Adam Sandler once said "obsession beats talent". In life, the kid who has it all doesn't stand a chance against the kid that wants it all. I'm the kid that wants it all. Being Hispanic in America comes with its unfairness. My parents took that leap of faith and immigrated to the United States for a better life. They had nothing, yet they pushed through the hardships and created a family. I remember my mom and dad would apologize for not being able to get me all the nice things I wanted. I know they both felt guilty every time they had to make tough decisions because of our financial struggle. But every time, I would remind them I am grateful no matter what I get. I'm the eldest and only daughter. Even though I was a kid, I never threw a tantrum from not being able to get what I want. My parents worked hard to be able to get us food, clothes, and a livable home. I knew they did their best. From this, I learned gratefulness. My parents, well, my whole family in Honduras and El Salvador couldn't afford an education. The most education my dad got was completing the 1st grade. My mom had to drop out of her middle school because it got too expensive for my grandparents. They barely could afford food. For them, it was impossible to afford an education. Over there, there aren't many opportunities to create a future for yourself. I always ask myself, why did God give ME these opportunities? I'd question it, but I knew I couldn't stink around and wait for the answer. I knew ever since I was able to think I had to take action. I would excel in my classes. Be the best of the best. Impress my teachers. My academic record made my parents proud. I strove to do well in school. But why? Because I wanted to give my family a future. From this, I learned determination. Everyone has their own insecurities, but one of my biggest insecurities I had as a kid was weirdly enough, my middle name. Every time they would do roll call in class, I'd hate it. Some teachers would say my full name, including my middle name. My friends had pretty middle names like "Elizabeth" or "Mary". Of course, they were different than me. Or at least, I felt I was different than them. I was so insecure I wished I had a "normal" name. There were barely any kids like me. I was always the only Hispanic kid in my classes. I knew I stuck out. I felt left out. It's not like anyone bullied, but I wish I looked like them. As I grew older, I slowly accepted myself. Gained confidence in many ways and learned to love myself for him I am. For my background. To this day, I am finally proud enough to have the middle name, Yuliza. I learned to be proud. Proud to be Hispanic.

Being a Hispanic woman in America has its ups and downs, but for now, let's focus on the positives. I come from immigrant parents. I am a first-generation student and I have been blessed to receive an education. Ever since I was a kid, I was able to speak both Spanish and English. My family and any Hispanics I knew would always rely on me to help. Throughout my life, I would lend a hand to help people overcome that language barrier. I know it is a small act and even I at the time didn't think much of it. One day, I was heading home from school. My mom got a phone call from her friend who recently arrived to America. She got in a car crash. She was panicking and didn't know what to do. It wasn't her fault, but she couldn't explain that to the police. Luckily, she was nearby when this all happened. My mom and I went to go see her. She was very worried and didn't know what to do. When I got there, I let her rely on me to get the situation explained. In the end, things worked out and we had everything sorted. A few days later, she called my mom asking if she could come over. Moments later, she knocks. I open the door and to my surprise she got me a little gift. A pink giftbag with some money, scrunchies, and chocolates inside of it. I was grateful, but she told me she was even more grateful. She wasn't the only one who needed my help. I would always help the people around me even if they are strangers at the revenue office who need help understanding. Lots of Hispanic immigrants have to work hard to make al living despite the difficult language barriers. Which is why, I always made to sure to lend a hand if someone needed it. I can't possibly imagine how challenging it must be to survive in a world where you can't be heard. I know these people came here to live a better life and I will always help whoever needs my help. It is important to uplift others and have each others backs because one day you might need someone to help you. Being kind no matter how small the act will always make a positive impact. As long as I make someone's day better, I feel blessed.

Being a Hispanic woman in America has its ups and downs, but for now, let's focus on the positives. I come from immigrant parents. I am a first-generation student and I have been blessed to receive an education. Ever since I was a kid, I was able to speak both Spanish and English. My family and any Hispanics I knew would always rely on me to help. Throughout my life, I would lend a hand to help people overcome that language barrier. I know it is a small act and even I at the time didn't think much of it. One day, I was heading home from school. My mom got a phone call from her friend who recently arrived to America. She got in a car crash. She was panicking and didn't know what to do. It wasn't her fault, but she couldn't explain that to the police. Luckily, she was nearby when this all happened. My mom and I went to go see her. She was very worried and didn't know what to do. When I got there, I let her rely on me to get the situation explained. In the end, things worked out and we had everything sorted. A few days later, she called my mom asking if she could come over. Moments later, she knocks. I open the door and to my surprise she got me a little gift. A pink giftbag with some money, scrunchies, and chocolates inside of it. I was grateful, but she told me she was even more grateful. She wasn't the only one who needed my help. I would always help the people around me even if they are strangers at the revenue office who need help understanding. Lots of Hispanic immigrants have to work hard to make al living despite the difficult language barriers. Which is why, I always made to sure to lend a hand if someone needed it. I can't possibly imagine how challenging it must be to survive in a world where you can't be heard. I know these people came here to live a better life and I will always help whoever needs my help. It is important to uplift others and have each others backs because one day you might need someone to help you. Being kind no matter how small the act will always make a positive impact. As long as I make someone's day better, I feel blessed.

As Fred Hampton once said, "You can't build a revolution with no education". My life as a lower-class Hispanic woman has been an eventful one for sure. I wasn't blessed with the abundance of wealth, but I was blessed with a drive and passion to succeed. My mother and father always worked so hard despite not having an education simply because they wanted their children to walk a better path. They immigrated to the US for a better life, but it was still difficult to make a living. We were poor and my childhood wasn't the best. We struggled a lot financially. Even so, I am glad I was given the opportunity to receive an education. Now, I am able to dream and make those dreams into reality. Currently, my family has stepped up to create our own businesses and I plan to continue running those and pursue my degree in Business Administration as well. I hope to create my dream business soon. I want to enter the field of rebuilding homes and selling them throughout Arkansas in order for this state to have a better upbringing. I want people to find homes that are the perfect price for them and have an aesthetic appeal. I have always been a creative kid. I love design and the arts. My dad used to be a construction worker and a brick layer for 16 years of his life. Whenever I would visit him for just a bit, I would see the huge houses my dad put all his sweat into. The hard work really paid off. The brick houses were always so beautiful. I was too young to understand how business worked in the first place, but all I remembered thinking was "Wow, I want to live there". I want my clients to feel the same way when I create my own houses. To feel at home when they find the right house. Arkansas has a lot of old facilities making it one of the poorest states in the US. It has been a dream of mine to rebuild the communities and make new homes for people to move into. I knew as a kid I always wanted to make an impact, but I never knew how. Turns out, in life, you make that impact along the way with every little thing you do. Whether it's helping a stranger out, to completely changing someone's life. Every impact matters.

I was 15 when the person I thought that cared for me the most ended up hurting me deeply, both physically and mentally. My father always abused my mother. He would beat us around and my mother took her anger out on us. During freshman year of high school, covid hit. My mental health declined as we were shut off from each other. I lost a lot of friends and self-esteem. One day, I wanted to do something nice for myself and start over. I had lots of thick hair. It was bleached and ruined, but I wanted to change badly. I decided to shave my head without even thinking of the consequences. I had bleach and hair dye in the closet. I gave myself a new look to start over. Little did I know of the consequences that came. My mom was shocked and angry with me. "What did you do?!" I was speechless. I thought I looked fine. I enjoyed my new look. She told my father. He didn't say anything. All he did was tell me to come closer. He stood up. Looked at my hair. Then he grabbed it and ended up abusing me. My mother stood and watched. After everything, I was told to stay in my room and stay quiet. But, I gathered up the courage to reach out for help. In the end, I had my fair share of justice. Even so, to this day it hurts me. I learned to become strong and I will never hurt my children the way they hurt me. I always protect my little brother from everything and anything and I strive to succeed in life despite how little I once felt. As a woman who went through abuse not just from my family but mental, emotional abuse from previous partners, I uplift myself and do my best to stay confident enough to not let anyone treat me badly again. Today, I stand tall and proud of who I am. I am confident and love myself to the very fullest. I will make sure no one else I love goes through that pain. I have become a better version of myself because of my struggles. I hate that it had to happen, but I am glad I managed to get out of that situation by myself. I was a scared little girl with no idea on what to do, but I made it in the end.

Art is all about the intention and the effect. I paint on issues and perspectives of beauty, self-confidence, and how women are treated in society. My art will show the world my perspectives and thoughts on these matters. I want women all around to feel safe, beautiful, and understood. Life has its ways of beating everyone down. Yet beauty always shines. It brings comfort and peace. A new light to look at. It attracts. While problems are always ignored and pushed down, society can't help but look at something beautiful. My art is appealing yet has a deep meaning. A message that must be shared. A message that must be heard and seen. I am very big on a lot of things, especially when it comes to womanhood and self-confidence. Marilyn Monroe, one of the most photographed and idolized women to ever exist once said, "Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world". Confidence has always been important to success, yet this world always made sure women were kept down. Despite that, many women faced and walked through the oppression and kept their heads high. Those new lights. Those new perspectives. That is what I want to see more of in this world and I will create it with my art.

My whole family is filled with women who didn't have the chance to receive an education. The sons were the priority while the women had to stay at home and bare children. Even my own mother wanted to learn, but she was held back by my dad and her pregnancy with me. Even so, I have been blessed with an opportunity to be educated and succeed in life. These 15 years of education have provided me with the skills to take greater steps in life. Despite coming from an immigrant family and growing up in poverty, as the only daughter and first generation college-student, I want to prove to myself and everyone around me I can go to great lengths as an aspiring business woman. Knowledge is power. The women in my life couldn't do what they wanted because of that lack of power. The lack of freedom. Lack of opportunity. It is important for me to learn and grow constantly because as Fred Hampton once said, "You can't build a revolution with no education". I have the POWER and OPPORTUNITY to do great and show the ones who doubt me I can overcome whatever I need. I am well aware feelings are personal matters, but I know there are plenty of women who share the same story as I do. Women who want to take that leap of greatness, and build their own empire. I have people who rely on me constantly. My family back in Honduras and El Salvador can't afford an education because of the extreme poverty over there. The only reason I am here today is because my own parents took that same big step. And because I was lucky enough to be born here, I was able to receive my education. I learned about many things throughout the years. Sometimes I even doubted the usefulness of the educational system. But as I grow and mature, I realize how helpful and valuable school has been. Not just school, but education in general. To be educated is to learn. I always learned and listened to gather as much information as possible so that I can have the best judgment and wisdom. School taught me those skills. School taught me how to read and write to this extent. It helped me push past my limits to become a greater individual. One day, I want to look back and be proud of myself for making it this far.

The most important things to me are my beauty, creativity, and freedom. My childhood had a lot of struggles from poverty to loneliness. At one point, I had no idea how I managed to become the woman I am today. With my drive and desire to step out of that gloomy world, I created life with my own hands. Every time I made art either on a canvas or on my body, I felt free. I felt as if I was turning my own world around. Makeup has helped me find the confidence to break free from the lonely girl I once was, and I hope to blossom into a successful career woman.

My mother, Doris, grew up very poor in Honduras. She would always tell me about her dreams as a kid. To live in a big house. To succeed in life. Yet, she was never given that opportunity to take a first step forward. In 2003, she fled the country to live in the US. She met my father and they both, in poverty, created a life together. That life being me. Their first and only daughter. And as an Hispanic American growing up in a low-income household, I learned to value my education and make the most of this opportunity. Not only for my family’s appreciation, but for the will I built up inside of me. I want to succeed and I know I will. I have family back in other countries who desire to be in the position where I am at. I have female relatives who look up to me as the only woman in the family going to college, unmarried with no children. While I may not have accomplished much so far these past 17 years, I am building my way up towards where I am meant to be, and that is what matters. That is my drive. That is my will. And with my determination and passion, I will go far with every opportunity I am given. Even if I have to make an opportunity of my own, I will do whatever is necessary to succeed in my own way in life. As a kid, I always dreamed of being someone. I knew from the moment I could think for myself I wanted to leave an impact on this world. I would always question how I would achieve that in the first place, but growing up I realized it takes time and a whole lot of steps to get where you need to. I plan on creating businesses to help our society and to help my family. I want to end our struggle of poverty and create a better future for them. When I look ahead at MY future, I can see the opportunities I have to help others. From donating to shelters for people in need to creating a whole organization to support eco-friendly projects, I want to create a living out of sustainablity, advancements, and hope. I hope to make an impact, and each day I get closer to beginning my studies, I can see the path more vividly of my success. It will be bumpy, but with the opportunities I am given, I want to make the most of it.