I was raised by a single mom who always included the YMCA membership in her budget. For her, we all needed to practice sports and spend our time in a place that promoted family and healthy habits. We did not grow up traveling, eating out, or having luxurious vacations. My mom always cooked our meals and had the leftovers for lunch. The YMCA was our place to have fun and spend free time during the school year and vacation, and despite the scarcity, we grew up happy and healthy. This place showed us the value of caring for one another and how we can make a difference by using our time helping others. As time passed, it became really important not to take anything for granted. We started helping at home. My sister and I worked small jobs, such as babysitting, volleyball classes, car washing, lawn mowing, and cleaning, to cover our daily expenses. We also started visiting my mom's after-school program and helped her class during homework and extracurricular activities such as soccer and basketball. We would spend our afternoons working with ESOL students and practicing English, supporting math and science assignments, and creating small reading groups for young learners. After academic support, we would bring the children outside to teach them sports and have small scrimmages. The energy level and satisfaction always surpassed our expectations. We were always happy and willing to do more for those children. The school and the families recognized our work and maintained our participation in the program for three consecutive years. My sister and I had the best time working together, even though we did not receive any monetary compensation. In return, we gained many friends and supporters who praised our work and spread the word within the community to promote programs like ours. The fact that we were able to improve those children's lives and make my mom proud was more than enough for us. Once I started middle school, I continued working with younger students and became a facilitator for the sports event called Pee-wee. At the same time, I have been an assistant teacher for grades K3-5, grading papers, working with small groups, and assisting in class management. In high school, I have been on multiple projects supporting our community and communities around the globe, sending supplies to children in Nigeria and Congo, creating clothing and toy boxes for families, food banks, and lately, I participated in the "Night to Shine" event as a buddy for people with special needs. These experiences have enriched my character and given me a better sense of relationships. I can see that I have more empathy when I talk to my team as a captain or when I lead the crew at work and have to organize the work. People respect my word and follow my lead because they feel I am honest and care for them. They know I appreciate everything they do and value what they have to bring to the team. This scholarship will help me fulfill my dream of going to college to play volleyball and pursue a career in International Business. I would love to travel around the world as an entrepreneur and create great business opportunities for the United States. I also want to create programs for children that connect sports and education, so they can learn and develop in a healthy environment.

I am definitely a “YOU GOT IT GIRL” because of the way I live life and overcome difficulties. My strong nature provides the resilience needed to keep trying and navigate the unknown. My passion for people allows me to connect with others and learn from their experiences, either positive or negative. This Scholarship will definitely motivate me to push harder and will bring my dream of getting a college degree closer. My favorite sport is volleyball, although I played basketball and softball in high school. I started volleyball when I was 10 due to heart failure. The doctor said that if we were able to control the issue with exercises, we could avoid surgery. My mom decided that we would dedicate all our efforts to avoid the surgical intervention, and that's how we started at the YMCA. I spent a lot of time practicing and exercising to the point that I earned a place on the junior varsity team. At the same time, the results of my heart came back negative, and I had the clearance to practice high-intensity sports without concern. After those results, I decided to join different clubs in my area. and I had the opportunity to travel around the United States for events and received multiple awards as MVP, Best Defense, Best Offense, and the Coaches Award. My junior year of high school volleyball was very difficult because of an ankle injury I got in the second game of the season. As a result, I stayed away from the court for several games, watching my team play from the bench. My coach decided to keep me seated until the playoffs, which created great anxiety and disappointment on the team. I was frustrated and angry with myself for not recovering fast enough and with the coach for not putting me in the game. However, I knew I had to keep my strength and keep motivating and leading my team like a good captain. As time passed, I realized my foot needed time to heal, and the downtime would only benefit the recovery. Fortunately, I did play during the playoffs, and my team ended second in the region. I was also recognized with a mention as Best Defense of the conference. The experience taught me to be patient and always look at things from a wider perspective to obtain better results. It also developed the resilience one needs in moments of uncertainty when people need you the most. My mom is definitely someone I admire. She is strong and never gives up. She had taught me to persevere and stay happy even when things don't go so well. She loves sports and lives to the fullest, and her passion makes me stay focused and positive about my goals and how to achieve them. This scholarship will help me fulfill my dream of going to college to play volleyball and pursue a career in International Business. I would love to travel around the world as an entrepreneur and create great business opportunities for the United States. So far, I have been accepted into some universities, but I am trying to make my decision based on budget and career advancement. My first option is the Rome City Institute, which is part of Jacksonville University. They offered me a volleyball scholarship, but I am still looking for assistance considering their high costs. The idea is to spend one year in Italy, re-evaluate my situation for my sophomore year, and decide if I come back or finish my degree there.