Being involved in many activities and clubs throughout my high school years outside of playing golf as a sport has significantly created memorable memories and an impact on my community. Every year I did at least 16 hours of community service. This gave me the opportunity to be included in many ways and different places, such as a nursing home, volunteering at the elections , churches and peace officer memorial run. Being involved in my community really gave me the insight that my voice is heard and everyone makes a difference by helping. Working for the elections this year of 2024 was a wonderful experience as my community and I set up the place, printed out ballots and told the voters where to go after and if they needed any help to be able to provide it.. Helping my community with the elections showed me how there's always an opportunity to help. As I helped in my community to set up, for election days I was able to make it to my community's newspaper by being interviewed among more students about our experience of helping the community . From volunteering at elections to watering gardens and cleaning rivers, my community has improved. On Saturdays that I was available, my friends and I, who are in a club called “Joho 4 change”, would visit gardens to add flowers , water them and even add some to our school to give it a touch of color and flourshiness. Cleaning up rivers has a big impact because many people get discouraged from going to rivers once they are dirty. My community doesn't have the best qualities, but through the help I have provided and others, I believe changes have been made and added by gardening , recycling and being ready to provide help when needed. This became a passion project for the health of the community and to develop the importance of keeping an environment clean . Being young and being able to help the community encouraged me to think I can turn things around and always look for a positive side. I plan on giving back to my community by continuing community service and more activities where everyone is welcomed in one helping another with encouragement and to continue motivating people into these good services. Offering my support and assisting with more tasks and even providing educational content. I also plan by trying to be more active in community service every year. I aim to support the community in various ways. Being a recipient of this scholarship can impact my collegiate experience because It can give me the opportunity to be able to further my education and follow my dreams of going to college as the first in my family to attend college is a big impact for myself and to set an example in my family. This is something I have always looked forward to in order to become successful. This scholarship would also impact my experience by me being able to attend my dream college.

My name is Irma Curiel. I am currently 17 years old living in California in a small city.I got accepted into every school i applied ive been involved in honors and AP classes throughout my highschool years as well community service. I am also a vegan and I am part of some vegan movements. I hope to further my education and achieve my dreams. Political science is a subject that inspires me and I find passion. When I think of science I think of how and why things are made the way they are and that is an academic subject I wish to continue understanding and expand my knowledge. My junior year of high school I was participating in a job shadow with professionals such as real estate and lawyers outside of school. Being able to participate in these activities where I got to spend a day with professionals showed me what they go through behind all the reality of just what I knew and the real world insights. I learned many various ways the legal field works and processes such as using negotiation , analytical thinking and advocacy . Spending a day with a lawyer helped me expand my knowledge with subjects of law , business and understand the connection to my future major. I furthered this interest by continuing participating in job shadows that are related to my major in the offices of my city where lawyers work where I was able to meet many different kinds of lawyers such as corporate and criminal defense lawyers. I plan on making a positive change within my community by going to college and getting my education and help people who are indeed of help and put their trust and hope into the hands of lawyers who will do them right. Seeing the various options of lawyers and attorneys encouraged me to go more into the law field to continue career exploration. That is why I am sure I can further my academic passion to a future profession. Observing a lawyer's daily work day helped me determine if it was something that I wanted as I was also receiving advice and guidance from many lawyers when I was participating in activities. They taught me many things and tried their best to show me the positive side of their careers through their dedication and commitment . Learning how the lawyers defend and fight for justice and the impact they have in society gave me hope and inspiration for me to one day continue and see myself in a career that is very similar. Another way I would love to help my community is by also doing job shadowing and volunteer since I had the opportunity to do it and I was able to get such an amazing experience I know that if i do the same once I achieve my dream it will be helpful for other students especially Hispanic Latinos because most of the time our opportunities are harder to get. Becoming a lawyer will help me create an easier and positive impact towards my community.

The way social media and generations curve to our day-to-day lives is alarming. By promoting and showing one thing when the process behind it is cruel and if we were not to ignore the process of how the food gets to our plate we would be able to distinguish right and wrong. September 2022 when I had made my decision to become vegan was one of the most impactful choices I have ever made in my life. Becoming vegan was never something I had ever thought of but once in my sophomore year of high school, in Food Science Agriculture class we were learning about the dairy industry specifically meat made me think about how people acknowledge this information and consider it “normal” after the information we had learned and the documentary we had watched it made me do my research and dig deeper into this topic about veganism. As I did my research I learned how nothing of this was normal and it opened my eyes and made me believe that most humans deep down know it's wrong but choose to ignore it. “I respect all life” while paying for animals to be caged, tortured, and slaughtered for a meal they don't need. When I had made my decision to become vegan my family was not supportive at all; this was due to my cultural beliefs. Meat and dairy foods are very traditional in my culture as a Hispanic Mexican American. Even though they would not support my beliefs and often I would get made fun of due to me becoming a vegan that didn't stop me because I knew as a vegan I was making the right choice for my body and the animals. Veganism is important because growing up I spent a lot of time with animals including horses, cows, and chickens and nothing could convince me that they are part of my diet or food chain. Behind every glass of milk, every egg, and every piece of meat is a story of unimaginable suffering; their lives are not ours to exploit and take, no matter the excuse. I plan on furthering my education in political science and law so I can stand up for animal rights and hope to make a change I am currently in a cub at my school called Joho4Change where some of my classmates take action for environmental issues. I will continue and encourage veganism throughout my college years. I also intend to participate in veganism campaigns and movements. Starting a vegan club in my future college is one of my goals where everyone can feel welcomed to make a positive change. Animals are being touted for a plate of food that was never intended to be ours.