As I get closer to graduating, I’ve found myself thinking a lot about what it actually means to be “prepared” for the real world. On paper, I feel ready; I’ve worked hard, built technical skills, and taken on challenging projects. But when I started applying to jobs and internships, I quickly realized that there are so many parts of the process that no one really teaches you. Things like how to answer interview questions, how to tailor your résumé to a specific role, or even how to confidently present yourself, it all felt overwhelming and honestly a little discouraging at times. That experience is what led me to start working on a project called HireReady. It’s a website I’ve been building on my own, and it’s something I feel very connected to because it comes directly from a problem I’ve lived through. I wanted to create a space where people could feel more guided and supported during the job search process, instead of feeling like they have to figure everything out alone. The idea behind HireReady is simple, but meaningful to me. I want users to be able to input a job description and get clear feedback on how well they match that role. From there, the platform would help generate interview questions specific to that position, suggest ways to improve their resume, and guide them on how to better present themselves. The feature I’m most excited about is an AI voice component that would act like a real interviewer. Users would be able to practice answering questions out loud and receive feedback in real time, almost like having a personal coach. I think that kind of interaction could make a huge difference in building confidence. What matters most to me about this project is accessibility. A lot of the tools that help with job preparation already exist, but they’re often expensive or not designed in a way that feels approachable. I want HireReady to be something that anyone can use, especially students or recent graduates who might be feeling unsure of themselves. It’s important to me that people feel supported, not intimidated. This project reflects how I approach problem solving. I tend to notice gaps in my own experiences and then ask myself how I can improve them, not just for me but for others going through the same thing. I’m naturally curious, so once I identify a problem, I feel motivated to explore it deeply and try to build something that actually helps. Coding this website myself has been both challenging and exciting, and even though it’s still a work in progress, it’s something I genuinely enjoy working on. In the long term, I hope HireReady can have a positive impact by helping people feel more confident and prepared as they enter the workforce. Even small improvements in how someone presents themselves or understands a role can change their opportunities. Being able to contribute to that, even in a small way, is something that means a lot to me.

Growing up, my life was shaped by the strength and determination of one person: my mom. She was only 17 years old when she gave birth to me on a small island in Venezuela. At the time, our country was already beginning to face serious economic and political problems, challenges that unfortunately still exist today. Life was not easy for her. She was very young, trying to raise a baby while also trying to build a future for herself in a country that was becoming more unstable every year. My mom worked as a high school teacher, and although she loved education, the financial situation in Venezuela made it extremely difficult for her to provide everything she wanted for me. Thankfully, my family supported her during those early years. When I was only three months old, my mom made the courageous decision to start college. My grandmother helped take care of me while my mom attended her classes. My mom and grandma always tell me stories about that time—how during her breaks between classes, my mom would come find my grandmother just so she could breastfeed me before returning to class again. Hearing those stories growing up made me realize just how much sacrifice and love went into giving me a future. Those sacrifices shaped the way I see life today. My mom always tells me that I am her biggest motivation, but the truth is that she is mine as well. Watching her work hard, study, and never give up—even when life was difficult—taught me the value of resilience and determination. She showed me that even when circumstances are not perfect, you can still fight for a better future. Eventually, our journey brought us to the United States, where my mom continued to work incredibly hard to make sure I had opportunities she never had. There were times when she worked up to three jobs just to help support my education and make sure I could pursue my dreams. I will never forget the sacrifices she made for me, and they continue to inspire me every day. Because of her, I am now pursuing a career in technology. I am studying computational science and engineering and working toward becoming a software engineer. What excites me most about this career is that technology can be used in so many fields that help people—medicine, finance, environmental systems, and many others. Software engineering allows me to use my creativity and problem-solving skills to develop tools that improve people’s lives, whether that means maintaining important systems or creating new technologies that make everyday life easier. Research shows that families led by single mothers often face financial and social challenges, largely due to limited resources and economic pressures. But my life has shown me that strength, dedication, and love can overcome those obstacles. My mom proved that with enough determination, it is possible to break barriers and create opportunities for the next generation. In the future, I see myself using my skills in technology to contribute to companies and projects that help people in meaningful ways. I want my work to have purpose. More than anything, I want to make my mom proud and repay her sacrifices by building a life that reflects everything she worked so hard to give me. Her strength shaped who I am today, and because of her, I believe that no dream is too big to pursue.

Being a first-generation college graduate means everything to me. In just two months, I will graduate from college, and honestly, it still feels unreal. There were many moments during the past four years when the journey felt difficult, exhausting, and even uncertain. But now that I am so close to the finish line, I feel extremely proud and grateful for the opportunity I had to pursue higher education. My mom is a single mother who has always done everything she possibly could to give me the chance to build a better future. Watching her work hard and sacrifice for me has always been my biggest motivation to succeed. Growing up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and attending Halsey Academy at Elizabeth High School, I saw many different paths people around me took after graduation. For me, I always knew that education was the path that could open doors to opportunities that my family never had before. Being Hispanic and a woman pursuing a degree in Computational Science and Engineering has not always been easy. It is a competitive and challenging field, and there were moments when I felt intimidated. However, those challenges pushed me to work harder and prove to myself that I belong in this space. One of the most meaningful parts of my college experience has been the extracurricular opportunities that helped shape who I am today. During the summer of 2024, I had the opportunity to complete my first internship through SIAM, where I worked on research involving data documentation and tabular data. That experience introduced me to the world of research and showed me how collaboration and technical work can help improve the way scientific data is used and understood. At Kean University, I also participated in research focused on flood simulations in the Elizabeth River. This project was particularly meaningful to me because it directly connects to the community where I grew up. Using computational tools and simulations to better understand flooding risks showed me how technology and engineering can be used to solve real problems that affect people’s lives. As I approach graduation in May, I have begun interviewing with several companies for internship positions. Sometimes it still surprises me that these organizations would even consider me for real jobs in the technology field. But these experiences have reminded me that the hard work of the past four years truly mattered. Every research project, internship, and extracurricular activity helped build the skills and confidence that got me here today. In August, I will be continuing my academic journey by starting a Master’s program in Software Engineering at Arizona State University. Pursuing this degree is extremely important to me because I want to continue developing advanced technical skills and become more competitive in the technology industry. As a first-generation student, pursuing a graduate degree is both exciting and challenging, especially financially. This is why scholarships like this one are so meaningful to me. They help make it possible for students like me to continue our education and reach the next level of our careers. Being a first-generation college graduate means that I am opening a new chapter for my family. My family is incredibly proud, and I know this achievement represents not only my hard work but also the sacrifices that made it possible. I hope my journey can inspire other students, especially Hispanic women, to believe that they can pursue careers in science, engineering, and technology.

If the world ended tomorrow I would not be able to say I did it all or even half of it—I would say that I tried. Attempting to become the best version of myself has not been an easy job to fulfill. Pressure begins to rise when doubts or mistakes appear as I owe it to my family to make it—to build a life for myself, to fall in love with my dreams, to make it all my sense; my past, present, and future. This is my family’s story. It begins with me. At the age of sixteen, my mother gave birth to a baby girl called Fabiana. She raised her as a single mother with the help of her supportive family. My mother planned on aborting Fabiana as she thought she would be born into a low-income family, unloved and unwanted by her father, and with no chance to make a life for herself. The economic crisis in Venezuela made growing up difficult, since the age of ten, Fabiana’s grandmother has worked hard in many jobs—until she opened a hair salon, which has been her motivation to wake up every day and work. Fabiana’s grandmother makes about five dollars a day if there are any clients. In a similar way, Fabiana’s grandfather works in a pizzeria as a server at the age of sixty. Originally, he was a taxi driver all his life, but money was not sufficient and had to give it up. The reality is that both of them did not have the opportunity to go to school and earn an education due to the reality in Venezuela—it was either working to live day by day or stop surviving. Although they have experienced many hardships, love has stayed alive during forty years of marriage. They did everything, the absolute everything to give them a better life than what they had. Fabiana has two aunts and an uncle who graduated in accounting, and a mother who graduated in language arts. The reality in Venezuela forced my mother to move to the United States while seeking for better opportunities. This story is similar to millions of others. Yes. But it has been entirely mine. I have seen the struggles, tears, and sweat shown by my mother. She transitioned from being a teacher to a bartender. It has been her job for the past five years, and it supports our family in Venezuela as she sends money on a weekly basis to help them endure the economic crisis. I see the reflection of her pure heart through the way my grandparents raised her. My family has been my inspiration to become an exceptional woman—to have a voice, inspire, and demonstrate that with love and resiliency, all things are possible. As they have never seen the outside world, I owe it to them to achieve it all. They have shaped my dream of attending college and challenging myself in the pursuit of a degree in engineering as I grew up with zero technological advancements—engineering exhibits the challenge I precisely need to understand the world I never had the chance to grow up in. I dream of representing women in the STEM community and show the dedication and courage I saw while growing up. I dream of showing my ability to avoid conformity and be the first member in my family to take a stand—to inspire young females who have similar career aspirations into believing that obstacles can make of us the most powerful and majestic individuals—that we can either become hardened by all our experiences or softened. Choose the second—every day.

Across the world, in this diverse and multifaceted global landscape, problems must exist to create solutions. Most individuals take “problems” in a negative connotation, the truth is, they are the most appealing factor of living. Problems are hidden opportunities to discover and rediscover ourselves and the world—surprisingly, without them, mathematics would not be possible. As our brains are wired to solve problems, I have realized that one of the main principles of mathematics is not memorization, but reasoning. It was never enough to know procedures and steps when solving a problem, I always knew I needed critical thinking and reasoning—not only to succeed in math, but in life. A fact I have learned over the years is that math and love are the two languages every human has the ability to speak. Humans have an unfathomable capacity to connect with love and math in ways that transcend time and space—it is about decisions, connection and relationships. One aspect that draws me to math is its ability to nurture creativity and uncertainty as those are experiences of our every-day life. Solving a math problem can be chaotic and that is what draws us to take risks, feel adventurous, and take peculiar choices. A distinctive feeling that has no comparison is the ability to solve a problem and find satisfaction in doing so. During my senior year of high school, I enrolled in AP Statistics, although I already had all my credits, I decided to take the challenge to learn more. Statistics developed a part of me I never knew I had as every day, I was more inclined into thinking logically and accurately. It was indeed the most challenging math course so far, but I am glad I took it as I found the importance of numbers from the monotony in my math class. My math teacher focused on teaching problems found in our classroom which made class even more interesting as we must find the probability in diverse angles of problems from our love, daily, and professional life. Mathematics is the cradle of all creations in which the world cannot move an inch. No matter the situation, it reminds us that we must use numbers when words fail. In my envisioned future, I chose to pursuit engineering to communicate through a shared understanding of math, regardless of race or religion. I dream of inspiring young women into believing that problems, and obstacles, can make of us the most powerful individuals. I will strive, and inspire others, to choose math when words fail us—everyday.

In life, we stumble upon innumerable challenges. Some challenges reveal to us who we are mean to be, as the Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps did to me. I have been of service to my community by providing over 300 community services as a member of this program. I feel my capabilities have strengthened through the inspiration and motivation obtained from JROTC and have forecasted my selfless services to my community—teaching subordinates that respect given is respect earned, donating toys and clothes, volunteering, participating in events, enabling connections, and cooperating, is the inspiration to my days as a member of my community. With respect to creating a lasting impact to individuals through my mentorship—working as the Executive Officer of over 300 cadets have demonstrated the responsibility for leading, supporting, and inspiring them into reaching their highest potential. I have taught cadets to assimilate their moral, character, and direction since those are the foundations to perceive success individually, and collectively. For instance, the main leadership trait that I hope others recognize me for is tact due to my ability to comprehend everyone’s situation. In the same manner, the endurance trait reminds me to continue despite the hardships—to inspire others to give the best of themselves as I have—academically graduated as class valedictorian while having personal responsibilities and exhibited to take a stand and represent women in the STEM community in my college career. Mentoring individuals guided me into recognizing the genuine context of teamwork and the satisfaction it brings to help your fellow citizens. Most importantly—without love—where we are sitting, our skills, accomplishments, experiences, nothing would matter, except love and human connection; how you touched the people around you and how much you gave to the world.

Here is my message for you: nothing worth having comes easy. I was named Valedictorian of the Class of 2018 after only ten months of living in the United States. The challenge of learning a new language, adapting to a new country, experiencing new cultures, and being 2,081 miles from home encouraged me to be the best version of myself. I learned English in five months and was able to not only be the best in my class, but also to inspire others who were struggling. Remember, the doors will be opened to those who are bold enough to knock!

Katharine Hepburn once said, “Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get, only with what you are expecting to give, which is everything.” The constant unselfishness we deliver to the world prohibit us from reaching the level of peace and respect we all deserve. For instance, all individuals struggle with their emotional strength and intelligence considering we destroy one another by the non-existent love. Overall, self-love is an all-encompassing practice of respecting your own worth, being kind to yourself, and nurturing your own development in your life. My self-love journey has made me teach others the way I want to feel loved and respected. This body which has been accompanying my soul and mind, has develop a sense of avoiding anything that requires insignificant energy wasted through the conflict and hopelessness it brings within me. Undoubtedly, once I began to entirely love myself, I recognized that others benefited from it as well. Relationships are impacted by the energies we exchange in every conversation and interaction; if we display stress or any kind of negative energy, we are unconsciously hurting each other’s vibrational frequency. Once I commenced putting self-love into practice, people started telling me, "You look happy." That is one of the most flattering compliments you can get as it motivates them to look for the compassion and mindfulness they merit. Love as the most powerful emotion in the world, drove me to feel capable and begin validating myself as I matter, and I am sufficient. Self-love is a worthwhile operation, but it is not a mountain to climb. Instead, it is a lifelong practice of self-care. As a result, self-love entails a commitment to prioritizing yourself despite the chaos that life can bring. I constantly reminisce about the anxiety, insecurity, depression, unhealthy coping, and sadness I used to experience in my everyday life. Now, my persona created a belief and aspiration of putting myself as my to-do list and walking through the path of unconditional acceptance. “I have unlimited power and everything I desire is flowing to me right now; I represent passion, happiness, confidence, enthusiasm, inspiration, and love,” Affirming those lines through my daily meditation has opened my mind into accepting the compassion and reality I am creating for myself. Self-love has provided me a compass in which now I know the direction of my goals and what I want for my unpredictable life. Since self-love is a personal journey, the dark days and obstacles have helped me to appreciate the days in which the days are brighter than ever. Regularly practicing self-love is something I make a point of doing. I still acknowledge and celebrate my accomplishments, no matter how big or small, and I am generous with myself. I'm prone to being harsh on myself, but I take time to remember my perseverance and genuinely appreciate where I am now as it is a huge step forward. In the end, do not be afraid to love, choose it, every day.

“Never go in search of love, go in search of life, and life will find you the love you seek.” When I was thirteen years old visiting Central Park in New York, an old lady offered free book. As usual, I selected the one in the love section anticipating it to be ordinary but once I read those lines, they endured to be impregnated in my mind during all these years. I believe that life is meant to be challenging and unpredictable. Indeed, I have never been the type to pursuit a tedious conventional path but the one that is amenable to purposely cause me to make mistakes. Most people might believe that the passion towards a field is acquired from an early age, in my case, I had found STEM increasingly alluring as it discovers the world behind what the superficial eye sees. By default, I dream of experiencing an adventurous life along with millions of obstacles that will demand of me a non-hesitant individual eager to speak the new language of the future. Inspiration causes my persona to seize unavoidable challenges in order to mold the character I desire to portray to the world. Choosing a college major has never been a simple task since I am openly inclined towards persuading and earning absolute happiness and success. I believe every day is a second chance to scrutinize into anything that could expand and flourish our minds in some way. STEM studies are portended to construct an innovative future as science is surrounding us and for those reasons, I dream of leaving my footprint while endeavoring to follow an eternal passion within me. My philosophy on life might be deceptive as it is temporary, though I believe that passions are not easy to come by. We did not get this life and mind just out of fortune; it was destined to be a plan in which we speak our minds and show the world the genius within. For as long as I can remember, I have been infatuated with science and the motives behind all its inventions. Every day, I interrogate the technological world we are in and wonder if one day I would be competent enough to comprehend it and form part of the amelioration. Consequently, my critical thinking will incredibly emerge once I am trained in the STEM field, I am passionate about which is Engineering. I believe that as a student, STEM will prepare me to be successful in life through the love and commotion it provides me. There is nothing stronger than passionately loving what you do and dreaming of the day you can impact a regional, national or global matter. Science, technology, engineering, and math are not just fields, they are passions. I am passionate about feeding my curiosity, expanding my knowledge, exploring the earth and its created language, and generating an impact in the world in which the hourglass of life will not stop but continue to remind me to prevail into persuading my passions.