I'm currently a Communication major at UCSB. Pursuing this major has grounded me in how much people pave their way just through communicating. Using my degree, I plan to create a program for those low-income families that need help with basic needs like food and water, and communicate with programs to get good jobs and a better education. I'm pursuing this as I became a personal communicator for my parents, as they never received an education and migrated to a country, not knowing the language. I was 8 years old, translating taxes and bills, barely being able to understand those big words on paper. This showed me why it is so important that low-income Mexican American families need access to better education. Growing up as a first-generation Mexican American, my motivation to become a college graduate started with family sacrifices, community struggles, and my determination to rise beyond the limitations placed on us. My identity is shaped by the countless days I spent without seeing my parents because they were working long, exhausting hours in the fields and poultry plants. Their absence was never from lack of love; in fact, it was the clearest expression of it. My parents worked so much that my siblings and I might have the chance at a life full of opportunity, education. In my early years of life, watching my parents leave home before sunrise and return long after sunset, I learned about responsibility. It was from this that I learned success doesn't come freely; it's earned through persistence and sacrifice. Their journey to the United States, arriving without knowing the language, the culture, or the rules of this country, is one of the greatest examples of courage I have ever witnessed. Despite every obstacle placed in front of them, they succeeded in raising three children on determination alone. Seeing them, two people who started with almost nothing, build a life through pure strength, has become the foundation of my motivation to continue my education and break cycles that have held back so many in the Latino community. I had understood the financial pressure my parents carried, and so early on, I decided to support myself however I could. During high school, I began a small business selling homemade treats. It was not a huge operation, but it allowed me to buy what I needed without asking my parents for money, money I knew they earned through long hours of hard labor. This small business taught me independence, resourcefulness, and pride in my own abilities. It showed me that even at a young age, I had the power to shape my future. My experiences have cultivated a passion within me that surpasses obtaining a degree. I want to be successful not only for myself but for my family and the many low-income Mexican American families that are still fighting their own battles. I want to prove to them that breaking generational patterns is possible, pursuing higher education is possible, and reaching those dreams that at times feel too far to touch is possible. I hope that in reaching my goals, I can inspire others to believe they, too, deserve a seat at the table. Being a first-generation Mexican American graduate means more than a piece of paper. It is about the acknowledgment of my parents' sacrifices, proof that their struggles were not in vain, and the use of my education to uplift others in my community. This is both a responsibility and a privilege, one that I wear with pride, with dedication, and with passion to create change for those coming after me.

Growing up as a first-generation Mexican American, my motivation to become a college graduate started with family sacrifices, community struggles, and my determination to rise beyond the limitations placed on us. My identity is shaped by the countless days I spent without seeing my parents because they were working long, exhausting hours in the fields and poultry plants. Their absence was never from lack of love; in fact, it was the clearest expression of it. My parents worked so much that my siblings and I might have the chance at a life full of opportunity, education, and stability that they themselves never had. It was in these early years of my life, watching my parents leave home before sunrise and return long after sunset, that I learned about responsibility. It was from this that I learned success doesn't come freely; it's earned through persistence and sacrifice. Their journey to the United States, arriving without knowing the language, the culture, or the rules of this country, is one of the greatest examples of courage I have ever witnessed. Despite every obstacle placed in front of them, they succeeded in raising three children on determination alone. Seeing them, two people who started with almost nothing, build a life through pure strength, has become the foundation of my motivation to continue my education and break cycles that have held back so many in the Latino community. I had understood the financial pressure my parents carried, and so early on, I decided to support myself however I could. During high school, I began a small business selling homemade treats. It was not a huge operation, but it allowed me to buy what I needed without asking my parents for money, money I knew they earned through long hours of hard labor. This small business taught me independence, resourcefulness, and pride in my own abilities. It showed me that even at a young age, I had the power to shape my future. My experiences have cultivated a passion within me that surpasses obtaining a degree. I want to be successful not only for myself but for my family and the many low-income Mexican American families that are still fighting their own battles. I want to prove to them that breaking generational patterns is possible, pursuing higher education is possible, and reaching those dreams that at times feel too far to touch is possible. I hope that in reaching my goals, I can inspire others to believe they too deserve a seat at the table. Being a first-generation Mexican American graduate means more than a piece of paper. It is about the acknowledgment of my parents' sacrifices, proof that their struggles were not in vain, and the use of my education to uplift others in my community. This is both a responsibility and a privilege, one that I wear with pride, with dedication, and with an unwavering passion to create change for those coming after me.