Growing up as a daughter of immigrant parents in a first generation, low income household, was financially exhausting. My parents are traditional people, who say that trust is the most important aspect of a relationship, especially when it comes to finances. To them, everything is on the line when making huge financial decisions, but it was because they did not understand. Their fear of language barriers consumed their judgement on a new algorithm that could potentially open up new pathways towards financial stability. But as I continue to learn and grow, I am able to reflect that my parents weren't opposed to growing their finances, rather they did not receive the help or support needed to develop real relationships between financial growth and difficulty translating English to Spanish. Notably, I was someone who often had to bridge language and informational gaps for my family. These experiences are what I considered a passion that has driven every single one of my decisions since: an opportunity to provide lasting community support, and to foster meaningful mentorship while empowering people financially. I participated in organizations in my community such as Heights Community Development Corporation that shows that educational/mentorship initiatives can be delivered in a manner that is enjoyable, welcoming and community-oriented, allowing young learners to feel comfortable exploring new ideas without feeling intimidated by the process of learning new ideas. Because of my experience and efforts through volunteering there, I dream of establishing a youth empowerment center designed specifically for first-generation, low-income students from immigrant households who, like me, grew up without the confidence or awareness to build and apply financial literacy to real world scenarios. I plan for my non-profit to offer workshops on financial literacy tailored to real moments in a young person's life: how to manage your first paycheck, how to apply for scholarships and walk into a room with confidence. I would invite professionals from diverse industries to share their stories, so students could see people who came from backgrounds like their own and made something extraordinary of it. At Fordham University, I plan to major in Economics with a minor in marketing to have an overall concentration in Finance. I plan to apply my enthusiasm and work ethic to obtain financial literacy. I aspire to assist under-resourced communities to enable individuals and families to make educated decisions regarding their financial future, including the role that language barriers play in limiting access to financial resources and opportunities. Through Fordham’s Center for Community Engaged Learning, I hope to engage in hands on community work through programs like Global Outreach and the Post-Secondary Pathways initiative, where I can directly serve immigrant families and under-resourced communities where people can find support and empowerment, much as my mom inspired me to push past obstacles. Ultimately, the experiences of my childhood taught me that financial literacy is not only a personal achievement, it is a responsibility. My goal is not simply to build a fulfilling career in finance, but to use that career as a platform for empowerment: to help break cycles of financial insecurity, to create pathways where none existed, and to ensure that the barriers I faced become stepping stones for the generations that follow. By combining my education at Fordham, my lived experiences, and my dedication to advocacy, I intend to turn the hardships of my past into a foundation for other people's futures.

As someone who often had to bridge language and informational gaps for my family, I learned early how easily opportunities can be missed when resources are not accessible or clearly communicated. Organizations such as Heights Community Development Corporation shows that educational/mentorship initiatives can be delivered in a manner that is enjoyable, welcoming and community-oriented, allowing young learners to feel comfortable exploring new ideas without feeling threatened or intimidated by the process of learning new ideas. Programs that teach through mentoring relationships, games and peer-to-peer connections create a lasting impression primarily because they focus on meeting students “where they are.” As an adult, I dream of establishing a youth empowerment center designed specifically for first-generation, low-income students from immigrant households who, like me, grew up with potential they were never given the tools to recognize. I want to build the kind of environment I wish had existed for me: a welcoming, supportive space where young people gain exposure to opportunities, mentorship, and life skills before the world tells them those things are not meant for them. The center would offer workshops on financial literacy tailored to real moments in a young person's life: how to manage your first paycheck, how to apply for scholarships and internships, how to write a resume and walk into a room with confidence. I would invite professionals from diverse industries to share their stories, so students could see people who came from backgrounds like their own and made something extraordinary of it. Representation matters enormously when you are deciding whether to believe in your own potential. Therefore I envision working closely with organizations similar to Heights CDC and integrating financial literacy and career development into an active-based learning format (i.e., fun, informal). It is my desire for students to depart these programs feeling empowered and prepared, not overwhelmed. Ultimately, the experiences of my childhood taught me that success is not only a personal achievement it is a responsibility. My goal is not simply to build a fulfilling career in finance, but to use that career as a platform for empowerment: to help break cycles of financial insecurity, to create pathways where none existed, and to ensure that the barriers I faced become stepping stones for the generations that follow. By combining my education at Fordham, my lived experiences, and my dedication to advocacy, I intend to turn the hardships of my past into a foundation for other people's futures.

Growing up as a daughter of immigrant parents in a first generation, low income household, was financially exhausting. My parents are traditional people, who say that trust is the most important aspect of a relationship, especially when it comes to finances. To them, everything is on the line when making huge financial decisions, but it was because they did not understand. Their fear of language barriers consumed their judgement on a new algorithm that could potentially open up new pathways towards financial stability. But as I continue to learn and grow, I am able to reflect that my parents weren't opposed to growing their finances, rather they did not receive the help or support needed to develop real relationships between financial growth and difficulty translating English to Spanish. Notably, I was someone who often had to bridge language and informational gaps for my family. These experiences are what I considered a passion that has driven every single one of my decisions since: an opportunity to provide lasting community support, and to foster meaningful mentorship while empowering people financially. I participated in organizations in my community such as Heights Community Development Corporation that shows that educational/mentorship initiatives can be delivered in a manner that is enjoyable, welcoming and community-oriented, allowing young learners to feel comfortable exploring new ideas without feeling intimidated by the process of learning new ideas. Because of my experience and efforts through volunteering there, I dream of establishing a youth empowerment center designed specifically for first-generation, low-income students from immigrant households who, like me, grew up without the confidence or awareness to build and apply financial literacy to real world scenarios. I plan for my non-profit to offer workshops on financial literacy tailored to real moments in a young person's life: how to manage your first paycheck, how to apply for scholarships and walk into a room with confidence. I would invite professionals from diverse industries to share their stories, so students could see people who came from backgrounds like their own and made something extraordinary of it. At Fordham University, I plan to major in Economics with a minor in marketing to have an overall concentration in Finance. I plan to apply my enthusiasm and work ethic to obtain financial literacy. I aspire to assist under-resourced communities to enable individuals and families to make educated decisions regarding their financial future, including the role that language barriers play in limiting access to financial resources and opportunities. Through Fordham’s Center for Community Engaged Learning, I hope to engage in hands on community work through programs like Global Outreach and the Post-Secondary Pathways initiative, where I can directly serve immigrant families and under-resourced communities where people can find support and empowerment, much as my mom inspired me to push past obstacles. Ultimately, the experiences of my childhood taught me that financial literacy is not only a personal achievement, it is a responsibility. My goal is not simply to build a fulfilling career in finance, but to use that career as a platform for empowerment: to help break cycles of financial insecurity, to create pathways where none existed, and to ensure that the barriers I faced become stepping stones for the generations that follow. By combining my education at Fordham, my lived experiences, and my dedication to advocacy, I intend to turn the hardships of my past into a foundation for other people's futures, and invite them to pursue higher education.

“¡Sin miedo mija!” I dropped the chip scooper onto the ground, scattering the fresh, warm tortilla chips. Javier, my coworker at the time, intentionally mocked me as he watched me frantically clean up the mess I made. It was my first week working at Casa Mexicana, and as a fourteen-year-old girl with no work experience, I was learning the ropes of the job head-on: collecting dirty dishes, cleaning tables, and refilling chips. I tried my best to make my work enjoyable. Yet, as I wiped down another table, I kept the image of my mamá sitting on her bed with a stack of unavoidable bills in her hand. I wiped faster, and worked harder; my motivation fueled by the idea that endurance came from never complaining—that to accept my reality is to be okay with the indignity that came with it. But in the coming weeks, I would curl up in the bathroom, crying quietly in hope of escaping my coworkers' overwhelming standards. “¡Trabaja más rápido!” became a common remark, and the demoralizing comments of drunken men rang in the back of my mind. My hands trembled with frustration, yet I continued to swallow my embarrassment. My mamá was the only one who understood how I felt. Her experiences were parallel to mine: the objectification of being a woman in the restaurant industry, alongside the intense demands of harsh labor. Regrettably, she believed that settling for a toxic environment would be the only way to support herself, even if it meant sacrificing her own well-being and ambitions. Understanding my mamá’s silence under unpromising circumstances forced me to realize the subconscious limits I set on myself. For weeks, I believed that if I could just survive through “one more day”, I would be able to be the strong daughter my family needed. But seeing the weariness in her eyes, I saw that my version of resilience was a cage where my voice grew weaker and my emotions heavier. By choosing not to speak up, I was becoming a product of my toxic environment. So, the following day, I returned to Casa Mexicana with a quiet defiance. I chose to ignore the taunts my coworkers teased me with, and didn’t avoid eye contact with customers. Because each tray I carried, and each table I wiped, told me that my resilience was much more than enduring hardships; it was about being able to navigate through them with purpose. I requested a private meeting with the manager, Jose, and shared how the negative comments and treatment affected me. I wasn’t familiar with confrontation, yet in that moment I understood that to be brave was to be afraid and to do it anyway. I knew that I wasn't only advocating for myself, but for my mamá as well. Although my voice shook, and my heart skipped beats, I didn’t stop speaking. As I reached my final point, Jose nodded at me. He didn’t dismiss me, but took me seriously. And for the first time, someone in that restaurant looked at me with respect. I felt seen in a place where that was uncommon. That fourteen-year-old girl is still a part of me. The fear of confrontation remains, but it no longer dictates my silence. And so I leave Casa Mexicana, learning that to find my own voice is to acknowledge the other women who still struggle to find theirs in spaces often overlooked. It was through generation cycles that I learned to remain compliant; it is through dirty dishes and warm tortilla chips that I learned that silence is not the only option.

Growing up as a daughter of immigrant parents in a first generation, low income household, was financially exhausting. My parents are traditional people, who say that trust is the most important aspect of a relationship, especially when it comes to finances. To them, everything is on the line when making huge financial decisions, but it was because they did not understand. Their fear of language barriers consumed their judgement on a new algorithm that could potentially open up new pathways towards financial stability. But as I continue to learn and grow, I am able to reflect that my parents weren't opposed to growing their finances, rather they did not receive the help or support needed to develop real relationships between financial growth and difficulty translating English to Spanish. Notably, I was someone who often had to bridge language and informational gaps for my family. These experiences are what I considered a passion that has driven every single one of my decisions since: an opportunity to provide lasting community support, and to foster meaningful mentorship while empowering people financially. I participated in organizations in my community such as Heights Community Development Corporation that shows that educational/mentorship initiatives can be delivered in a manner that is enjoyable, welcoming and community-oriented, allowing young learners to feel comfortable exploring new ideas without feeling intimidated by the process of learning new ideas. Because of my experience and efforts through volunteering there, I dream of establishing a youth empowerment center designed specifically for first-generation, low-income students from immigrant households who, like me, grew up without the confidence or awareness to build and apply financial literacy to real world scenarios. I plan for my non-profit to offer workshops on financial literacy tailored to real moments in a young person's life: how to manage your first paycheck, how to apply for scholarships and walk into a room with confidence. I would invite professionals from diverse industries to share their stories, so students could see people who came from backgrounds like their own and made something extraordinary of it. At Fordham University, I plan to major in Economics with a minor in marketing to have an overall concentration in Finance. I plan to apply my enthusiasm and work ethic to obtain financial literacy. I aspire to assist under-resourced communities to enable individuals and families to make educated decisions regarding their financial future, including the role that language barriers play in limiting access to financial resources and opportunities. Through Fordham’s Center for Community Engaged Learning, I hope to engage in hands on community work through programs like Global Outreach and the Post-Secondary Pathways initiative, where I can directly serve immigrant families and under-resourced communities where people can find support and empowerment, much as my mom inspired me to push past obstacles. Ultimately, the experiences of my childhood taught me that financial literacy is not only a personal achievement, it is a responsibility. My goal is not simply to build a fulfilling career in finance, but to use that career as a platform for empowerment: to help break cycles of financial insecurity, to create pathways where none existed, and to ensure that the barriers I faced become stepping stones for the generations that follow. By combining my education at Fordham, my lived experiences, and my dedication to advocacy, I intend to turn the hardships of my past into a foundation for other people's futures, and invite them to pursue higher education.

Growing up as a daughter of immigrant parents in a first generation, low income household, was financially exhausting. My parents are traditional people, who say that trust is the most important aspect of a relationship, especially when it comes to finances. To them, everything is on the line when making huge financial decisions, but it was because they did not understand. Their fear of language barriers consumed their judgement on a new algorithm that could potentially open up new pathways towards financial stability. But as I continue to learn and grow, I am able to reflect that my parents weren't opposed to growing their finances, rather they did not receive the help or support needed to develop real relationships between financial growth and difficulty translating English to Spanish. Notably, I was someone who often had to bridge language and informational gaps for my family. These experiences are what I considered a passion that has driven every single one of my decisions since: an opportunity to provide lasting community support, and to foster meaningful mentorship while empowering people financially. I participated in organizations in my community such as Heights Community Development Corporation that shows that educational/mentorship initiatives can be delivered in a manner that is enjoyable, welcoming and community-oriented, allowing young learners to feel comfortable exploring new ideas without feeling intimidated by the process of learning new ideas. Because of my experience and efforts through volunteering there, I dream of establishing a youth empowerment center designed specifically for first-generation, low-income students from immigrant households who, like me, grew up without the confidence or awareness to build and apply financial literacy to real world scenarios. I plan for my non-profit to offer workshops on financial literacy tailored to real moments in a young person's life: how to manage your first paycheck, how to apply for scholarships and walk into a room with confidence. I would invite professionals from diverse industries to share their stories, so students could see people who came from backgrounds like their own and made something extraordinary of it. At Fordham University, I plan to major in Economics with a minor in marketing to have an overall concentration in Finance. I plan to apply my enthusiasm and work ethic to obtain financial literacy. I aspire to assist under-resourced communities to enable individuals and families to make educated decisions regarding their financial future, including the role that language barriers play in limiting access to financial resources and opportunities. Through Fordham’s Center for Community Engaged Learning, I hope to engage in hands on community work through programs like Global Outreach and the Post-Secondary Pathways initiative, where I can directly serve immigrant families and under-resourced communities where people can find support and empowerment, much as my mom inspired me to push past obstacles. Ultimately, the experiences of my childhood taught me that financial literacy is not only a personal achievement, it is a responsibility. My goal is not simply to build a fulfilling career in finance, but to use that career as a platform for empowerment: to help break cycles of financial insecurity, to create pathways where none existed, and to ensure that the barriers I faced become stepping stones for the generations that follow. By combining my education at Fordham, my lived experiences, and my dedication to advocacy, I intend to turn the hardships of my past into a foundation for other people's futures.

Growing up as a daughter of immigrant parents in a first generation, low income household, was financially exhausting. My parents are traditional people, who say that trust is the most important aspect of a relationship, especially when it comes to finances. To them, everything is on the line when making huge financial decisions, but it was because they did not understand. Their fear of language barriers consumed their judgement on a new algorithm that could potentially open up new pathways towards financial stability. But as I continue to learn and grow, I am able to reflect that my parents weren't opposed to growing their finances, rather they did not receive the help or support needed to develop real relationships between financial growth and difficulty translating English to Spanish. Notably, I was someone who often had to bridge language and informational gaps for my family. These experiences are what I considered a passion that has driven every single one of my decisions since: an opportunity to provide lasting community support, and to foster meaningful mentorship while empowering people financially. I participated in organizations in my community such as Heights Community Development Corporation that shows that educational/mentorship initiatives can be delivered in a manner that is enjoyable, welcoming and community-oriented, allowing young learners to feel comfortable exploring new ideas without feeling intimidated by the process of learning new ideas. Because of my experience and efforts through volunteering there, I dream of establishing a youth empowerment center designed specifically for first-generation, low-income students from immigrant households who, like me, grew up without the confidence or awareness to build and apply financial literacy to real world scenarios. I plan for my non-profit to offer workshops on financial literacy tailored to real moments in a young person's life: how to manage your first paycheck, how to apply for scholarships and walk into a room with confidence. I would invite professionals from diverse industries to share their stories, so students could see people who came from backgrounds like their own and made something extraordinary of it. At Fordham University, I plan to major in Economics with a minor in marketing to have an overall concentration in Finance. I plan to apply my enthusiasm and work ethic to obtain financial literacy. I aspire to assist under-resourced communities to enable individuals and families to make educated decisions regarding their financial future, including the role that language barriers play in limiting access to financial resources and opportunities. Through Fordham’s Center for Community Engaged Learning, I hope to engage in hands on community work through programs like Global Outreach and the Post-Secondary Pathways initiative, where I can directly serve immigrant families and under-resourced communities where people can find support and empowerment, much as my mom inspired me to push past obstacles. Ultimately, the experiences of my childhood taught me that financial literacy is not only a personal achievement, it is a responsibility. My goal is not simply to build a fulfilling career in finance, but to use that career as a platform for empowerment: to help break cycles of financial insecurity, to create pathways where none existed, and to ensure that the barriers I faced become stepping stones for the generations that follow. By combining my education at Fordham, my lived experiences, and my dedication to advocacy, I intend to turn the hardships of my past into a foundation for other people's futures.

Growing up as a daughter of immigrant parents in a first generation, low income household, was financially exhausting. My parents are traditional people, who say that trust is the most important aspect of a relationship, especially when it comes to finances. To them, everything is on the line when making huge financial decisions, but it was because they did not understand. Their fear of language barriers consumed their judgement on a new algorithm that could potentially open up new pathways towards financial stability. But as I continue to learn and grow, I am able to reflect that my parents weren't opposed to growing their finances, rather they did not receive the help or support needed to develop real relationships between financial growth and difficulty translating English to Spanish. Notably, I was someone who often had to bridge language and informational gaps for my family. These experiences are what I considered a passion that has driven every single one of my decisions since: an opportunity to provide lasting community support, and to foster meaningful mentorship while empowering people financially. I participated in organizations in my community such as Heights Community Development Corporation that shows that educational/mentorship initiatives can be delivered in a manner that is enjoyable, welcoming and community-oriented, allowing young learners to feel comfortable exploring new ideas without feeling intimidated by the process of learning new ideas. Because of my experience and efforts through volunteering there, I dream of establishing a youth empowerment center designed specifically for first-generation, low-income students from immigrant households who, like me, grew up without the confidence or awareness to build and apply financial literacy to real world scenarios. I plan for my non-profit to offer workshops on financial literacy tailored to real moments in a young person's life: how to manage your first paycheck, how to apply for scholarships and walk into a room with confidence. I would invite professionals from diverse industries to share their stories, so students could see people who came from backgrounds like their own and made something extraordinary of it. At Fordham University, I plan to major in Economics with a minor in marketing to have an overall concentration in Finance. I plan to apply my enthusiasm and work ethic to obtain financial literacy. I aspire to assist under-resourced communities to enable individuals and families to make educated decisions regarding their financial future, including the role that language barriers play in limiting access to financial resources and opportunities. Through Fordham’s Center for Community Engaged Learning, I hope to engage in hands on community work through programs like Global Outreach and the Post-Secondary Pathways initiative, where I can directly serve immigrant families and under-resourced communities where people can find support and empowerment, much as my mom inspired me to push past obstacles. Ultimately, the experiences of my childhood taught me that financial literacy is not only a personal achievement, it is a responsibility. My goal is not simply to build a fulfilling career in finance, but to use that career as a platform for empowerment: to help break cycles of financial insecurity, to create pathways where none existed, and to ensure that the barriers I faced become stepping stones for the generations that follow. By combining my education at Fordham, my lived experiences, and my dedication to advocacy, I intend to turn the hardships of my past into a foundation for other people's futures.