As a Business and Finance Major I will be able to use my education to help my community move Hacia Delante by demonstrating that graduating as an undocumented immigrant student during a time of immigration reform is not only possible, but impactful! My academic journey will not only be a testament to resilience and perseverance but a tool that proves that education can be a powerful tool for social and economical changes. With my major I aspire to pursue a job as a freelance Financial Planner and Advisor, with a focus on helping families, especially within the Latino community, in managing their wealth and retirement. Growing up in an immigrant household I’ve witnessed my dad work long hours for very low wages, which often lead to my parents struggling with paying the bills, and maintaining financial stability. Seeing them constantly stress and worry about paying the rent or if they’d have enough money left over to survive left me with a deep sense of responsibility and pushed me to make sure that no family has to live in constant financial fear. Even today, I worry about my parent’s retirement plans knowing that they, like many other immigrant families, lacked access to traditional financial resources. I understand that these challenges come from the lack of financial guidance, lack of education, and very limited resources available to immigrants who arrive in a this country alone, facing fear, isolation, and uncertainty. I don’t want the immigrant community to struggle financially any longer and hope that I can help these families break the cycle of poverty and survival. Without a social security these families are excluded from retirement plans, medical care, government aid and other helpful financial systems. My goal is to help immigrant and low-income families create financial systems that work for them and their income. With budgeting, financial planning, and education, I hope to help these families build emergency savings, plan for retirement, and develop healthier relationships with money. Growing up, I saw how my families financial struggles and lack of financial education prevented us from learning how to budget, save, or plan ahead keeping us trapped in the poverty line. If it weren’t for these challenges, it would have never motivated me to persue higher education in finance in order to stop this pattern. I hope to empower families to break this cycle, move beyond survival, and build stable financial futures rooted in hope. By helping these families create a financial system that works for them we’re able to push financial breakthrough onto future generations ensuring that our Latino community prospers and never has to face lack again!