Que Bonita Bandera, a song by Florencio Morales Ramos, holds a special place in my heart because of the important message it conveys. This song, which translates to "What a Beautiful Flag," is a tribute to the Puerto Rican flag and the resilience of the Puerto Rican people. The song begins by describing the physical beauty of the flag, with its vibrant red, white, and blue colors. However, the true beauty of the flag lies in its symbolism and what it represents for the Puerto Rican people. The red stands for the blood of those who have fought for Puerto Rico's freedom and independence, the white represents the pure ideals of liberty and equality, and the blue represents the ocean that surrounds the island. As the song progresses, it speaks of the struggles and hardships that the Puerto Rican people have faced throughout their history. From colonialism to natural disasters, the Puerto Rican people have persevered and continued to hold onto their identity and pride in their culture. To me, Que Bonita Bandera is a powerful reminder of the strength and determination that exists within communities and cultures. It serves as a reminder that no matter the challenges we may face, we must never lose sight of our values and the things that make us unique. For these reasons, Que Bonita Bandera is the song that holds the most important message to me. It inspires me to be proud of my heritage and to never give up on my dreams, no matter how difficult the journey may be.

Growing up in New Jersey, I have always been surrounded by a diverse and vibrant community. My parents, both immigrants from Puerto Rico, instilled in me the values of hard work and determination from a young age. My grandparents were traditional farmers on the island, and their strong work ethic was passed down to my parents, who in turn passed it on to me. My father, who passed away in 1998 after a long battle with cancer, was a successful chef in the United States, while my mother built a thriving beauty salon from the ground up. Their drive and determination inspired me to always strive for excellence and to never be afraid to take on new challenges. In 1997, I earned my Associates Degree in Accounting, but life and family responsibilities soon took over and I put my education on hold. Now, with four children ranging in age from 22 to 8, I feel ready to return to school and finish what I started. My mother, who is now in the early stages of Parkinson's disease, has been a constant source of support and encouragement throughout my journey. My personal identity as a Puerto Rican American has also played a role in my decision to return to college. I am proud of my heritage and the cultural values that have been passed down to me, and I want to use my education to give back to my community and make a positive impact. As a returning student, I know that balancing my studies with my responsibilities as a parent and partner will not be easy, but I am up to the challenge. I have always had a love of learning and am eager to deepen my understanding of accounting and explore new areas of study. I am confident that returning to school at this point in my life will allow me to not only achieve my personal goals, but also make a meaningful contribution to my community and to society as a whole. I believe that my background, identity, and interests make me a unique and well-rounded individual, and I am excited to bring this diversity to the college campus. I am confident that with hard work and determination, I will be able to succeed in my studies and make the most of this opportunity to further my education. Hoping that my current pursuit of my Bachelor's at Western Governors Univercity which allows flexibility as a full-time employee will be a successful one.

Always been appreciative of the peace you get especially when you live in the NY Metro area. The hustle of the honking, yelling, and almost getting hit by cars, buses, taxis, and passersby's. Starting at a young age, I felt at peace at the bottom of the pool while at the top you can hear the faint noise of the kids and parents above. As such as I grew older, loved going mountain hiking and getting on my kayak on the middle of a beautiful reservoir to refresh the batteries. I've encountered doing completely "nothing" and yet feeling so more refresh in comparison to laying on the couch or bed in home. When my kids can walk, I've taking them hiking and kayaking so they can feel the appreciation of mother nature when she's happy. We all know when she's sad or upset, that makes everyone live's miserable. During a recent dinner, my 2 adult kids said that one of their favorite memories was me taking them hiking and going by one of the waterfalls in our area. I felt proud. Looking to continue to see if this trend continues with my grandkids (not yet) but later on.

One investing tip that I would definitely recommend is do not follow the "hot trend" but follow the historical facts as your baseline and do not panic. I've lost so much money trying to get on the hot trend and then not knowing when to jump out. The hot trends are those you can consider daily traders who have the luxury of time to watch what is going on in the market. As I studied furthered, I definitely have a diverse strategy based on historical facts. Invest in the main index funds (each broker would provide their index fund equivalent to match the market like the SP 500. I tend to invest globally (outside of the US) to opportunities that often are more rewarded. In my first "investing" was courtesy of 401k provided thru my very first employer (even as a part-timer) at IKEA. It was thru Fidelity and they had lots of great options. However as a investor newbie, I had no clue where to put my contributions in. After heavily researching and looking at the historical data of the funds available, I chose 5 funds for diversity. 3 were US-Based, 1 International, and 1 Bond. It honestly provided great insight on how the market plays and how my funds performed. As such, I knew when to tweak the contributions % per fund. At most twice a year. Happy to say that early investing allowed to put a down payment on my house that I currently reside.

As with life, you just can not control what happens. As such, it "delayed" my college experience. After receiving my Associates degree at my local community college, I was planning to attend the 4 year. However, I got a good full time job , met my 1st wife, then kids coming along the way. As such, the bachelor dream was put on the back burner. Well it is 25+ years later and my 2 oldest kids have decided not to go to college due to their own life obstacles. I'm in my 2nd marriage and an additional 2 kids (3rd if you count the family cat). I've seen so many commercials on the TV or on a social media platform that shows someone much older than I am obtaining their degree. It has always been a constant reminder that "Are you ready to revisit your dream?!?" As such, I think it is time for my to retrieve my bachelor's degree during this window. Due to the long delay, this degree had turned into a bucket item that honestly I didn't expect to revisit. Hoping to hold up my bachelor's degree to my 4 kids and show, it's never to late to finish something. I have unfortunately encountered so many missed opportunities due to the fact that I did not have a bachelor's degree. My resume despite the extensive experience and sometimes labeled "over-qualified", certain respective companies just could not get passed that I had only obtain an Associates Degree and not the prestigious Bachelor's degree. Obtaining this bachelor's degree, I feel will open an unlimited amount of opportunities that have never been even considered an option. Looking forward to walking down the ceremonial aisle (pending Covid situations obviously) and getting that piece of more than paper. It's more of an acknowledgement that Yes I have Done It! What can I do next, excited to find out.