifelong learners and immerse themselves in new cultures through bilingual literature. I am determined to expand Para KIDS! to New York City where millions of residents would benefit from Spanish bilingual literacy. Children need literature that validates their multiple identities, and that encourages them to interact with youth from different backgrounds. Over the past year, I have prioritized outreach and forming partnerships with local family community centers. I have had the privilege of virtually connecting with over 70 youth through free Spanish and English bilingual reading events with crafts. Throughout my college career, I look forward to forming and developing crucial connections with local elementary schools and teachers to host community bilingual reading events. My strong values of equitable access to education and cultural appreciation have transferred to my civic service. While volunteering in my public library, I quickly noticed the lack of Spanish bilingual children's literature that was available to Newark youth. Understanding the demand for bilingual literature from the community, I felt compelled to speak with the library manager about this area of improvement. Additionally, I suggested I could be a part of the solution by compiling a comprehensive list of bilingual books. With the library manager's approval, I was able to successfully compile a recommendation list of +45 valuable and entertaining Spanish bilingual children’s books. Through my studies, social entrepreneurial endeavors, and volunteering, I aim to pave the way toward a society where all children can reach their academic potential and feel motivated to learn.

Being the first person in my immediate family to attend and graduate from college means newfound hope for new opportunities and embarking on new journeys of self-discovery and knowledge. I am confident that receiving higher education will improve my family's and my own life. Despite my parents being unable to help me with the actual process of applying to college and preparing for standardized tests, their constant words of encouragement and their unconditional love have been essential in my college application process. I have become more ambitious and resourceful because of my strong desire to attend college. Since the beginning of high school, I began seeking support from pre-college organizations like Rutgers Future Scholars and non-profits like Matriculate for my educational goals. Through panel discussions and educational workshops, I have built relationships with first-generation college students and learned about crucial college application resources. Creating this supportive network has been imperative in my journey toward identifying schools that prioritize inclusive and diverse spaces. In college, I look forward to joining affinity groups and mentoring programs so that I can build relationships with upperclassmen. A college education represents an important step towards becoming a better version of myself, promoting educational equity, and further growing my social business, Para KIDS!. Last summer, I participated in the Pre-College Access Institute hosted at Montclair State University. In this program, I connected with expert professors from different fields. In particular, Dr. Atal, an economics professor who researched the wage gap for minority groups. As I learned about her research I was able to recognize how economic models can be used to identify and solve the causes of socioeconomic achievement gaps. Moreover, I have participated in multiple local Newark student panel discussions, most recently with Chalkbeat, focused on education practices. These experiences have influenced me to major in economics and political science because they would grant me the tools to create more equitable school programs for students of color, low-income students, and English language learners. Furthermore, I would take advantage of my university's research facilities to research the quality and success of English as a second language (ESL) education in public schools, which would be valuable when promoting and advocating for bilingual education in American public schools. Since the beginning of my junior year, I have dedicated myself to cultivating Para KIDS!, my bilingual children’s literacy company. This passion project was inspired by my 7-year-old brother, Xavier, who was born in the U.S. and struggled to understand Spanish in our bilingual household. It was my love for my brother that pushed me to apply my bilingual skills to create a media company with a mission to empower kids, like him, to become or remain bilingual. As the founder, I have connected with successful founders and professionals in the publishing industry, participated in various business academies, and joined a business incubator program to enhance my skills and gain valuable mentorship. For the past year, I have made it a priority to do outreach and form partnerships with local family community centers. I am committed to motivating youth to become lifelong learners and immerse themselves in new cultures through bilingual literature. I have had the privilege of virtually connecting with +70 youth through facilitating free Spanish and English bilingual reading events with crafts. In college, I look forward to forming and developing crucial connections with local elementary schools and teachers to continue hosting community bilingual reading events. My hunger to improve my communities will continue to fuel my studies, research, and social entrepreneurial endeavors.