With each passing year, we see ourselves and the world around us change in many ways. Every moment provides us with an opportunity to grow, learn, and adapt, shaping our lives in more ways than we often realize. With this in mind, I have made several commitments to guide me towards a better life. I believe this scholarship will provide the much-needed support to fulfill these commitments and achieve my higher education goals. I am committed to making a positive impact by giving back and paying it forward. I hope to someday mentor someone in a similar situation to mine and pay this scholarship forward, whether I win or not. While my situation is not the best, I realize how blessed I am to have the opportunity to pursue higher education, especially in Computer Science, where Hispanics are underrepresented. By supporting others, I believe I can inspire a cycle of kindness and generosity, while also providing a sense of purpose in my own life. I hope my efforts, whether big or small, can contribute to a more compassionate and helping society. Another promise I have made is to commit to a life of continuous learning. Education is something that extends beyond the classroom and I have begun to fulfill this through language learning. I have taken on the challenge of learning Mandarin and Japanese, which can foster a greater understanding of a region of the world that I am not familiar with. My dedication to continuous learning will allow me to stay adaptable in our ever-changing world. Lifelong learning also allows me to keep an open mind and ensure I am ready to face new challenges head-on. This commitment will not only make me a better professional but also help me become a more involved and understanding person. One of the most important commitments I have made is to just enjoy life. Life is full of ups and downs, so it is important to embrace the good while acknowledging the lessons from the bad. I have often been hard on myself and even now I give myself very little time to do what I love. I have lived my life focusing on hardships without noticing the beauty around me, which has hurt me mentally and physically. Moving forward, I promise to prioritize my well-being and make the time to take care of myself. Whether it be by spending more time with my family, pursuing hobbies, or simply just taking the time to appreciate the world around me. By doing so, I hope to enhance my mental and emotional health and inspire others to do the same. At the moment I live in a single-parent household with my mom working to provide for my sisters. I am essentially on my own when it comes to my finances. Despite working a full-time job, the financial strain remains a constant concern. I now worry that I will not be able to afford my tuition for next semester as I may not have the schedule to be able to work full-time. I have managed my full-time job while maintaining high averages in 5 classes, which is something I am proud of. This scholarship would provide much-needed relief by covering a huge part of my tuition. With this support, I would be able to put more focus on my education rather than worrying about my finances. It would also enable me to access opportunities like the career fairs which I have unfortunately missed out on due to my work schedule. Ultimately, this scholarship provides me with an opportunity to achieve my higher education goals.

Throughout my teenage days, I often wondered what I should do. I was good at math and science, but I was not sure where I should apply myself to. It was only after the result of a phishing attack on my mom that I discovered cybersecurity. This is where my curiosity grew, and I continued to look for answers as to what happened as I knew nothing of it. As I dove deeper and deeper into the topic, I found some very fascinating things that made me want to learn more. Fast forward a few years later, I am now in school for Computer Science with a focus on cybersecurity. While my time in college so far has been a bit bumpy due to financial reasons, I am determined to get to the end and reach my goal. There are many things I hope to do but there are some that are more important to me. After receiving my bachelor’s, I would seek work, but I would also like to eventually come back and get my master’s degree. I would like to have the opportunity to work for the government as this country has provided me with a life that I would have never had the chance to have in Mexico. I have seen the struggles people have to get into this field of study so it is important for me to help those who may want to learn more about it. While I did research this topic greatly, I was limited to videos on YouTube so I never had any hands-on experience as we could not afford a computer for me to practice on. It is for this reason that I find it important to help my community, so others have opportunities that I never did. I believe that I would be the best candidate as I find myself in a similar situation to Chris. I find myself struggling financially with no one to turn to but myself. I am a first-generation college student in a single-parent household and two sisters which makes it hard for me to get any help financially. Over the summer of 2023, I was working over 70 hours weekly so that I would have enough to fund my schooling for the next year. I have struggled and sometimes I have had doubts about whether I should continue but by reading about how others like Chris have succeeded, it motivates me to keep pushing forward. I do not struggle for myself, but rather I struggle as this was an opportunity my parents never had so I will not allow myself to waste it. I see how Chris is spoken of, and I am in awe as I hope that someday others can say the same for me. Someday I would like to forward this opportunity and help others who are struggling to find their way through school. I aim to live a fulfilling life knowing I can help others find their way towards their dreams.

Why did I decide to take this path? As a first-generation student who was born to immigrant parents, there are many reasons why I aim to succeed in this field. I have learned that my path is different from others. I am currently studying at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and I am a sophomore. I am the first to take this road and venture off into a place unknown to me. As far as I can remember, my parents had always stressed the importance of school as it was something they were not provided when they were young. I am the first in my family to pursue higher education which is something I am proud of. As a Mexican American I also believe it is important to show others that continuing school is something that will help our community continue to grow. As our population continues to grow in the country, it is important for us to make steps into other fields. I have been told before that college would just be a waste of time for me which helped motivate me to prove them wrong and show the value of education. I want to be able to give others a chance to take a different route where we can become future doctors, lawyers, and leaders. I aim to be someone other Hispanics can look up to for guidance when entering college for the first time. I hope that someday I am also able to help Latinx students financially as I know it can be an intimidating route to take. I chose to go into Cybersecurity as it is an area that is constantly changing and will bring new challenges with every new day. I have always been amazed by the new technology that comes out throughout the years. I was around 12 years old when I was gifted a computer from a family friend. When I started playing games, I started to ask questions. How do these characters pop up on my screen? Why do they move when I use the WASD keys? I was fascinated with how computers work so now, years later, I can enter a field where I am able to make a career with this knowledge. There was also a time when my mother had money taken from her through a phishing attack. At the time I did not know what had happened but the more I got to researching what had happened, I saw the importance of security. I know the impact Cybersecurity has on people’s lives which is why I want to succeed in this field. At the end of my college career, I hope to have had many internships and be ready to enter the workforce. I would love to be able to give back to the country which has provided my family with a better life than we would've had in Mexico. I plan on eventually working towards obtaining my master’s and maybe landing a leadership role wherever I do end up working. I hope that someday I can help local students in my community where I grew up so that we may continue to prosper and grow. I have experienced the difficulties that young Latinos face when trying to achieve their dreams and I learned that sometimes, all it takes is one person believing in you that makes all the difference. That is what I hope to use my education for. If I can provide people with opportunities and foster success in my community, then I believe all my struggles will have been worth it.