Going to college means much more to me than earning a degree. It represents independence, opportunity, and the chance to build a better life for myself and my family. As the youngest of six children, I have felt a strong responsibility to make my parents proud and accomplish what they have always hoped for me. That responsibility has become one of the biggest motivations behind my education. My family has moved multiple times while living on a low income, and I have often helped my parents with financial and housing responsibilities, including understanding documents, loans, job training, and other technology-related tasks. Because I am the most comfortable with technology in my family, I have often had to figure things out and help them navigate situations that were unfamiliar to them. These experiences have shown me how important financial stability and education can be. They have also made me grateful for every opportunity I have to pursue my education. My goal is to become a software or AI engineer. I am drawn to this career because I want to develop valuable skills, achieve financial independence, and eventually have the flexibility to work remotely. In the future, I hope to travel the world, experience different cultures, and explore the natural landscapes that have always fascinated me. To me, success is not simply having a high-paying career. It is having the freedom to live my life fully while knowing that I worked hard to create that freedom. Getting to that future has not always been easy. Balancing my classes with responsibilities at home has taught me how to manage my time and continue moving forward even when I am overwhelmed. When college becomes difficult, I remind myself of what I am working toward. I want to be able to look back and know that I did not let my circumstances determine how far I could go. Ultimately, I want my success to extend beyond myself. I want to help my family achieve the stability they deserve and eventually encourage others in my community to pursue their own goals and dreams. I want people to look at my journey and see someone who worked from the bottom to the top without losing sight of what made the journey worthwhile. Going to college means a lot to me because it is the foundation for the life I am trying to build. It is my opportunity to turn ambition into action, create a better future, and eventually allow others to do the same.

My interest in computer science did not begin with a lifelong fascination with computers. It began when I started thinking seriously about the kind of future I wanted to build for myself. As I explored different careers, I became drawn to computer science because of the opportunities it could provide. I was interested in the growth of artificial intelligence and technology, but I was also attracted to the possibility of building a career that could provide financial stability and, eventually, the flexibility to work remotely. I have always wanted to experience different places and cultures, and I began to see computer science as a way to build a career that could give me the freedom to do that while still challenging me intellectually. My interest became more meaningful through my CISC 191 course. It was one of the first times I felt that I was not simply considering computer science as a career, but actually becoming a computer science student. Programming could be frustrating when I did not immediately understand a problem, but debugging numerous errors taught me that I was capable of learning difficult concepts through persistence. Finishing the course with flying colors showed me that I could succeed in a field that I was still learning to understand. My goal is to become a software engineer or AI engineer. I am still exploring exactly where within the field I want to specialize, but I know that I want to develop skills that allow me to build useful technology and continue growing throughout my career. In the long term, I hope to achieve financial independence and have the freedom to work remotely while experiencing more of the world. I believe I am a strong candidate for this scholarship because I am still at the beginning of my journey, but I have a clear reason for pursuing it. I did not choose computer science simply because it was an easy or obvious path. I chose it because I saw an opportunity to build a future that matches the life I want, and I have continued working toward that goal even while figuring out what I want my place in the field to be. This scholarship would help me continue my education and move closer to becoming the engineer I want to be. I may not have my entire future figured out yet, but I have the ambition to pursue it, the drive to keep learning, and a clear picture of where I want that journey to take me.

One of the things that interests me most is exploring places that feel completely different from what I know. I enjoy entering an unfamiliar environment and realizing that there is an entire world outside of my everyday life that I have never experienced. I first noticed this interest during a family trip to Julian. We stayed in a cabin near a lake that had frozen over, surrounded by fields covered in snow and mountains in the distance. It was almost sunset, and I remember running through the snowy field and looking across the frozen lake at the mountains. I had seen snowy landscapes in pictures and videos before, but experiencing one myself was completely different. I became fascinated by the snow and by how much a landscape could change the way I felt. That trip made me want to experience more places that were unfamiliar to me. My interest in exploration grew even more when I visited the Philippines. The trip gave me the opportunity to see my Filipino roots and experience a way of life different from my own. I noticed a sense of simplicity and humility in everyday life that made me appreciate things I might normally take for granted. I also had opportunities to explore the natural environment, including taking boats into the ocean and snorkeling. I realized that traveling is not simply about visiting beautiful places. It is also about experiencing different cultures and gaining perspectives that I could not get by staying in the same place. Even when I am home, I find myself drawn toward places I have never seen. My TikTok feed is filled with mountains, forests, lakes, snowy landscapes, and other breathtaking parts of the world. I eventually started keeping a list of places I want to visit, with Switzerland currently at number one. I want to see its mountains in person rather than only through a screen. This interest has also influenced the future I am working toward. I want to become a software or AI engineer and build a career that challenges me while eventually giving me the flexibility and financial stability to experience more of the world. College is an important step toward that goal, and I am working toward completing my education and building the skills necessary to create that future for myself. Whether I am standing beside a frozen lake in Julian, snorkeling in the Philippines, or someday looking across the mountains of Switzerland, I want to keep discovering how much more there is to see. For me, exploring the world is not just about where I go. It is about continuing to be curious, challenging myself, and building a life that allows me to keep learning.

The life experiences that influenced my decision to pursue education at community college aren't as positive as you'd think. I come from a low-income family, in which we'd move houses often, ultimately affecting me and my academics. I am a naturally ambitious person. It was towards the end of my Sophomore year where I had given up majority of my time and effort into my family's crisis of being evicted. Instead of studying and pursuing extracurriculars, I was at home, packing/moving boxes and furniture. This lasted for about a month, and it took a toll on my academics, as well as my mental and physical health. With a 1.1 GPA sophomore year, I grew sick and tired of how my life was going. Low-income, moving constantly, and my clean academic record was stained. It was there when I wanted to be able to make decent money to provide for my family, as well as to travel and live life to the fullest since I wasn't able to due to my family's financial hardships. Going to community college is a result of many things; my consideration for my family's financial situation, my desire to still attend a university regardless of my academic hardships, for my personal academic gain, and mostly, it's to make up for all my parent's sacrifices for me. Growing up, they've tried their utmost best in giving me a content life. I want to repay them and show them that their efforts didn't go to waste. My future goal is to transfer out of community college into either SDSU or UCSC, pursuing Nursing to become a Travel Nurse, or Engineering to become a Software Engineer. I am currently still deciding between the two, but overall, these two can help me achieve my goals of living life to the fullest, continuing my academic journey, and most importantly, to provide for my family the life that we've always dreamed of.

In my sophomore year, my family faced eviction. I remember my parents’ quiet panic as they tried to figure out what to do next. As a teenager, I was used to relying on them for stability. But in that moment, they needed me to be strong too. We packed up our lives in a few days and began moving from place to place, staying with relatives and friends until we could find something more permanent. The instability affected everything. I missed classes, fell behind on assignments, and struggled to concentrate. My grades dropped for the first time in my life. I felt overwhelmed and ashamed. Not only was I falling apart academically, but I also felt like I was letting my family down. I stopped asking for help and tried to handle everything on my own, which only made things worse. Every day felt like a balancing act between keeping it together emotionally and trying to catch up academically. Eventually, I realized that staying silent was not the same as being strong. I reached out to my teachers and counselors, explained my situation, and asked for support. They responded with kindness and flexibility, giving me extensions, checking in with me, and reminding me that I was not alone. I built a schedule, set small goals, and slowly started regaining control. I learned how to manage my time more efficiently and prioritize what mattered. By junior year, I had earned back my credits and finished with a 4.0 GPA. That challenge taught me resilience, not just in surviving hardship, but in asking for help, rebuilding from failure, and believing in my ability to grow. As a first-generation Filipino-American born and raised in the Bay Area, my identity has shaped the way I see the world and my place in it. I grew up in a multigenerational household where we shared meals, told stories, and held tightly to our values. My parents and grandparents taught me about the importance of humility, family, and hard work. At the same time, growing up in such a diverse and progressive community opened my eyes to new ideas and perspectives. It helped me understand that my culture is not a barrier but a foundation. Being Filipino-American means understanding sacrifice and valuing community. My family's journey motivates me to succeed not only for myself but for them. I hope to become a psychologist serving low-income, immigrant families, especially youth facing challenges like the ones I overcame. I want to be the support I once needed.

The greatest achievement that I am most proud of is my comeback academically and mentally in my Sophomore and Junior year. In my mid-sophomore year, my parents informed the family that we were being evicted. Apparently the owner of the house we rented had relatives who were coming into state, so they needed the house for them. Despite our chaotic situation, we still had to pack and search for a new home. With the eviction deadline approaching and the house still full of furniture, I prioritized my family’s needs. I spent my days moving boxes and furniture, trying to maintain my academic performance while silently struggling under the stress. The pressure soon took its toll. I fell behind in school, missing assignments and classes. I told them I was keeping up to shield my parents from worrying. But despite my efforts, I failed my sophomore year. That summer, I enrolled in summer school to make up for lost credits, but my mental health deteriorated. Consumed by self-doubt, exhaustion, and depression, I questioned whether I had the strength to keep going. In my darkest moments, I found support from unexpected places– friends, teachers, and, most surprisingly, my parents. They reminded me they were proud of me, regardless of my setbacks. Their encouragement fueled my determination to rise above my struggles. I adopted healthier habits, such as regular exercise and balanced meals, while staying focused on my summer school courses. Gradually, I regained my confidence, completed the courses, and earned the credits I had lost. After that summer, I transferred to a new school, seeking a fresh start. Armed with the lessons I had learned about resilience and self-care, I maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout my junior year. I became more outgoing, seeking connections with others and using my experiences to grow both emotionally and academically. This challenging period taught me the power of perseverance and emotional resilience. My struggles are no longer a source of shame but a motivation to excel. I now understand that difficult experiences, whether joyful or painful, shape us and help us grow stronger. As I continue with my education, I strive to learn from any difficult experiences I may face with positivity and ambition. And through completing my college education, I want to put my plan of volunteering across the world into motion. Like getting two birds with one stone, I can fufill my dream of seeing the world all the while assisting with the people whom need assistance.