As a first-generation Mexican American woman who navigated a nontraditional educational path, I want to build a safe, encouraging, and deeply supportive environment within higher education. My goal is to construct academic counseling spaces designed to lift students from underrepresented communities. Many first-generation students enter college facing a profound sense of isolation, cultural expectations, and systemic barriers. I want to build an educational community where these students are not merely processed through a system, but are genuinely seen, heard, and empowered to persist. The blueprint for this environment comes directly from my own lived experiences. During my initial time in community college, I struggled immensely with self-doubt and direction. When I finally sought guidance from a school counselor, I was met with discouragement and told that "college was not for everyone". Instead of finding a safety net, I felt completely dismissed, causing me to drop out and spend years pursuing a trade in the culinary arts. I know firsthand how a single toxic interaction can derail a student's future. However, returning to higher education in 2024 to pursue my bachelor’s degree in social science marked a powerful turning point. Balancing school alongside a workplace leadership role exposed me to structural challenges and reinforced the urgent need for advocacy in educational spaces. It made me realize how different my own trajectory might have been if I had received encouragement instead of exclusion. By pursuing a Master of Education in Educational Counseling at USC, I am learning how to build a practice rooted in equity, access, and mutual respect. Building this supportive framework will have a lasting, positive impact on both me and my community. Personally, it allows me to turn past adversity into a source of strength, finding true fulfillment in becoming a reliable advocate for others. For my community, the impact will be transformative. By openly sharing my journey—from community college dropout to a thriving undergraduate—I can serve as a tangible model of resilience for students who feel overwhelmed. In my future career as a community college or university counselor, I will actively dismantle the institutional barriers that silence underrepresented voices. I will build spaces where open communication is championed and where no student leaves a counseling office feeling dismissed. Ultimately, I am building an environment that fosters self-efficacy, ensuring the next generation of underrepresented students knows they rightfully belong in higher education.

As a first-generation Mexican American woman, mental health is heavily stigmatized in my community. Talking about mental health became taboo amongst my family members; as a result, I kept my struggles to myself. All while my family was blissfully unaware of the constant battles inside my head. As a result of these mental health conditions, I experienced many hurdles when I first entered college. I struggled asking for help and seeking out resources, and when I decided to seek out help from the counselors at school, I was met with both dissuasion and belittlement. While voicing my concerns about keeping up with school, the counselor told me that "college was not for everyone." Hearing those words put me into a spiral, which led me to drop out of that school. Feeling unsure of what to do next, I felt like a failure to my family and myself. I remember wanting to take my life because I did not feel like I contributed anything to society. After dropping out of college, I pursued a career in the culinary arts with the hope of finding a suitable profession. After a few years in that field, my anxiety and depression were at an all-time high. I knew culinary was not where I was meant to be, leading me to return to school to attain my bachelor’s degree. Going back to school and working full-time was both physically and mentally taxing. The constant fears that something bad was going to happen pushed me into a tiny corner. At that moment, I had the courage to finally confide in my family that I needed help. Afterwards, I became expressive about my feelings and my own personal battles with anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. I started seeking out both therapy and psychiatry to alleviate the feeling of impending doom. The process has been very hard; it is not easy to tell a stranger that you have suicidal ideations and irrational fears. However, through the tears, pain, and sadness came a light at the end of the tunnel. Mental health shaped my goals in both my education and personal life. I want to pursue a career in educational counseling to help students who are struggling, especially those who come from underrepresented communities that lack the necessary resources. My own lived experiences have helped me to relate to others empathetically, even if the situations are different. Furthermore, mental health has shaped my goals because I am drawn towards listening and advocating for others. In my relationships, mental health has shaped the way I interact with others. My relationships are rooted in empathy, mutual respect, and genuine understanding. Because I know what it feels like to be dismissed, unheard, and doubted, I want relationships where people feel supported and valued. I want to create spaces where open communication is encouraged and where individuals feel safe expressing their struggles without fear of judgment. Whether in friendships, family relationships, or professional environments, I value connections that allow room for growth, accountability, and honesty. Lastly, my understanding of the world has become more empathetic. I genuinely love helping others, and it brings me fulfillment to be someone people can rely on during difficult times. I want to continue advocating for others, especially those who may not feel confident using their voice, because I understand how powerful encouragement can be. Although my path has been met with adversity, I strive to continue moving forward and pursuing my dream of attending USC for Educational Counseling. I plan to integrate my own lived experiences into my future career because I have been the lost student. I can serve as a model for students who feel stuck or overwhelmed. Showing them a concrete path, like the one I took through community college to my undergraduate degree, helps build their own self-efficacy because they can see that the goal is attainable. I will remember the differences every student carries, utilizing concepts to help the student the best I possibly can.