My golf journey started by learning the basic technique and the rules of the game. My coaches taught me a portion of the game, but the rest I had to do it on my own. Unlike my teammates, I did not have anyone in my family that played golf or was familiar with the sport. Private lessons were really expensive and my family’s financial situation was not in the position to pay a professional to help me with my golf career. I wanted to excel and be the best, so I took the challenge upon myself to be the best version of myself in the game. This was a challenge as golf is a technical sport, and even though I would watch videos on how to better my technique, it was hard to figure out the right options for my game. Nevertheless, that never discouraged me to play the sport. With time, I was able to lower my score and perform beautifully in the course. My love for the game grew every day as it would become one of the most relaxing and happy times of my day. It was a way for me to ignore everything happening in my life and connect with nature around me. The silence was never more beautiful, especially when the sound of the club would hit the ball. It is one of the most beautiful games created for the soul. Aside from my challenging beginning, as time progressed I saw that golf was primarily a male dominant sport. No one talks about how the golf community demeans female golfers because they are not as “strong” when they hit the golf ball. Male golfers would always mention how they can hit their clubs fifty yards longer than women, but golf is not always about distance. It is always attractive to hit longer, but golf is about precision and discipline to get the ball in the hole. Anyone can hit their driver 300 yards, but can they work with the slope when putting from a distance of 15 feet? It will bother me that other male teammates will criticize my distances, especially when in reality I did not need to go long if I had the right technique to shoot a way lower score than them. Golf companies are also guilty of this mindset as they will assign a set of clubs to women that do not even perform half as well as the original clubs. Why do women need a different set of clubs? No reason. Women are just as capable of dominating a sport like golf, and we have overcome this as we have so many female golfers playing at the collegiate level and professionally; some of them are even better than the players on the tour! Today there are so many organizations supporting female golfers, and it is just another representation of how powerful women are.

My motivation? Simple. It comes from the power women have. Just think about it this way, have you ever seen a woman entering a room? Her eyes are focused on the target, her walk is sharp and determined, full of confidence, and her mind… her mind is going to blow your mind with her bright knowledge and capabilities. Women are just or even more capable than a man to hold a degree, become leaders, or do whatever their heart desires. However, it is a question of how bad they want it. How bad are they willing to break man-made rules of gender disparity. In my case, I am all in for it. I am currently studying Criminology and Criminal Justice with two minors, Intelligence and Security Studies and Psychology, at the University of Texas at San Antonio. I am entering a world in which my father told me it was a man’s world only, and that I was going to get eaten alive. I understand that he expressed concern at the time of our conversation, but I just could not feel intimidated. When finding a career you like, you do not think about men being the majority in the job. What made my heart choose law enforcement was seeing the action to help. To lend a hand to the community when in need and to serve justice where it needs to be served. A lot of my family members laugh at the way I react when I see car accidents or people who need help. My heart beats so fast, almost pulling me to the scene to help the victims of such tragedy. It is something that is in me that I want to provide to my community, and no man is going to intimidate me when wanting to achieve my dreams. My dad believed his words were going to change my mind and dedicate my life to something else, but it did the opposite. I would question myself, why does it have to be a career only for men if I can do the same things as them? I can read, I can learn, I can run, I can jump… I can enforce the law and give my life to protect my country. My father’s words only motivated me to want to be in the room where it happens, but not as any other officer or agent, but to hold a rank that will show my leadership, dedication, and knowledge skills. In the future, I will work hard and continue my education to demonstrate that women can have the same qualifications as men. Women who will hold a brilliant and extensive knowledge that will make others silent and listen to admire what they have to say. However, this is not about competition. Confronting gender disparity is to make people not see each other as a threat, but to work together and break all old-school rules. I look forward to having a PhD and holding a good job with a leadership position. With this in mind, I also want to offer grants and scholarships to those who have financial need when funding for their education. I believe that in this world we need to help each other to continue to inspire and grow to do better. I might not be able to guide and advise everyone in this world, but I will try my best to help those who have big dreams to not give up.

Life is about sharing happiness, being kind, and giving as much of your heart as you can give. Whether it's your friends or your family, you want to make sure you are always there for them and add a little spice to every moment. In my case, I try to make unforgettable memories with them by sharing laughs, smiles, and even doing something to make it unique. To be honest, it doesn't matter what it is but there is always a highlight at the end of the day. It can go from going to grab lunch at a local restaurant to have a crazy pillow fight at night. What matters is what comes from your heart and that what you gave was truly love and kindness. I think that being able to express myself is very important because people will love you for who you are, but if you are fake you are never going to be happy and people will lose trust in you. I demonstrate love by being who I am and dedicating that special moment to our friends or our family meetings.

Growing up, I never saw the small things that happened to me as something that made me happy. It was like it just happened, and I didn't know the value of little precious moments until I left home to go to college. I never noticed how beautiful is to have a family and share a laugh with them. Being able to just have someone to count on for a laugh, for advice, or even get angry at, is just absolutely amazing. It makes me so happy to know that God took his time in making my family for us to have a great relationship. I'm not saying it's perfect, because it's not. We've had a lot of times where everything goes downhill and my dad's passing made it worse. However, we are blessed to be here and have someone try to get us to smile even through the hardest times. I am so happy to be able to come back home and see them and hear their cheerful smiles. It's a sound that makes my soul jump of joy, and it's even better when they share a hug. Being far from home made me reflect about how I put work and school first because it is one of the things going around my mind. There is bills to pay, work to get done, and classes I need to keep up, but not everything is any of these things. We have to make time to be happy and share precious moments with our loved ones because just as much as I need their love, I know they need mine. My life will be complete knowing that my happiness was with my family and that I did my best to love and help them as much as I could.

I believe that there is a moment in life where it decides to take something away from you. Whether it is a talent, ability, your leg, or even a family member. In my case, my father had to die in order for me to transform into a completely different woman. I was spoiled, rude, felt superior to others, I mean, I was that girl that had everything she wanted and bragged about my dad's success to others when I had the chance. In some way, I was grateful for all the things I had and that he was part of my life, but I never really took advantage or really valued what was having him in my life, and I regret that. When he passed away, my family went hungry, we were about to lose our house, and everyone went into severe depression because of his death. I grieved his death for two weeks, but at the end of this time, I realized I could not continue to stay in my room and cry the whole entire day. I had to do something with my life, and honor him along the way with all my achievements. I had to leave everything behind and earn my stuff. Just like he had his success, I wanted that for myself, and it may sound bad, but his death made a stronger, smarter, and a more beautiful woman. I saw myself in a different mirror; I was more than a spoiled daughter who was loved by her dad. I was a woman who could change the world and earn her own success. Today, I am in college just starting my criminal justice major, and I will do anything and everything to make him proud and show I am worthy and I can help others.

When I heard about Covid-19 being in other different countries, I did not care. It did not affect me as a junior in high school who was just looking to have fun. However, everything I was so excited about faded away. It was like the pandemic took a year of my life, and to be honest, I don't remember doing anything exciting when I was seventeen. The only thing that I was able to do was thinking, procrastinate, and seeing friends and family lose their lives or relatives due to the coronavirus. It was like the world was turning against everyone. Everything happened so fast and the virus destroyed everything that it could touch, including my mental health. My goals, my dreams... it was like they were gone giving me anxiety and panic attacks 24/7. The situation that we are facing took my stability away from me, but it gave me the lost time my family and I needed. We were so lost in our jobs and school without giving us the opportunity to bond as a family. Quarantine was truly a blessing, giving confidence, love, support, laughs, smiles, and many blessings to my small family. Just what we needed.

Hello! My name is Dubelsa Villarreal, I am 18-years-old, and I currently attend Veterans Memorial High School as a senior in the city of Brownsville, Texas. Before entering my freshman year in 2017, I decided to leave a small charter school to look for more opportunities regarding my education. In this charter school, opportunities were not given to all students equally and at the time I knew Veterans Memorial could offer much more than just a basic education. In my high school career, I joined the Chargers Golf Team as a sophomore and after a summer of putting in hard work and perfecting my golf technique, I was selected to be part of our five-time district winner and semi-qualifier regional champion team. I am proud to say that we have one of the best girls’ golf teams in the Rio Grande Valley and it is an honor to serve as their captain this year. I am also the president of the Veterans Memorial SkillsUSA Government Club where we conduct many community service activities to help the Brownsville community and raise awareness for some important matters going around the world. When I entered high school, I was really motivated to take advantage of all the opportunities that the school offered and have a great high school experience as well. As a first-generation student, I was not really pressured by my parents to excel in school, but that did not stop me from dreaming and always giving it my best. I have always been very determined and dedicated to achieving anything that I propose, and I am happy to say that my motivation and positive mindset gave me the strength to move on even when something so heartbreaking tried to tear me down. Unfortunately, on April 9th of 2018, I lost my father due to a fulminant heart attack. I just had turned fifteen at the time, and the day before he died, I told him that I wanted him to come home and not die. The following day my mom received a phone call and I answered; I should not have answered. It was a lot to take in, especially when I saw my family collapse in depression slowly. I mourned my dad’s death for months, and when I saw him for the last time in his casket, I promised him that all of my hard work, dedication, failures, and achievements will be for him. These promises motivated me to look to the brighter side of life and honor my father with my dedication, and hopefully honor his name by becoming one of the most influential women in the United States Criminal Justice and Homeland Security departments. Ever since I was small, I hated the idea that innocent individuals were taken away from their families to be murdered, kidnapped, or sexually abuse in exchange for money or other types of extorsions. I believe no one has the right to take life away from anyone or even preventing their freedom and practicing their rights. I decided to major in Criminal Justice to learn more about the American criminology system and the factors of crime to prevent the American people to be positioned in horrifying situations. Moreover, I plan to extend my education level to a doctorate degree and pursue studies in homeland security, victim studies, criminal psychology, and other significant backgrounds that will lead me to serve and protect my country better. With this in mind, I applied to the University of Texas at San Antonio to begin to help me accomplish my goals in obtaining a bachelor’s degree in my desired field as well as giving me the opportunity to practice doing the right for all Americans and serving the community around me as much as possible. After I graduate, I plan to serve as a homicide detective to later join the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, or the Homeland Security Investigation agencies, and of course, pursue higher levels of education. Moving on to community involvement, I’ve always been dedicated and interested in giving back not only in the city of Brownsville but in the Mexican city I was born in. During my childhood, I was fortunate to have two beautiful and loving parents who provided everything I needed and even spoiled me a little bit, but unfortunately, others had a hard time maintaining their families or keeping a positive attitude in their households. I’ve been serving my church’s community service organizations for more than five years in which I participated in fundraisers, many types of donations to the homeless, low-income families, orphanages, nursing homes, and other Mexican organizations. My parents always taught me to be humble and to help those people in need if I have the possibility or a hand to lend when they are feeling lost. I truly believe that we can share some positivity and treat people with kindness every day to show that they are not alone. When I entered high school, I was really happy to join the government club where we also raised awareness for cancer programs, domestic violence, the Brownsville Animal Shelter to encourage adoption, and this year we are helping the community of Brownsville to recycle and prevent pollution or any other type of contamination to happen in our city by the border. It is just so beautiful to dedicate your time to an event that can change someone’s life and inspire others to continue to spread the same kindness that makes every human being amazing. As a first-generation student, I can’t put into words how much I want to attend a good university that will help me excel as a student and hopefully, make a change in the world of law and the Department of Defense of the United States of America. Thank you so much for considering me for your scholarship and God bless your beautiful organization!

My name is Dubelsa Villarreal and I am a first-generation student who comes from a family who is originally from Matamoros, Mexico, the border city with Brownsville, Texas where I have lived for more than ten years. Both of my parents did not pursue a college education but worked very hard in this country even if they had a language barrier which limited their job opportunities. However, nothing stopped them from providing the best for my brother and me. As years passed, everything was going great for us. It wasn't until April 9, 2018, when my dad had a fulminant heart attack and never opened his eyes again. His death really impacted my family as he was everything to us and we were just so heartbroken that he was gone. My father was a hard-working man with a kind heart; he was always looking after us and anything we needed. At the time, not only his loss brought depression and other types of harmful behavior to our family. I mourned my father's death for the first month, but I was able to let it go as I promised him my future achievements as a student and hopefully as one of the best females in our criminal justice system. I had a goal to work hard for as I continue to want to honor my father. On the other hand, the rest of my family were lost in a place full of darkness which was really hard to pull them out of. Everything collapsed even more as I saw how bills and expenses started to show and as a fifteen-year-old without having the legal age to work or do anything, it was very exasperating for me. No one wanted to hire me because of my age and no family cared about our loss. It was like we were alone in the world. Money was starting to become less and less, and I have to admit, there were times that we went to bed hungry because we had other priorities to look after. A couple of months after, my mom started–and continues to– work two jobs to provide for my brother and me. Things are not like they used to be before, but we have a roof over our heads and food on our table. My father's death put us in this financial situation, but I believe God has a plan for my family and me, and he will never forget about us and our dreams. As I mentioned before, I promised my father that I will become one of the best women in the United States Criminal Justice system. It has always been a dream of mine to serve and protect my country, but I will like to serve at the federal and national levels to ensure safety for all Americans. To accomplish this, I will attend the University of Texas at San Antonio and pursue a major in Criminal Justice and Psychology. This can get me started in a police department where I would like to become a homicide detective. However, I plan to expand my education to a doctorate level and later become part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation or part of the Homeland Security Investigation Agency. This scholarship will not only help me with my college expenses, but it will remind me that nothing is impossible and that dreams can come true. Most importantly, that I will someday go to my father's grave and say, "I did it!" with both of my bachelor's degrees and show others that the impossible is possible.

My name is Dubelsa Villarreal and next fall I will be attending the University of Texas at San Antonio where I will pursue an education in Criminal Justice and Psychology. As a first-generation student, education was never seen in my family before because of the expenses that are required to achieve a great level of education. Did you know that the Department of Education in the United States has student debt of more than $1.3 trillion? Unfortunately, this debt continues to increase and most of the families in the United States have a hard time paying for student loans that help young adults achieve their dreams. I come from a low-income family in which the head of the household is my mother. My father passed away when I was fifteen years old and well, my mother has to work two jobs to provide a house and food for us. It has been very hard since he left us, but I promise my father we were going to be fine and that I was going to become one of the most important women in the Criminal Justice System of the country. I need this scholarship to help pay my college expenses. If I am honest, I do not know how a college or its financial system works. None of my parents attended school in America, so they never knew mentioned anything about it. I heard that there were grants and scholarships which I received in small amounts, but my mother still worries about the rest. We are a family who does not like to owe anything to anyone because money does not grow on trees for us and we are scared that we will not have money to pay it later. As soon as I graduate from high school I will find a job to help my mom with my college expenses and when I enter UTSA I will be doing the work-study program so I can cover a percentage of my cost of attendance. I am very excited about college as it will open the doors of the world for me in which I expect to become one of the best in the system. My dream is to change the law enforcement system and erase any type of discrimination and other types of crimes done by law enforcement agents. Our security system needs to stop asking for high school diplomas and encourage future officers and agents to expand their education to provide a higher level of safety to the American people. It would be a blessing if I received this scholarship to help me achieve my bachelor's degree, and with it, the dream of a future American agent.