I was brought to this country from Mexico at age eight to work in the hot vineyards of Fresno, California alongside my farmworker parents. I didn’t speak a word of English and sobbed my way through most of third grade. Within the year I was speaking the language and translating for my parents. Throughout most of elementary and middle school, I worked at three different cleaning jobs in local cafes before school started to help my parents pay for food. I am a Dreamer, but most importantly I am a doer. At the age of 22 I graduated cum laude and debt free from Dominican University of California with two bachelor’s degrees. I founded the “First Generation College Support Club” on campus to create community and support other students navigating the challenges of being the first in their families to attend college. I worked three jobs to support myself through college and often helped my little siblings with money for food while they were at the family shelter in Santa Rosa, California during two years of homelessness when my mother got sick and couldn’t pay the rent. As the first in my family to attend college, I want to demonstrate that higher education opens doors and that pursuing a master’s degree and one day, a Ph.D., is possible for all immigrants. My undergraduate research, my work in immigration rights in Sonoma County, and my personal values converge around a passion for fresh water sustainability and fuel my desire to enroll in the M.S. in Sustainability Management program at Columbia University so I can become a leading advocate for sustainable business practices across private and public sectors. I wish to help manage sustainable and ethical businesses and in tandem start my own private consulting firm that will provide specialized sustainability and zero waste support to all people wishing to reduce their impact on the environment by dramatically reducing their daily trash. As an immigrant and woman of color, I have been told my entire life what I can’t do or be, and that I didn’t belong because I wasn’t born here. Overcoming this adversity was only possible because of my tenacity, commitment to education, and valuable academic mentors. No matter where one comes from it is all of our responsibility to fight for the survival of our planet because climate change knows no borders.

As the first in my family to attend college, I want to demonstrate that higher education opens doors and that pursuing a master’s degree and one day, a Ph.D., is possible for all immigrants. My undergraduate research, my work in immigration rights in Sonoma County, and my personal values converge around a passion for fresh water sustainability and fuel my desire to apply to the M.S. in Sustainability Management program at Columbia University so I can become a leading advocate for sustainable business practices across private and public sectors. I wish to help manage sustainable and ethical businesses and in tandem start my own private consulting firm that will provide specialized sustainability and zero waste support to all people wishing to reduce their impact on the environment by dramatically reducing their daily trash. Often new people in my life ask how I have come so far. What makes me different? What they are really asking is, “How can an immigrant with no money and zero family support accomplish so much?” In every successful moment in my life there are deep threads leading back to community members that made it possible. The constant friendship, mentorship, hours spent improving my writing, helping me pay for school supplies, the unconditional love, these are some of the ways my network has nurtured me over the past two decades. My teachers, mentors and sport coaches shaped my character and were there for me every step of the way. Ellen Boneparth was my Model United Nations Club instructor during my Junior and Senior years of high school. Ellen introduced me to women’s rights literature and international affairs. As our friendship evolved, she gave me some home office and yard jobs on the weekends. At this time, I was babysitting to make money for notebooks and new shoes for basketball and volleyball, which I played every year. Ellen’s mentorship inspired me to finish the college application process at a time when I felt the most alone. She helped me with my essays and to my great joy I received a full tuition scholarship to Dominican University where under her guidance I decided to major in Gender Studies and International Studies and graduated cum laude. These fields gave me a global perspective that shaped my mind and heart.

The climate crisis has rapidly changed the daily lives of millions of Californians since I first arrived here twenty years ago. California is widely known for beautiful beaches, forests, and mountains. Many people enjoy the ample resources the state offers such as year-round fresh produce and wine. These are all at risk. The vineyards that make Napa and Sonoma county world-famous are now being destroyed by wildfires which I have lived through. The people, mostly immigrants, who harvest our food and grapes are the most affected by the climate crisis. For example, vineyard workers here in my community harvested grapes while the raging fires were only miles away because their earnings to pay for food and rent for their families was more critical than their personal safety. Around the world, people who live off the land and make a living toiling it are the most affected by climate change and are the first to die when heat waves, hurricanes, and wild fires strike and there is no clean water. When I was younger, I was forced to work in the hot vineyards of Fresno, which are now shriveled and burning. I take this experience with me wherever I go. I can stand side by side with those who must work to feed themselves and their families, even if the risks include illness or death. When those in positions of power locally and globally fail the most important group of people, the people who grow and harvest our food, the results are deadly. As a visionary leader, I can visualize a better way of living and organizing communities. Leading with empathy and compassion for all living beings and for the planet is the only way to heal and survive as a species. This is the foundation of my commitment to my graduate education at Columbia University starting in the Fall of 2021. My short-term career plan is to start my business this year and grow the business as I learn from my professors at Columbia University. My long-term plan is to provide zero waste consulting to communities across states and, one day, internationally. My goal is to become a leading advocate for sustainable business practices across private and public sectors, in which I will provide specialized sustainability and zero waste support to all people wishing to reduce their impact on the environment by dramatically reducing their daily waste. As an immigrant and woman of color, I have been told my entire life what I can’t do or be, and that I didn’t belong because I wasn’t born here. Overcoming this adversity has been possible only because of my tenacity, commitment to education, and valuable academic mentors. No matter where one comes from, it is all of our responsibility to fight for the survival of our planet because climate change knows no borders.

I am a first-generation immigrant. I was born in Mexico in 1991 and arrived in the USA in 2000. I had the unfortunate luck of being born into a patriarchal and misogynistic family that exposed me to physical and psychological abuse ranging from forced farm labor to sexual abuse. After crossing the border to California in 2000 as a young immigrant, I faced economic stress and racism. Growing up in a family of eight kids meant there was always a lack of resources to go around. From a young age, my responsibilities involved taking care of my younger siblings to translating for my mother at local health clinics or social services. With both parents working full-time, I spent most days making meals, cleaning the house, and ensuring the little kids were staying safe. These responsibilities created a highly stressful environment that resulted in severe childhood depression, anxiety and isolation. I often contemplated my existence and whether being alive was worth it. My first three years in California were full of fear and anxiety. Even as a young kid, I understood that my family and I didn’t belong. The first day of third grade was terrifying. I clearly remember standing with my class while my fellow classmates recited the Pledge of Allegiance. I stayed quiet. I didn’t understand what was happening. Yet, being bullied for being an immigrant and poor gave me thick skin. I threw myself into school. As I mastered the language and excelled in math and sciences, I developed more confidence and became less troubled by the idea of otherness. As a visionary leader, I can visualize a better way of living and organizing communities. Leading with empathy and compassion for all living beings and for the planet is the only way to heal and survive as a species. This is the foundation of my commitment to my graduate education. I am ready to be a problem-solver who considers sustainability and the healing of our ecosystems when presenting solutions to communities here in the United States and abroad. But most importantly, I will fight for all immigrants and climate refugees along the way and ensure they have a voice when decisions are being made that impact their livelihoods. As the first in my family to attend college, I want to demonstrate that higher education opens doors and that pursuing a master’s degree and, one day, a Ph.D., is possible for all immigrants. My undergraduate research, my work in immigration rights in Sonoma County, and my personal values converge around a passion for fresh water sustainability and fuel my desire to pursue the M.S. in Sustainability Management at Columbia University. My goal is to become a leading advocate for sustainable business practices across private and public sectors. I wish to help manage sustainable and ethical businesses and, in tandem, to start my own private consulting firm that will provide specialized sustainability and zero waste support to all people wishing to reduce their impact on the environment by dramatically reducing their daily waste. My work providing legal support to the immigrant community in Sonoma County, California has solidified a passion for advocacy and a desire to lead a life of service to people and the planet. My own immigration journey from Mexico has shaped my place in this world. Although I struggled for years from depression as a result of racism, I have taken control of the narrative and am now committed to using my lived experience as valuable knowledge when advocating for vulnerable groups affected by climate change. As an immigrant and woman of color, I have been told my entire life what I can’t do or be, and that I didn’t belong because I wasn’t born here. Overcoming this adversity has been possible only because of my tenacity, commitment to education, and valuable academic mentors. No matter where one comes from, it is all of our responsibility to fight for the survival of our planet because climate change knows no borders.

I am a first-generation immigrant. I was born in Mexico in 1991 and arrived in the USA in 2000. I had the unfortunate luck of being born into a patriarchal and misogynistic family that exposed me to physical and psychological abuse ranging from forced farm labor to sexual abuse. After crossing the border to California in 2000 as a young immigrant, I faced economic stress and racism. Growing up in a family of eight kids meant there was always a lack of resources to go around. From a young age, my responsibilities involved taking care of my younger siblings to translating for my mother at local health clinics or social services. With both parents working full-time, I spent most days making meals, cleaning the house, and ensuring the little kids were staying safe. These responsibilities created a highly stressful environment that resulted in severe childhood depression, anxiety and isolation. I often contemplated my existence and whether being alive was worth it. My first three years in California were full of fear and anxiety. Even as a young kid, I understood that my family and I didn’t belong. The first day of third grade was terrifying. I clearly remember standing with my class while my fellow classmates recited the Pledge of Allegiance. I stayed quiet. I didn’t understand what was happening. Yet, being bullied for being an immigrant and poor gave me thick skin. I threw myself into school. As I mastered the language and excelled in math and sciences, I developed more confidence and became less troubled by the idea of otherness. As a visionary leader, I can visualize a better way of living and organizing communities. Leading with empathy and compassion for all living beings and for the planet is the only way to heal and survive as a species. This is the foundation of my commitment to my graduate education. I am ready to be a problem-solver who considers sustainability and the healing of our ecosystems when presenting solutions to communities here in the United States and abroad. But most importantly, I will fight for all immigrants and climate refugees along the way and ensure they have a voice when decisions are being made that impact their livelihoods. As the first in my family to attend college, I want to demonstrate that higher education opens doors and that pursuing a master’s degree and, one day, a Ph.D., is possible for all immigrants. My undergraduate research, my work in immigration rights in Sonoma County, and my personal values converge around a passion for fresh water sustainability and fuel my desire to pursue the M.S. in Sustainability Management at Columbia University. My goal is to become a leading advocate for sustainable business practices across private and public sectors. I wish to help manage sustainable and ethical businesses and, in tandem, to start my own private consulting firm that will provide specialized sustainability and zero waste support to all people wishing to reduce their impact on the environment by dramatically reducing their daily waste. My passion for sustainability began during my undergraduate thesis research on the intersectionality of gender, water scarcity, and human rights in Lima, Peru. I learned that the lack of sustainable water management knowledge among businesses and civilians was a root cause of water scarcity in Peru and around the world. Climate change is a global crisis threatening a wide range of finite resources, one of the most pressing being access to clean water. This experience informed my fundamental mission to “Do No Harm with My Existence,” which guides my daily life choices and career aspirations. I strongly believe that by changing the way people live and do business we can collectively reduce the harm we cause to each other and the planet. My work providing legal support to the immigrant community in Sonoma County, California has solidified a passion for advocacy and a desire to lead a life of service to people and the planet. My own immigration journey from Mexico has shaped my place in this world. Although I struggled for years from depression as a result of racism, I have taken control of the narrative and am now committed to using my lived experience as valuable knowledge when advocating for vulnerable groups affected by climate change. As an immigrant and woman of color, I have been told my entire life what I can’t do or be, and that I didn’t belong because I wasn’t born here. Overcoming this adversity has been possible only because of my tenacity, commitment to education, and valuable academic mentors. No matter where one comes from, it is all of our responsibility to fight for the survival of our planet because climate change knows no borders.

I am a first-generation immigrant. I was born in Mexico in 1991 and arrived in the USA in 2000. I had the unfortunate luck of being born into a patriarchal and misogynistic family that exposed me to physical and psychological abuse ranging from forced farm labor to sexual abuse. After crossing the border to California in 2000 as a young immigrant, I faced economic stress and racism. Growing up in a family of eight kids meant there was always a lack of resources to go around. From a young age, my responsibilities involved taking care of my younger siblings to translating for my mother at local health clinics or social services. With both parents working full-time, I spent most days making meals, cleaning the house, and ensuring the little kids were staying safe. These responsibilities created a highly stressful environment that resulted in severe childhood depression, anxiety and isolation. I often contemplated my existence and whether being alive was worth it. My first three years in California were full of fear and anxiety. Even as a young kid, I understood that my family and I didn’t belong. The first day of third grade was terrifying. I clearly remember standing with my class while my fellow classmates recited the Pledge of Allegiance. I stayed quiet. I didn’t understand what was happening. Yet, being bullied for being an immigrant and poor gave me thick skin. I threw myself into school. As I mastered the language and excelled in math and sciences, I developed more confidence and became less troubled by the idea of otherness. Being smart and successful was my new identity and going to college meant to me the ultimate success. My middle school curriculum was the foundation for my college dreams. At Roseland University Prep, my teachers taught me about universities and what kind of grades and extra-curricular activities were necessary for admission. I started volunteering, coaching and playing sports, often as a team captain, thinking about careers, joining clubs, and getting straight A’s. Through my volunteering as a high school student, I was introduced to social activism and the injustices happening in our Mexican community. Sonoma Country struggles with chronic homelessness due to our expensive housing market. Hunger is a chronic issue that affects thousands of people daily. Drug addiction is rampant. The wildfires have wiped out large portions of the county and put all the residents on edge. Through social activism I learned how our government was actively targeting immigrant communities and breaking up families. All these issues were personal to me because my entire family was at risk and lead me to be the one to who wrote my families application for legal residency. Advocating for those without a voice gave me purpose. My childhood experiences and my social activism have made me committed to leaving this earth in a better state one day. Often new people in my life ask how I have come so far. What makes me different? What they are really asking is, “How can an immigrant with no money and zero family support accomplish so much?” In every successful moment in my life there are deep threads leading back to community members that made it possible. The constant friendship, mentorship, hours spent improving my writing, helping me pay for school supplies, the unconditional love, these are some of the ways my network has nurtured me over the past two decades. My teachers, mentors and sport coaches shaped my character and were there for me every step of the way. Cultivating and embracing my empathic nature has been my biggest accomplishment as I became a young adult. My deep care for the planet and all of the people on this planet who don’t have adequate housing, water, food, health care, education, and a secure environment is what drives me to pursue graduate education. As I prepare to begin my Masters in Science in Sustainability Management at Columbia University, I ask myself what will be the most useful path to follow – work in the nonprofit world, starting my own business, community work, or government service? Whatever path I choose, I am proud, as a new American, to work for change that will be both compassionate and sustainable.

I am a first-generation immigrant. I was born in Mexico in 1991 and arrived in the USA in 2000. I had the unfortunate luck of being born into a patriarchal and misogynistic family that exposed me to physical and psychological abuse ranging from forced farm labor to sexual abuse. After crossing the border to California in 2000 as a young immigrant, I faced economic stress and racism. Growing up in a family of eight kids meant there was always a lack of resources to go around. From a young age, my responsibilities involved taking care of my younger siblings to translating for my mother at local health clinics or social services. With both parents working full-time, I spent most days making meals, cleaning the house, and ensuring the little kids were staying safe. These responsibilities created a highly stressful environment that resulted in severe childhood depression, anxiety and isolation. I often contemplated my existence and whether being alive was worth it. My first three years in California were full of fear and anxiety. Even as a young kid, I understood that my family and I didn’t belong. The first day of third grade was terrifying. I clearly remember standing with my class while my fellow classmates recited the Pledge of Allegiance. I stayed quiet. I didn’t understand what was happening. Yet, being bullied for being an immigrant and poor gave me thick skin. I threw myself into school. As I mastered the language and excelled in math and sciences, I developed more confidence and became less troubled by the idea of otherness. Being smart and successful was my new identity and going to college meant to me the ultimate success. My middle school curriculum was the foundation for my college dreams. At Roseland University Prep, my teachers taught me about universities and what kind of grades and extra-curricular activities were necessary for admission. I started volunteering, coaching and playing sports, often as a team captain, thinking about careers, joining clubs, and getting straight A’s. Often new people in my life ask how I have come so far. What makes me different? What they are really asking is, “How can an immigrant with no money and zero family support accomplish so much?” In every successful moment in my life there are deep threads leading back to community members that made it possible. The constant friendship, mentorship, hours spent improving my writing, helping me pay for school supplies, the unconditional love, these are some of the ways my network has nurtured me over the past two decades. My teachers, mentors and sport coaches shaped my character and were there for me every step of the way. I was in sixth grade when I met Paul Burgert. He is a retired doctor and his love for volunteering led him to my middle school where he offered to tutor algebra and geometry. He has an easy smile and a loving heart and when I met him, he helped me understand math but most importantly, he changed my life because he gave me hope, and that hope helped me survive. At that point in my life, I was feeling lost in depression and his kindness was a bright light for me. He introduced me to his family and they gave me all the love and support my parents failed to provide. Paul and his wife, Robin, became my mentors. They consistently dropped off groceries at my house and bought my siblings and me winter coats, shoes, and clothes. Most importantly, they opened my mind to higher education, healthy living and eating, and the values of the environmental movement. Ellen Boneparth was my Model United Nations Club instructor during my Junior and Senior years of high school. Ellen introduced me to women’s rights literature and international affairs. As our friendship evolved, she gave me some home office and yard jobs on the weekends. At this time, I was babysitting to make money for notebooks and new shoes for basketball and volleyball, which I played every year. Ellen’s mentorship inspired me to finish the college application process at a time when I felt the most alone. She helped me with my essays and to my great joy I received a full tuition scholarship to Dominican University where under her guidance I decided to major in Gender Studies and International Studies and graduated cum laude. These fields gave me a global perspective that shaped my mind and heart.

I was brought to this country from Mexico at age eight to work in the hot vineyards of Fresno, California alongside my farmworker parents. I didn’t speak a word of English and sobbed my way through most of third grade. Within the year I was speaking the language and translating for my parents. Throughout most of elementary and middle school, I worked at three different cleaning jobs in local cafes before school started to help my parents pay for food. I am a Dreamer, but most importantly I am a doer. At the age of 22 I graduated cum laude and debt free from Dominican University of California with two bachelor’s degrees. I founded the “First Generation College Support Club” on campus to create community and support other students navigating the challenges of being the first in their families to attend college. I worked three jobs to support myself through college and often helped my little siblings with money for food while they were at the family shelter in Santa Rosa, California during two years of homelessness when my mother got sick and couldn’t pay the rent. As the first in my family to attend college, I want to demonstrate that higher education opens doors and that pursuing a master’s degree and one day, a Ph.D., is possible for all immigrants. My undergraduate research, my work in immigration rights in Sonoma County, and my personal values converge around a passion for fresh water sustainability and fuel my plan to enroll in the M.S. in Sustainability Management program at Columbia University in 2021 so I can become a leading advocate for sustainable business practices across private and public sectors. I wish to help manage sustainable and ethical businesses and in tandem start my own private consulting firm that will provide specialized sustainability and zero waste support to all people wishing to reduce their impact on the environment by dramatically reducing their daily trash. My passion for sustainability began during my undergraduate thesis research on the intersectionality of gender, water scarcity, and human rights in Lima, Peru. I learned that the lack of sustainable water management knowledge among businesses and civilians is a root cause of water scarcity in Peru and around the world. Climate change is a global crisis threatening a wide range of finite resources, one of the most pressing being access to clean water. This experience informed my fundamental mission to “Do No Harm with My Existence,” which guides my daily life choices and career aspirations. I strongly believe that by changing the way people live and do business we can collectively reduce the harm we cause to each other and to the planet. My work providing legal support to the immigrant community in Sonoma County, California has solidified a passion for advocacy and a desire to lead a life of service to people and the planet. My own immigration journey from Mexico has shaped my place in this world. Although I struggled for years from depression as a result of racism, I have taken control of the narrative and am now committed to using my lived experience as valuable knowledge when advocating for vulnerable groups affected by climate change. Through the training at Columbia University I will gain the specialized skills necessary to manage ethical businesses and provide personalized consulting to families, nonprofits, and organizations who are ready to transition to zero waste practices. Having the opportunity to learn from leading scholars, such as Laureline Josset and Indrani Pal, would be an opportunity of a life-time. Classes such as the “Water Resources and Climate”, “Women in Cities”, and “Water Governance” will allow to me pursue my interests at the intersections of gender equity and sustainable water management, while developing the applied skills necessary to launch my career as a leader in sustainable business practices and zero waste policies. As an immigrant and woman of color, I have been told my entire life what I can’t do or be, and that I didn’t belong because I wasn’t born here. Overcoming this adversity was only possible because of my tenacity, commitment to education, and valuable academic mentors. No matter where one comes from it is all of our responsibility to fight for the survival of our planet because climate change knows no borders.