As an architect, besides designing buildings and interiors, one of my other goals is also to help others. Since I was little, our parents taught us to help others when it is within our means, and since then, I knew that when I grew up, I would like to do something for others but on a larger scale. For two years in my teens, I was in a group church, and every Saturday, we had community service; that was my favorite part of every weekend. But there was a specific one that I enjoyed more, and once I started studying architecture, I knew I wanted to do that in different cities, states or even countries and on a larger scale. The activity consisted of building houses for people of meager income. I am from El Paso, Texas, a border city, and before I started University, I lived in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, located in Mexico. The low-income area there is called Anapra. Most of their houses have dirt floors, laminated roofs, and tiny houses for prominent families, for example, two bedrooms for eight people. The church agreed with Chopeke, the charity that built the houses for families, that on some Saturdays, we would go and help them build on the process of making materials for the house since they are built from a mixture of mud and straw. Once they are done building them, they are delivered for free to the families on a waiting list. That act towards others is what I want to make on a larger scale, and since I studied architecture, I know I am on the track to make it possible. Another person that inspired me to see that it can be possible is the Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena, he designed some communal housing that could be expanded according to the needs of the family, and everything on a low budget. To make these goals possible, I must continue learning to get wiser. And also, to become an accredited architect in the United States, you must have a master's degree and some exams taken later to accredit you. I am excited that I got accepted at SAIC, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, for the master's degree in "Masters of Architecture with an Emphasis in Interior Architecture" and have the opportunity to apply for as much as scholarships as I can is a great help for me and economic relief since I already used my FAFSA grant on my bachelor's degree.

To achieve a goal that you are looking for, it is essential to remember that it will not always be easy, some plans may be more complicated than others or longer processes, but it is crucial always to be focused on achieving what we want and if we fail, always look for that one more try. That is why, as a graduate student, yo se que si se puede because I am now a graduate student pursuing my Master's degree, thanks to my perseverance during the four years of school. My professional goal is to become a great architect and designer to help and decorate this world. During my four years in college, I felt life was like a roller coaster in this new phase of life, with many ups and downs, but while one is in school, life goes on. During the first two years, I adapted to living in the United States since I always lived in Mexico, fighting with myself that changes happen and one must adapt and accept them. For the last two years, I have experienced school during the pandemic. Who would have thought that this would happen? Consequently, my GPA dropped too much, which was one more concern. The architecture major is very demanding since delivering projects means spending most of the day designing on the computer or building models. Besides that fact, I tried to continue having a social life, eat well, exercise, and get straight A's or B's in the courses, but behind all that, I no longer slept or cared much about how I felt. It is impressive how sleeping is a critical factor. I spent a semester sick, with doctors, studies, treatments, a thousand medications, illness after illness, from things as simple as the flu and stomachache to others that were a little stronger. Despite all these obstacles, I did not allow myself to give up. I knew that after the efforts my parents made so that I could be in a school in the United States, I could not fail them or fail myself by not pursuing my dream of studying for what I want to become. That is why semester after semester, I always found that strength to continue because, despite everything I knew, having that school pressure was temporary. In my last year, I learned to balance everything better because if you want to achieve all your goals, you must take care of yourself first. Little by little, I raised my GPA again, which was one of the most important goals because I knew that I would study for a Master's degree, and I needed that higher score, I didn't get it back to how I had it, but it went up. I Prioritized first sleeping well, which changed my health and physical; I had a better organization in tasks and projects. It's all about observing, realizing, and seeing where or what we can improve to enjoy that process of perseverance until we reach the final goal. Each person has a different world, some more complicated than others. Still, I am grateful that thanks to my parents, I have learned not to give up looking for my happiness and to do what I want in my professional life: to decorate and design.

Since I was little, our parents taught us to help others when it is within our means, and since then, I knew that when I grew up, I would like to do something for others but on a larger scale. When I decided to study architecture, I knew I could achieve it. I am from a Mexican family and have lived most of the time in Mexico. Our country is beautiful, touristy, and welcoming. Still, the reality for many people is different since there is too much poverty, and it is hard to improve their economy since everything keeps increasing except the salary. That’s why one of my main goals is to build housing on a low budget, so people pay less for a decent house or just give them as donations so that people could stop living in deplorable conditions. Since this is a situation in different countries, it is something that I want to achieve for Mexico and any country where it is needed to start making at least a difference through architecture. Something like the house projects of the architect Alejandro Aravena. That is why I will continue with my master's degree because to be an architect in the United States, you must have a master's degree and some exams taken later to accredit you. I am excited that I got accepted at SAIC, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, for the master's degree in "Masters of Architecture with an Emphasis in Interior Architecture" this coming fall. Just like the architect Elvira Alonso, I am going to one of the cities with a lot of history in architecture. Another of my goals is to design interiors, which is why I selected this master's degree. Since I was little, I have watched decoration programs instead of cartoons, which inspired me to want to study something in that field. I want to be an architect who, in addition to building and designing buildings, can understand the interior, decorate it, and create it. I want to express something through it so people can get inspired, just as I admire every building or decoration I see. I would also like to travel worldwide to learn about each culture, architecture, traditions, food, and landscape; and thus also see where else to help. Fashion and art are something that I also like; I would also like to get involved in that area, designing stores, fashion shows, and collaborating with museums; we'll see what happens. Making this new step in my life makes me proud because I continue to prove to myself that I should never give up and that my goals and dreams are being fulfilled little by little. I was lucky to be born in El Paso, Texas since my mother is from a border city, so when I started college, my parents sent us to El Paso since they are Mexican and could not move. Our situation differs from many because being Americans makes it easier to enter a U.S. school and get financial help from the government, which greatly relieved my family. But despite that, I always have and will always identify as Mexican; I am proud to tell where I come from to share my traditions and culture and show that you can accomplish your dreams no matter where you are. Moving to a new city, far away from home, where the language is not my mother tongue, excites me a lot because I am achieving dreams that I had since I was a girl and, apart from that, in a career where women do not predominate.