My journey has been difficult, and it is really frustrating not to get support in overcoming challenges or answers to issues regarding education. It was a little frightening to have to research the prerequisites and how to apply to colleges because I wasn't sure whether I was doing it correctly. Because no one in my family had ever attended college, I wondered if I was cut out for this kind of thing. I believe that the only way I can demonstrate that it is possible and that I am doing so is by overcoming several hurdles and continuing to experience them. For as long as I can remember, my mother has been my primary role model. My mother, a young single mother, showed me that anything is achievable with enough hard work. My mother has given me everything she has and if it isn't possible, she does the impossible to make it happen, especially when it comes to my education. My mother is the one who keeps pushing me over every obstacle because I know she doesn't want me to give up. One of the hardest things for my mother and me has been not being able to afford my schooling. To ease my mother's financial burden, we make every effort to pay for my education. My mother chooses extra shifts, and I continue to work a full-time job. While balancing a full-time job with school might be demanding, I believe it has helped me become more organized and responsible. There were moments when my workload and stress levels would really get to me, leaving me with little time for myself. However, I now realize that these challenges will ultimately be worthwhile. To see that someone like Jose Pradro is concerned about education, especially for first-generation students facing racial challenges, is really encouraging, in my opinion since I am not only one of them, but receiving encouragement from others can have a significant impact on how individuals feel and what they want to achieve If I ever have the opportunity to establish a scholarship, I would undoubtedly want it to benefit Hispanic students pursuing higher education. One of my stages would be to learn more about them, their background, how they got to where they are now, their family, and what challenges they had to overcome. I'd like to see a video on why they believe they deserve this scholarship. Proof of enrollment in a four-year university, college, or graduate program, either full-time or part-time.

I have learned so much from volunteering without expecting anything in return. For instance, I have learned that helping others is far more valuable than needing money or any other material item to complete the task at hand. I've learned to be kind by keeping elderly people company, listening to them, and assisting them in their daily lives. I've also learned that helping my community can improve my mental health and show me that there is a chance to have an impact. Being Mexican, having a single mother raise me, and being the first person in my family to attend college have all presented challenges. Serving as a volunteer at senior living facilities has helped me to develop kindness and an appreciation for their experience. I used to have a very fixed mindset that prevented me from not only learning new skills but also developing fresh perspectives on the world and myself. I started going to senior facilities in 2019, especially one close to my neighborhood, where I've made a lot of good friends. However, I've also seen how lonely and depressed they are, so whenever I can, I try to make them smile and offer them my help. When I first started college, I had the chance to assist a predominantly Hispanic Western community in Chicago. The neighborhood was extremely low-income, so giving them any kind of food was greatly appreciated by them. We would take care of a garden and provide vegetables and fruits to the neighborhood. I changed my attitude toward helping others and the idea that there is always a chance to have an impact after realizing how much my assistance benefits that community. Being raised by a single mother has taught me that anything is possible, including winning a scholarship that would help me pay for my education. By doing so, I would be working to fulfill both my mother's and my own dreams of becoming an educator, encouraging children to pursue their educations, and assisting them in becoming better people. My school teachers had a significant influence on my life, encouraging me to pursue my goals while also encouraging me to take ownership of how far I could go. Overall, volunteering and my lack of financial security have taught me that there are other ways to try to help others besides money. When you are unable to provide financial assistance, there are many other things you can provide, such as the companionship that the elderly require and the food that many communities lack. There is always room to change.

I was born and raised in Mexico City since i was 12, moving to the United States was a struggle. but I'm doing the best I can, to get a better education and make my family proud. Growing up with a single mother and seeing her struggle every single day to give her daughter an education was admirable, having only to see her t nights because she was working all day was not the best but I know that she had no option, my mother didn't have time to help me with my homework so I had to figure everything out myself and I think that helped me a lot because I'm very independent of myself. When I came to America my grades were my priority and they are still, because of my grades I got into great universities and I'm so proud of it. it makes me happy that I came to America not knowing the language feeling like i didn't belonged here but here i am, doing my best everyday. my plan its to go to DePaul University and be a AP Spanish Language and Culture teacher. I couldn't figure out what i wanted to do afert hight school but now i know i wanted to spend time with kids that speak the same language as me to teach them about our culture so they know that it a beautiful thing to be latino or Hispanic, i love learning about new cultures and their. My spnaish teacher was the one who inspired me to be a Spanish teacher she in form Illinois and even though she is not Hispanic or latina she always say that being latino was the est thing ever and that we should never feel ashamed of it and that what i want to teach when i get to be a AP Spanish Language and Culture teacher.