To me, higher education is a necessary step towards being fully stable and self-sufficient in labor merit, and without it, you can succumb to the pressures of living paycheck to paycheck and not having a chance to receive training for your skills department. I also see education as freedom and opportunity, mainly from the experiences of my childhood but also from the bountiful opportunities that new segways, contacts, and relationships often open up.  My desire and personal excitement to expand my knowledge stems from my limited childhood. Although no one wants to be put in foster care, it's something that unfortunately happened to me. While I am very grateful, I was placed with an adult in a safer environment, my foster home mostly showed me what I do not want to become. I saw the effects of how not having a higher education made it beyond difficult to gain reputable work experience and a decent-paying job in most career fields. Seeing my foster family use the allocated money intended for me towards their mortgage made me concerned and hopeless about breaking the cycle of degenerate wealth. I often wondered how I would ever be able to go to college, get a car, or partake in summer programs when money was already spread thin. In addition, I witnessed several of the other children I lived with barely go on to finish their schooling and not have the means to strive beyond their required schooling. To further exacerbate the familial and socioeconomic struggles I had, my gender and ethnicity caused further turbulence. People would frequently comment on the texture of my hair or the shade of my skin in very undesirable light at school and in my extracurriculars. I had to learn that just because others don't see me as a respectable and elegant person based on my features doesn't mean I should view myself in the same light. I often try to remind myself of the qualities I possess, like seeking out higher education and leadership roles, and how there always have and will be others like me who have to prove their worth to those who make assumptions about those whose voices are often suppressed.  In spite of the things I saw and experienced, however, I knew I wanted to achieve more and break the cycles of financial struggle around me. I realized that I didn't have to be confined to my required education unless I allowed myself to be, so I became very proactive in classroom engagement. I also took as many leadership opportunities as possible to collaborate with others and see what new and innovative ideas I could bring to the table as a female person of color. From there, I asked my teachers to always challenge me and allow me the opportunity to practice independent study so I could work ahead. I have been and will continue to work towards my college education so I can secure my skills in biotechnological training. I am who I am because of my innate desire for self-progression, community representation, and social equity, in spite of hurtful comments, restrictive diversity, and a less than stellar childhood. To me, education is everything because I know I'm doing it for myself and my future family to have a chance at real opportunity, regardless of the social boxes we check.

My grandfather once told me, "Never accept money you can't pay back, never buy things you can't afford." In hindsight, it seems very plain and simple, but it wasn't until I started looking into college loans, scholarships, and grants that I fully understood what he meant. When he told me to never accept money that I can never pay back he was actually telling me that because of the high interest that can accrue on loans, especially when you take multiple out at the same time and can't afford to pay them all back. The longer it takes you to pay it back, the more money the lender makes because of the interest rate, especially if the rate is not locked in or government-subsidized. The second part of his statement was meant to explain to me the dangers of credit and credit cards. As a child, I thought a credit card meant you made enough money to buy whatever you wanted so you put it on a card. Little did I know it still has to be paid back, almost like a loan, where if you miss payments you lose your reputable credit and are also charged interest fees. He warned me of this because, in college, I obviously would have no means of paying everything off at once, so he wanted me to understand the binding financial agreements I would make so I don't overborrow or overspend with the combined education and personal expenses. I always carry these ideals with me so I know if there's something I want, I will work towards owning it for my dignity, credit, and peace of mind.

I don't necessarily deserve this scholarship, because college is expensive for everyone, however, it would be really amazing if you awarded it to me. Apparently, the bare minimum for college is having perfect grades and killing yourself to take multiple AP classes with your daily extracurriculars. Just to prove a point, I did all of that and got into college but only have very tiny scholarships to cover it. I guess the goal would be to graduate. I honestly don't care about getting stellar grades or even keeping my major. I just want a degree in something so I can get a job that would keep me above California's very expensive poverty line. If every well-paying job didn't require prior experience, I wouldn't have signed up for the college debt that will follow me for the next 20 years. Time hates me...picture this: it's peak pandemic, and you leave your Zoom-school-bed to run track in a mask, then go home to dance on Zoom in your 4-foot space. Fun right? Lucky if I got to sleep by 3 am, but after the burnout I chose sleep, and I loved every minute of it. Now I reminisce on the "bad Wi-Fi" and "feeling sick" excuses since I'm back to it.