“Nothing can stop me I’m all the way up”… was lyrics of a song I heard on the radio when I moved to the United States. Hi! I am a first generation college student who faces financial need but has big dreams. Moving from Puerto Rico to the United States was a big challenge for my family and I. Not speaking English, super low income, feeling like I didn’t belong, that never stopped the fire inside of wanting to be a nurse. Early on I knew I wanted to go to college but financially it just seemed almost impossible for me. I started working multiple jobs in high school in order for me to feel more confident going into College. Unfortunately, 2 weeks before graduating high school someone broke in and took all the money that I had worked for. I felt helpless. Yet again nursing was my passion and I did not want to give up on my dream because of my financial situation. I continued to work. When I started school in august it was difficult to say the least. I worked to jobs and was taking 7 classes. It was nearly impossible for me but with lots of determination, sweat, and tears I finished my first year. I did everything in my power to lower my tuition for this upcoming school year, I applied for scholarships, starting working at my university, applied to be an RA. You name it and I did it. The experiences I had to over come just to follow my dreams felt overwhelming. I have a lot on my shoulders when it comes to school. I want to be the first person in my family to graduate college and show my parents that they didn’t come here for no reason. I want my financial need to be the least of my worries so I can confidently walk through my academic journey. Even though I have these struggles my passion for what I want to do is so much greater than any struggle I face. My future goals is to become a pediatric nurse practitioner. This scholarship will allow me to continue to pursue my education with less stress. It would remove a weight of my shoulders and my families shoulders. This scholarship would lower the amount of hours I would have to work at my jobs so that I can focus on my school. This scholarship would not only relieve one of my biggest worries, it will also let me continue to pursue my education confidently and with less worry.

I am a first generation college student who faces financial need but has big dreams. Moving from Puerto Rico to the United States was a big challenge for my family and I. Not speaking English, super low income, feeling like I didn’t belong, that never stopped the fire inside of wanting to be a nurse. Early on I knew I wanted to go to college but financially it just seemed almost impossible for me. I started working multiple jobs in high school in order for me to feel more confident going into College. Unfortunately, 2 weeks before graduating high school someone broke in and took all the money that I had worked for. I felt helpless. Yet again nursing was my passion and I did not want to give up on my dream because of my financial situation. I continued to work. When I started school in august it was difficult to say the least. I worked to jobs and was taking 7 classes. It was nearly impossible for me but with lots of determination, sweat, and tears I finished my first year. I did everything in my power to lower my tuition for this upcoming school year, I applied for scholarships, starting working at my university, applied to be an RA. You name it and I did it. The experiences I had to over come just to follow my dreams felt overwhelming. I have a lot on my shoulders when it comes to school. I want to be the first person in my family to graduate college and show my parents that they didn’t come here for no reason. I want my financial need to be the least of my worries so I can confidently walk through my academic journey. Even though I have these struggles my passion for what I want to do is so much greater than any struggle I face. My future goals is to become a pediatric nurse practitioner. This scholarship will allow me to continue to pursue my education with less stress. It would remove a weight of my shoulders and my families shoulders. This scholarship would lower the amount of hours I would have to work at my jobs so that I can focus on my school. This scholarship would not only relieve one of my biggest worries, it will also let me continue to pursue my education confidently and with less worry.

To be a women. To be a women means so many things A mother, sister, daughter, scholar, and friend. Being a first generation women comes with a lot of sacrifices and stereotypes that follow you through out your education and successes. Education has always been an outlet to prove to me as a women that I am capable of so many things. Not only does being a first gen drive me to thrive in school and want to pursue my education, it also makes me want to show my parents that there sacrifices of coming to the U.S were worth every sweat, tear, and days under the sun. My passion to receive my education is beyond just a diploma, it is my opportunity to accomplish my dreams for not only for me but for my parents, and break the cycle of no education for my children and the generations to come.