Hello, my name is Emely, and I come from a small low-income family with strong Mexican roots. Being a "first-generation" college student isn't just a personal milestone, it's a representation of the dreams, sacrifices, and resilience of my entire family. From a young age, I would watched my parents work tirelessly. They would often hide their exhaustion to protect me and my baby brother from the weight they carried. My dad worked in a fruit processing warehouse, where he had to stand in the cold air for hours. Over the time, I saw how the cold temperatures and labor conditions took a toll on his body. His joints stiffened, his muscles ached, and yet he never complained. He simply worked all day and sometimes all night because he believed in creating a better life for our family. To provide for brother's and my future. That memory has never left me. It lives in the back of my mind every time I sit in a classroom, every time I submit an assignment, and every time I think about giving up. My passion for becoming a first-generation college graduate is deeply rooted in my love and admiration for my parents. They may not have had the opportunity to pursue higher education, but they gave me the tools to succeed with; perseverance, discipline, humility, and ambition. Being the oldest in my family, I feel a strong sense of responsibility to set an example for my younger brother and cousins. I want to be a living testament to what is possible, even when you come from limited means. I want them to see that with hard work and determination, they, too, can achieve things that once seemed out of reach. Especially since our entire family continues to struggle. I don't want money to be their main reason to not pursue a higher education. More than anything, I want to give back to my parents, not just financially, but emotionally. I want them to know their sacrifices were not in vain. Earning a college degree is my way of honoring them. I believe it's a symbol of everything they’ve endured and everything I aspire to become. It’s more than a piece of paper, it’s a promise. A promise that I will not stop until I’ve made a better life for us all. Every step I take toward graduation is a step taken with the strength, love, sacrifice, and dreams of my family behind me.