Being a first-generation student means a lot to me. My motivation and what drives me was my mother. My mother was an immigrant who came from Mexico. When she still lived in Mexico, her family couldn't afford to send all of her siblings and her to school. My mother had to drop out of elementary school. That’s why after graduating high school I got my bachelor’s degree in history, but deep down I knew that I wanted to pursue a law degree. That’s why I’m back at my local community college and applying for the paralegal program that they have. I want it to be a first step before going to law school. My goal would be an immigration lawyer to help people like my mother who had to leave family behind and move to another country so that her children could have the opportunities that she never had. For now, since I’m not in the financial position to pursue a law degree because of my mother passing away last October 2025 from cancer, I’m going to pursue a paralegal certificate at a local community college. Being a first-generation student means overcoming obstacles like money. That’s why I’m currently working two jobs, so that I can have money to take classes I need for being a paralegal. I know that it won't be easy, but I know that I can’t give up because I don’t want to disappoint my mom. I’m nervous about taking this risk, but I know that it will be worth it. I know that this essay wasn't the best, and I'm not the best at expressing how I feel in a clear way, but God knows my intentions, and that I'm trying the best that I can. So, thank you for at least taking the time read this essay.

Hello, I’m a first-generation college student who wants to go back to college to pursue a different degree that will help people. Originally, I went to college and got my bachelor’s degree in history; I liked the major, but deep down part of me wanted to either pursue a law degree or a paralegal. When my mother passed away last year in October 2025 from ovarian cancer, it made me realize that I have to start living life to the fullest. Part of that includes going back to school for a paralegal or law degree. I want to get my paralegal certificate first, then down the road when I’m ready I want to pursue law. Last year when she was still alive, I wanted to take the initiative on going back to school to get a law degree and be an immigration lawyer to help people like my mother. Unfortunately, after her passing, I’ve had to put that on hold and work. However, I don’t want that to stop me which is why I took the initiative of going back to the community college where I got my associates degree and applying for the paralegal program that they have. Since I passed the deadline to apply for financial aid, I will have to pay out of pocket which is something I’m currently struggling with. Even working my two jobs at Chik Fil A and a retail store called LensCrafters, it won’t be enough to cover my tuition on taking the classes I need for being a paralegal. That’s why I can only take one class this semester. However, I don’t want that to deter me from at least starting my journey. Receiving this scholarship will have a positive impact on my career goals because it will allow me to register for more classes next semester which will bring me a step closer to finishing my paralegal certificate. Then, after working as a paralegal for a while, I went into law school. Also, this will significantly help me because I won’t pay as much for my tuition, and that will help me because I would be able to use the money I make from my two jobs to help pay off the debt for my mother’s funeral as well as her headstone. My ultimate goal would be to get my law degree, but if that doesn’t work out, I would be content on getting my paralegal certificate which would allow me to work alongside lawyers and help them in any way that I can. I would love to make a difference in people’s lives even if that is just locally. I’m excited to start this new chapter in my life and to get started on taking classes so that I can receive my paralegal certificate.

This scholarship would have a significant impact on my career goals because this would help me financially. It’s something I would appreciate and be grateful for because over the past year I’ve had major life changes. As a result, this caused me to reevaluate my education and start taking risks in what I truly want to do. I went to college and got my bachelor’s degree in history. I liked the major, but deep down part of me wanted to either pursue a law degree or a paralegal. When my mother passed away last year in October 2025 from ovarian cancer, it made me realize that I have to start living life to the fullest. Part of that includes going back to school for a paralegal or law degree. That’s why I took the initiative of going back to the community college where I got my associates degree and applying for the paralegal program that they have. Since I passed the deadline to apply for financial aid, I will have to pay out of pocket which is something I’m currently struggling with. Even working my two jobs at Chik Fil A and a retail store called LensCrafters, it won’t be enough to cover my tuition on taking the classes I need for being a paralegal. That’s why I can only take one class this semester. However, I don’t want that to deter me from at least starting my journey. Receiving this scholarship will have a positive impact on my career goals because it will allow me to register for more classes next semester which will bring me a step closer to finishing my paralegal certificate. Also, this will significantly help me because I won’t pay as much for my tuition, and that will help me because I would be able to use the money I make from my two jobs to help pay off the debt for my mother’s funeral as well as her headstone. My ultimate goal would be to get my law degree, but if that doesn’t work out, I would be content on getting my paralegal certificate which would allow me to work alongside lawyers and help them in any way that I can. I would love to make a difference in people’s lives even if that is just locally. I’m excited to start this new chapter in my life and to get started on taking classes so that I can receive my paralegal certificate.

Hi, my name is Jessica Mejia Montes. I’m a first-generation college student and the daughter of Mexican immigrants. My favorite song on Brat would be the song Talk Talk. I chose this song because it reminds me of a situation in my life where I liked a guy in college, and I wished that I had talked to him. Most of the lyrics in this song I could relate to, and it applied to my situation. Specifically, the part of the song that goes “Wish you'd just talk to me I think you're getting closer 'Cause I've been getting nervous” (Charli XCX). In this situation, I regret not talking to him because I had many opportunities to go up to him and talk, but I cared more about what other people thought than what I wanted to do. Since I never went up to talk to him, I missed my chance. I think there was another girl who did talk to him, and I think she ended up being his girlfriend. Another part of the song where I felt like the lyrics related to my situation was the part that goes “Talk to me in French, talk to me in Spanish, talk to me in your own made-up language. Doesn’t matter if I understand it” (Charli XCX). This part resonated with me because to me it doesn’t matter what language he spoke if I was able to communicate with him. What this song and my situation taught me was to not let what other people think about you stop you from doing what you want to do.

Hi, my name is Jessica Mejia Montes. I’m a first-generation college student and the daughter of immigrants who came to the United States from Guanajuato, Mexico. “What could go wrong?” is something that I don’t think about because I always overthink that everything can go wrong. Instead of thinking “What could go wrong?” as having negative consequences, I want to start thinking about how their positive consequences could be when I ask the question “What could go wrong?” instead of thinking of the worst-case scenario. One example where I want to change how I think about the question would be making the first move when it comes to making friends or for a future partner. Instead of thinking of the worst-case scenario, I want to change my way of thinking to think of it as an opportunity I have and what I can gain from it. Growing up I’ve always been shy and quiet around people. There have been times where I’ve wanted to talk to someone to be friends with and there have been other times where I have had crushes on people, but I was too scared to say anything. This has happened even recently when I liked someone, and I wanted to ask for his number. So, I asked my friends for advice, and they all told me that I should just shoot my shot, which means to make the first move. Two of my friends said, “What could go wrong?” When they said that to me, in my head I thought that so much could go wrong. I thought about the worst-case scenario. The worst-case scenario would have been seeing him around campus, particularly the cafeteria which is where I work. Being rejected wasn’t what I feared because I was aware that I would more than likely be rejected. I feared that he would tell his friends who would make fun of me. Even though there was the possibility that I could have been rejected, I mostly regret not making a move because now I’m left with questions and what-ifs. I would say having this regret and wondering about the what-ifs is worse than the fear of his friend’s making fun of me. That was what I feared the most but now looking back I wish I hadn’t let my fear of what other people thought stop me from asking for his number. Now when I think of that question “What could go wrong?” I still think that there might be things that go wrong, but I now think that there can be positive things that can come from asking that question. I also asked the question “What could go wrong?” when it comes to my education. Currently, I’m attending college for my bachelor’s in history and philosophy. I’ve thought about going to graduate school, and it’s something that I want to do but when I’ve asked myself the question “What could go wrong?” I also think about the worst-case scenario. I can’t help but think about the worst-case scenario because unlike asking someone out I have more to lose by pursuing my education. Going to graduate school means being in more student debt. For my family, we are already having a hard time financially from facing food insecurity to dealing with my mother’s medical expenses because she has stage four ovarian cancer. One of the ways my family relies on food is through the food pantry that the university I attend offers. I also wouldn’t know where to begin when it comes to applying to graduate school and other things because I’m a first-generation student. I can’t ask my parents because they wouldn’t know, and neither of my older siblings has been or is in graduate school. I would be the first one in my family to go. I don't know what to think about the worst-case scenario when it comes to pursuing my education by going to graduate school, and when I think about the question “What could go wrong?” I still think that so much can go wrong. However, I know that if I continue my education I can’t think about that question because it’ll only deter me from getting my master’s in history. I also don’t want to have the thought of regret choosing not to go to graduate school because trying to pursue it later in life could be more difficult depending on if I'm in a relationship, have kids, or I’m worse off financially in the future will make it impossible for me. So, I want to change my way of thinking and think about the opportunities I can gain. For me to overcome these fears, I have to take the first step because sometimes the hardest part is taking the first step.

Hi, my name is Jessica Mejia Montes, and I’m a first-generation student. I’m a double major in history and philosophy. I chose to pursue those fields because that’s where I found my passion. It’s where it challenged my way of thinking and has made me grow as a person. Originally, I wanted to be a history teacher because that was my dream since elementary school. However, when I got to college it changed. That’s when I also thought about being a social worker or majoring in political science. I realized that neither of those fields was where my passion lay. Political science was where my love of philosophy grew. That was where I read books by Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. I learned how their works influenced political thought, which I found fascinating. I’ve always loved history since I was a little kid. While I was still attending community college, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to major in history or philosophy. When I transferred to a four-year university, I declared my major in history. My history advisor told me my history major wouldn’t be enough credits to graduate, so she suggested a major or minor in another field. In my case, I already knew what other major I wanted to add which was philosophy. I was hesitant and scared because I feared that I wouldn’t be good enough in philosophy or that I wouldn’t understand the books we had to read for class. My philosophy professor saw my dedication to the field and passion for the subject. So, he nominated me to be a philosophy tutor for my peers. I was honored, but I couldn’t do it since I was taking care of my mother who has stage four ovarian cancer. However, not giving up and asking questions helped me understand the material. I desire to create an impact in those fields by pursuing my education and paving the way for Mexican American women who choose to pursue history and philosophy. One thing that I found was that those fields were still predominantly male and there were even fewer minorities pursuing those fields. It makes me sad because I believe that the humanities such as history, philosophy, literature, and more fields are being ignored. I believe that people can learn and gain knowledge from those fields. My dream career is working for the government, specifically for the CIA. Goals that will help me achieve my professional passion would be obtaining my bachelor's in history and philosophy, and then going to graduate school for my master’s in history. Some of the goals I have for the future also include being a mentor for first-generation students. Also, to establish scholarships for women, minorities, first-generation, low-income students, history majors, and philosophy majors. Overall, I want to give back to my parents who sacrificed so much for my siblings and me to receive an education, help other students achieve their goals, and hopefully work for the government to help the country and other citizens.

Hi, my name is Jessica Mejia Montes, and I’m a first-generation student. I’m the daughter of immigrants who came to the United States from Guanajuato, Mexico. Going to college has meant so much more to me because I recognize that not everybody can go. One example would be my parents. One reason my parents came to the U.S. was that neither of my parents could afford to finish their education or go to college. My father had to drop out of high school, and my mother had to drop out of elementary school. They came to the U.S., so my siblings and I would have the opportunity to have an education because they believed the way to escape poverty is through education. Thinking about how much my parents sacrificed so my siblings and I could have an education makes me work even harder in college and appreciate it. Being a first-generation college student also has brought challenges such as not knowing things such as filling out FAFSA, transcripts, deposit fees, student loans, and much more. I couldn’t ask my parents because they never went to college and didn’t have much education. It made it more difficult because there was not much support for first-generation students. The colleges I attended had clubs for first-generation students, but the clubs didn’t do a good job of reaching out to first-generation students and helping them out. Being a first-generation student has also made me appreciate that I’m able to attend college despite that being a challenge for me. One thing that I’m trying to accomplish by attending college is obtaining my bachelor's in history and philosophy. Currently, I’m dedicated to my education, so that I can accomplish my goal of obtaining my bachelor's in history and philosophy. As a result of my dedication to my education, I’ve made it to the dean’s list with a 3.9 GPA each semester I’ve been attending college. Another result of my dedication to my education has caught the attention of my philosophy professor who is also my philosophy advisor. He nominated me to be a philosophy tutor for my peers. Unfortunately, I couldn’t be a tutor because, in my free time when I’m not in class or doing homework, I’m taking care of my mother who has stage four ovarian cancer. Another thing I’m trying to accomplish by attending college is going to graduate school for my master's in history. After graduate school, my dream career is to work for the government, specifically for the CIA. Once my career is established, one of the things I want to do is be a mentor for first-generation students. From personal experience, I know the challenges they face and the lack of support and resources they’re given. I also want to establish scholarships for women, minorities, first-generation, and low-income students. The reason for this is that from personal experiences these aspects are part of my identity which have been barriers for me while attending college. Also, I want to establish scholarships for history and philosophy because as a major for both fields, I haven’t found much support for the fields such as scholarships or having others encourage people to pursue these majors. I think that’s a shame because majoring in history and philosophy has taught me so much that I think people should pursue these fields. As a result of being a mentor to first-generation students and establishing scholarships for students in the future, I hope that it will help students achieve their goals whatever that may be for them.

Hi, my name is Jessica Mejia Montes. I’m a first-generation and low-income student. I’m also the daughter of immigrants who came to the United States from Guanajuato, Mexico for a better life and opportunities. One example would be my siblings and I having access to an education. Back in Mexico, neither of my parents could continue going to school because their families couldn’t afford it. As a result, my father had to drop out of high school, and my mother had to drop out of elementary school. That’s why being a first-generation student has been hard for my siblings and me because we couldn’t ask our parents for help. We had to rely on each other which was difficult because my siblings and I each pursued different majors. Also, we were in different stages of our education. Two of my siblings had already transferred to a four-year university while my younger and I were still at community college. By the time I transferred to a four-year university my older brother had just graduated from the same university I was attending, so I had no one to help me adjust to a new university. It was challenging because the colleges I attended didn’t do a good job of reaching out to first-generation students. In my opinion, I wish they had done a better job such as reaching out to first-generation students who would be transferred to the four-year university and high school seniors who will be first-generation students because they have a harder time finding support. Some barriers I’ve faced while attending college have also been low income because my family is struggling more due to my mother being diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. As a result, it made it difficult to focus on my education financially and emotionally. I’ve had a hard time focusing on my classes because all I can think about is her well-being, and it’s harder to focus on class because my family faces food insecurity. As a result, one of the things that my family relies on for food is the food pantries that the university I attend offers. I’m so grateful that the university offers it because it helps my family. That’s why whenever the food pantry is opened my brother and I go to the food pantry to see what they have. Even though there is a food pantry, sometimes it’ll be empty because other students also get things from there. Despite facing challenges, I’ve been dedicated to my education. As a result of my dedication, I’ve made it to the dean’s list each semester I’ve been attending college with a 3.9 GPA. My dedication has also caught the attention of my history professor who is also my advisor because she suggested I go to graduate school. That’s why this scholarship will help me continue my education goals because it’ll help pay for my tuition which will allow me to be in little debt. Once I graduate with my bachelor’s in history and philosophy, I plan on going to graduate school to obtain my master’s in history. With the help of this scholarship, it’ll make it possible for me to go to graduate school. My dream career is working for the government, specifically the CIA. Once my career is established, I would want to be a mentor for first-generation students. I also want to establish scholarships for history majors, philosophy majors, women, minorities, and first-generation, and low-income students. Being a mentor and establishing scholarships will help the students achieve their goals, and hopefully in the future they will give back to society.

My name is Jessica Mejia Montes. Both of my parents came to the U.S. from Guanajuato, Mexico for a better life and opportunities. Growing up my parents wanted my siblings and me to have access to the things they never had such as an education. My father had to drop out of high school, and my mother had to drop out of elementary school because their families couldn’t afford to send them to school. Being a low-income student and first-generation college student has been challenging because my family can barely afford the basics such as food, clothes, rent, healthcare, education, and more. Life was even more difficult because my mother was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. My family struggles financially and with her diagnosis, it’s been even harder. It also hindered my education because it made it harder to focus during my classes. All I could think about was if she would still be there when I got home or if she didn’t make it. At one point I thought about not continuing my education in college and instead taking care of her full-time, but I know that she would be upset with me if I did that. The best I could do for her was focus on my education to earn my degree and get a good career that would help our family financially. That’s why my focus has been on studying and focusing on my education. When I’m not studying or doing homework for my classes, I’m taking care of my mother and taking care of the household while my father and older brother work to support my family. My dedication has paid off because each semester I’ve been attending college I’ve made it to the dean’s list with a 3.9 GPA. My dedication to my education has also caught the attention of my professors because one of them nominated me to be a tutor for philosophy, which is one of my majors. He noticed that I was passionate about the subject and that I knew the topics well. Unfortunately, as much as I would have loved tutoring other students in the subject, I didn’t have the time because, in my free time, I used it doing my homework, taking care of my mother, and the household chores. That same professor suggested I be in the honors program. I have another advisor for my other major, which is history, who suggested that I go to graduate school. That is why after graduating with my bachelor’s in history and philosophy, one of my goals is to go to graduate school for my master’s in history. My dream career is working for the government, specifically for the CIA. To help me achieve my dream career I’m going to graduate school, and I’ve applied for an internship called 2024 Archives, History and Heritage Advanced Internship Program which is a remote internship. I would learn how the library's collections are acquired, cataloged, preserved, and interpreted. The internship would equip me to work with other interns, exchange information, and present in groups. Once my career is established, one way I plan to make a positive impact on the world through my career working in government is by being a mentor for first-generation students. I want to help guide them in college to help them achieve their goals. I also want to help them achieve their goals by establishing scholarships for women, minorities, first-generation students, and low-income students. Hopefully, being a mentor and establishing scholarships will help them achieve their goals and have them give back to society as well in the future.

Hi, my name is Jessica Mejia Montes, and I’m the daughter of immigrants. Both of my parents came to the United States from Guanajuato, Mexico for a better life and opportunities. My education will change my path forward in life because it will help me gain opportunities that my parents never had. Growing up my family struggled financially and could barely afford the basics such as food, rent, clothes, and more. My parents always told my siblings and me that the way out of poverty or for a better life is through education. Both of my parents are my motivation to work hard in college because they both had to quit their education; neither of their families could afford it. My father had to drop out of high school, and my mother had to drop out of elementary school. That’s one of the reasons both of my parents came to the United States. They wanted my siblings and me to complete school and attend college for a better life. Receiving this scholarship will make it possible for my family and me to have a better life. It’s also why I have been dedicated to doing my best in my education. I focus on my assignments, studying, getting ahead in my classes, getting prepared for class, and asking questions about something I’m not sure about. As a first-generation college student, there have been many challenges I’ve faced that have gotten in the way of my education. Going to college as a first-generation college student was especially difficult during my senior year of high school because I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t know when or how to apply for college, how student loans work, filling out FAFSA, and not having the money to pay the deposit fee for college. It made it harder because no one ever reached out to first-generation students such as me in high school. There were first-generation clubs at my college, but they did a poor job because they never reached out to me while I was in high school or when I transferred to a four-year university. Despite these challenges I faced, I couldn’t let them bring me down or deter me from attending college and doing my best. My dedication to my education has paid off because I’ve made it on the dean’s list each semester I’ve been attending college with a 3.9 GPA. Currently, my goals are to obtain my bachelor’s in history and philosophy and go to graduate school for my master’s in history. Completing my bachelor’s and master’s will allow me to change my path forward because it will bring me a step closer to achieving my dream career, which is working for the government. Once I’ve established my career, one way I’ll be able to give back to society in the future is by being a mentor and helping first-generation students. From personal experience, I know the challenges they face, and it’s harder for them because they don’t receive much support financially and emotionally. Another way I will be able to give back to society is by establishing scholarships for groups such as women, minorities, first-generation students, and low-income students. Also, I want to establish scholarships for history and philosophy majors because I haven’t found any scholarships for these majors. Hopefully, by being a mentor for first-generation students and establishing scholarships, I’ll be able to help other students achieve their goals. I also hope that they do the same by giving back to society in the future.

Hi, my name is Jessica Mejia Montes, and I’m a first-generation college student. I’m the daughter of immigrants who came to the United States from Mexico to seek opportunities and a better life. Since both of my parents sacrificed so much, I want to do whatever I can to achieve my goals to support them financially. My family still struggles financially because we live paycheck to paycheck. It doesn’t make it any easier because my mother was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. It’s been a struggle for my family emotionally and financially. So, I want to do my best in college to achieve my dream career working for the government to help my family. That’s why one of the things I have planned for my future is working hard in college to obtain my bachelor’s in history and philosophy. Currently, my focus has been on taking care of my mother while attending college. In the beginning, it was hard because it made it hard to focus on my education when my family first found out that my mother was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. However, I didn’t let it get in the way of my education because I knew that my mother would be upset if I wasn’t doing well in college. That’s why I’ve dedicated my time working on homework for my classes to get ahead and so I have more time to take care of my mother. It’s been helpful that my other brothers are also able to help despite one of my brothers working to support the family and my other brother who is also in college. Some of my peers in college only spend their time partying or drinking, showing up late to class or never showing up to class at all. That’s why I made sure that I didn’t want to be like them because that would get in the way of my education and obtaining my bachelor’s. So far, my dedication to my education has paid off because each semester I’ve been attending college I’ve made it on the dean's list. The dean’s list is someone with a GPA of 3.6 and higher. My professors have also noticed my deduction to my classes. That’s why one of them suggested I be in the honors program. That same professor also nominated me to be a tutor for philosophy because he saw my dedication and knowledge in the field. He believed that I could help other students who were struggling with the subject. Another professor suggested I go to graduate school. That’s why another plan I have for the future is to go to graduate school to obtain my master’s in history. This scholarship will help me pay for the remainder of my undergraduate and graduate school. One of the things holding me back from going to graduate school is money. My family can barely afford food, clothes, and rent. Receiving this scholarship would make my dreams about going to graduate school possible, and I know my parents would be happy. One of my other plans is to work for the government, specifically for the CIA. Another plan I have for the future is to be a mentor for first-generation students because from personal experience I know the challenges they face. If I receive this scholarship, I will establish scholarships for women, minorities, and first-generation, and low-income students in the future. Another scholarship I would like to establish is for history and philosophy majors. I want to make an impact on other people’s lives by establishing these scholarships.

Hi, my name is Jessica Mejia Montes. There have been many things that I learned from the books I’ve read. One thing I’ve learned was from a book called The Life We Bury by Allen Eskins. The book is about a college student named Joe who needs to interview someone for a class. He ended up interviewing an elderly man who was convicted of murder and rape who served in the Vietnam War. Eventually, Joe learned that the man didn’t commit those crimes. So, he goes on a search to uncover the truth. As a history major, I liked that the book also included facts about the Vietnam War such as how some soldiers treated the people living in villages in the Vietnam War. The lesson I learned from the book was that the truth is important, and it’s important to find the truth no matter what. A second thing I learned was from the book The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy. This book is about a man named Ivan Ilyich and the type of person he was before his death. I loved this book because it was short, and it taught me life lessons that can be applied to my everyday life and has shaped my goals. Ivan is a man who wasn’t satisfied with the things he had, and he did what he could to climb the social ladder. He focused more on his work than his family. Ivan was dying, but he didn’t accept his death and wondered why this was happening to him. It wasn’t until he as nearing his death that he learned he had neglected his family and focused on achieving his goals instead. I liked how this book dealt with the topic of death because it confronts people’s biggest fear, which is death. I’ve always wondered why people fear it if they know it’ll happen at some point in their lives and to their loved ones. Could it be because people fear that they haven’t truly had a fulfilling life? Ivan hated that his family avoided the idea that he was dying and instead said he had an illness. I could relate to this because in my family death was seen as a taboo subject to talk about and feared the topic. As a result, I had come to fear death. It wasn't until I became a major in history and philosophy in college that I was faced with tough questions and had to think about why I had feared death and what a fulfilling life looks like. This book changed the way I viewed death and taught me to value my family. These books have shaped my goals because both books taught me the importance of living a fulfilling life. To do that I need to have specific goals because if I don’t know what my goals are, I'll never take the first step to achieving them. The way I view it is that having a goal is the first step to achieving it because not knowing it will make it hard on what you need to focus on or do to achieve those goals. The goal I have in my life is obtaining my bachelor’s in history and philosophy. After that, I plan on going to graduate school to get my master’s in history. Once I’ve accomplished that, I want to work for the government. Once my career is established, I want to establish scholarships for women, minorities, first-generation, and low-income students so they can achieve their goals in life. Hopefully, they’ll be able to give back to others.

Hi, my name is Jessica Mejia Montes, and I’m the daughter of immigrants. Both of my parents came to the United States from Mexico for a better life. One time when I faced a hardship and how I overcame it was learning that my mother was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. That was a difficult time for my family and me because we had to worry about things such as money for her medical needs, not knowing how much time we had left with her, and much more. It was also challenging for my family because this was during COVID which made it scarier for my family. My family was worried about her because her immune system was already weak due to the chemotherapy and that meant she could easily get it or get sick. This situation had an impact on my education because I was still adjusting to college, and it wasn’t any easier because I’m a first-generation student. It made it harder for me to focus on my lectures during class because all I could think about was my mother and how she was doing. I also thought about not continuing my education, so I could focus and take care of my mother full time. However, I knew that I couldn't do that because my parents would be upset because one of the reasons my parents came to this country was so that my siblings and I could get an education that they couldn’t afford back in Mexico. I know my mother would be disappointed if I didn’t graduate college. So, the best thing I could do for her was take care of her, pick up her medication, go with her to her appointments to translate for her, take care of the house chores, and focus on my education. It was hard to see my mother in pain and fear about her cancer and feeling helpless because I couldn't take away her fear or pain, but I had to overcome this hardship because if I didn’t my mother would worry about how my siblings, and I were coping with the situation instead of focusing on her. That’s why my goal is to graduate college with my bachelor's in history and philosophy, and I want to go to graduate school for my master's in history. From there my goal is to work for the government. The way I embody agape love would be by putting my mother’s needs before my own. Instead of going out or partying like my peers, I stay home to take care of my mother. Unfortunately, my family and I struggle financially, so we don’t have money to donate or give to other people. We also can afford to volunteer because I have to take care of my mother, and my father and older brother work to support my family. So, I try to help people who I can, such as when I’m on the bus. The little I’ve had I’ve given to strangers who needed money for the bus. It might not be much, but I think it’s the thought that counts. In the future, once my career is established, I plan on giving back to the community. I would like to be a mentor for first-generation students because from personal experience I know the challenges they face. I also would like to establish scholarships for women, minorities, first-generation, and low-income. I would also like to establish scholarships for history and philosophy majors. I hope that these goals I have in the future will help students achieve their goals in life.

Hi, my name is Jessica Mejia Montes, and I’m a first-generation student and the daughter of Mexican immigrants. I think my greatest achievement to date would be attending college despite being low-income and a first-generation college student. These are the challenges I’m currently having to overcome. One thing that this experience taught me was not to give up and to work hard for my education. In the beginning, starting college was difficult because neither of my parents had gone to college, and they had little experience in education. The highest level of education my father has is attending part of high school. He dropped out of high school because his family couldn’t afford it, and my mother’s highest level of education was first grade. She also had to drop out of elementary school for the same reason as my father. That’s why I could never ask either of my parents about questions I had regarding school and the process. My mother has a limited understanding of writing and reading in Spanish. That’s why she asks me for help. I was fortunate to have two older siblings who helped me because they went through the same process as me. However, I couldn’t rely on them for everything regarding the college process because they were also struggling themselves, and they had different majors than I did. So, that meant they had different classes they had to take, and their advisors were different. So, they couldn’t answer all the questions I had. When I was a high school senior, I didn’t know where to begin when it came to the college process. I didn’t know when to apply to college, how to fill out the FAFSA, how student loans worked, who I should go to regarding questions about college, and I couldn’t afford the deposit fee before attending college. I didn't even know there was a deposit fee students had to pay which made it difficult because my parents couldn’t afford it. That meant my siblings and I struggled to find the money for the deposit. All of these challenges made me doubt myself and had me questioning if I would be able to handle college being low-income and being a first-generation student with no support for me. However, this experience taught me to never give up no matter how difficult the process was, and to ask for help if I needed it. Once I got adjusted to college and started to learn about the process it was easier. I also knew that I had to continue my education because my parents gave up so much for my siblings and I have the opportunity and a better life than what they had in Mexico such as access to an education, food, clothes, water, and electricity in the United States. This experience also taught me that focusing on school instead of college parties or other things pays off even if at the moment it doesn’t seem like it. As a result of focusing on my education in college, it had paid off. One example is that I’ve made it on the dean's list each semester I’ve been attending college. To be on the dean’s list a student needs to have a GPA of 3.6 or higher. There are many things I hope to achieve in the future. One of them would be graduating with my bachelor's in history and philosophy. Another thing I hope to achieve in the future is going to graduate school for my master’s in history. The biggest goal I hope to achieve in the future is working for the government. Once I’ve established my career, I want to give back to my parents who have done so much for my siblings and me. I also want to establish scholarships for first-generation students, women, minorities, and low-income students because all of these have been barriers I’ve had to face in life. I also would like to establish scholarships for history and philosophy majors because one thing that I found was that there weren’t any scholarships for these majors. Hopefully, I’ll also be able to make other students' goals come true through establishing these scholarships in the future.

Hi, my name is Jessica Mejia Montes. I’m a first-generation student and the daughter of immigrants. Both of my parents came to the United States from Mexico for a better life and opportunities. One of those opportunities was for their children to have access to an education. Receiving this scholarship support would be meaningful to me because it would allow me to continue my education and take out fewer student loans. My parents would have liked to have helped my siblings and me pay for college, but they couldn’t because my family struggles to pay for the basics such as food, clothes, and rent. Another reason receiving this scholarship support would be meaningful to me is because I would be one of the first in my family to receive my bachelor's. While my parents were still living in Mexico, their families didn’t have enough money to continue their education. My father had to drop out of high school, and my mother didn’t finish elementary school. That’s why both of my parents came to the United States because they wanted my sibling and me to have access to an education and go to college. I want to make my parents proud by graduating college and hopefully going to graduate school for my master’s in history. An adversity that I’ve had to overcome thus far would be pursuing my education while being a first-generation student. Being a first-generation college student has been challenging for me. The high school I went to didn’t offer help to soon-to-be first-generation college students. That was when I needed the help the most. I didn’t know what college to go to, when to apply to college, how to fill out the FAFSA, how student loans worked, or that I needed to deposit a fee before I enrolled in the college. I had to rely on my older siblings who were also struggling as first-generation college students. I was surprised to learn that the colleges I’ve attended were groups for first-generation students, but I thought they did a bad job because they never reached out to me. Also, I didn’t know there was a group for people like me. One thing I would have done differently would be to first reach out to high school seniors who will be first-generation college students because they’ll need help with the college process such as filling out FAFSA, transcripts, student loans, and much more. The experience was so overwhelming to the point where I thought that I would have to drop out of college because there was not much help for me, and my family couldn’t afford college. However, I knew that I couldn’t give up because I had to remind myself that my parents sacrificed so much to come to this country so my siblings and I would have opportunities that they didn’t have. I was lucky to overcome that adversity because once I got help from my older siblings and eventually, I got used to the process. It also taught me to take advantage of the resources that the colleges I attend offered such as tutoring and much more. I plan to pay this forward in my future by first being a mentor to first-generation students, particularly high school seniors because from personal experience I know they face many challenges. I also want to establish scholarships for women, minorities, first-generation students, and low-income students. I would want to allow them to achieve their goals and have access to an education because it’s important they also have access to it.

Hi, my name is Jessica Mejia Montes. I’m a first-generation student and the daughter of immigrants. Both of my parents came to the United States from Mexico for a better life. The way I’ve held myself accountable has been by taking my education seriously. When I was in high school, I didn’t try my best. If there was something that I didn’t understand in class, I was too afraid to ask a question. As a result, I struggled in some subjects specifically in math and science, and I didn’t get the best grades in those subjects. That had negative consequences because in my junior year of high school, I had Ds in my chemistry class, and I had failed my math class. I was too afraid to ask for help because I was afraid my peers would make fun of me or that my teachers would think I was dumb. I started to hold myself accountable when I got to my senior year of high school. In my senior year of high school, I had to retake my math class because I failed it, and I dropped the class. Senior year is when I changed my mindset and tried hard in my math and science classes. One reason was that I needed those classes to graduate. In my math class, I changed my attitude and paid attention in class. I was still kind of embarrassed and scared to ask my teachers for help. Instead, I asked my older brother for help. I was lucky that he was smart in the subjects I struggled with. If I missed a day in class, I made sure to take responsibility and asked the teachers what I missed in class, so I was caught up and not behind in the material. That has led to my success because holding myself accountable led me to get all A’s in all of my classes senior year of high school. I continued holding myself accountable in my education when I got to college. Since I’ve been in college, I’ve gotten to school early to work on homework and get ahead in my classes. I’ve also made sure to submit my assignments before the deadline, ask my professors questions, show up to class early, and never skip class. I was surprised to learn that in college some students did none of those things. Since I’ve been in college, I’ve been dedicated to my education, and I’ve made sure to hold myself accountable for my education. This has led to my success because each semester I’ve been in college I’ve made it to the dean’s list. Also, my professors have noticed my dedication to my education. One of my professors told me I should be in the honors programs, and my other professor suggested I go to graduate school because she noticed my dedication to my assignments and papers. That’s why one of my goals is to go to graduate school for my master’s in history. Another goal I have is to work for the government, specifically the CIA. Once I’ve established my career, I want to give back to my parents because they sacrificed so much for my siblings and me. I also want to establish scholarships for first-generation students, first and second-generation immigrants, Latinos, and low-income students because I know that they face many barriers. Also, I want to to establish scholarships for history and philosophy majors because these are two fields I’m currently majoring in. To achieve those goals, I have to continue holding myself accountable for my education and to be dedicated to it.

Hi, my name is Jessica Mejia Montes. I’m a first-generation college student and the daughter of immigrants. Both of my parents came to the United States from Mexico for a better life. My identity as a member of an underrepresented minority has had some challenges. One of those challenges was feeling like an outsider at school among my peers. Growing up in the Midwest, there weren’t many Latinos or Mexican Americans. It made it difficult to connect to my peers because they couldn’t relate to cultural things. I feel like I’ve lost part of my identity which is also Mexican because growing up in the Midwest it felt like my family had to assimilate culturally to fit in and not stand out. There were times when I didn’t want to speak Spanish in public because I didn’t want to stand out. It didn’t help that a few years ago my mother, sister, and I were shopping for clothes. We were speaking Spanish because my mother doesn’t know how to speak English. I heard these two girls quietly making fun of my mother speaking Spanish. They probably thought we only spoke Spanish and didn’t understand English. It sounded like they were mocking my mother, and that made me upset and angry. My identity as a member of an underrepresented minority population has had an impact on my path because at the colleges, I attended there was a little bit more representation of minorities but there was still not enough. That’s motivated me to work hard in college and represent women who are minorities in academia such as history and philosophy. I’ve noticed that in those fields there are fewer Latina women. That’s why I want to break the barriers and change that so other Mexican American women can pursue those fields. I’ve heard from one of my professor's wives who is also Mexican American that she told me there weren’t many women in graduate school in the philosophy department. I thought that was sad because she is currently in graduate school pursuing her PhD in philosophy. Since there weren’t many women, there were even fewer Latina women in that field. I was deciding whether to go to graduate school for philosophy or history, but I decided to get my master’s in history. Even in undergraduate school as a double major in history and philosophy, I’ve also experienced being the only woman pursuing philosophy as a major. Even though that’s the case, I’ve never been talked over or felt like I’ve been inferior to my peers. I think that has to do with the environment my professors, peers, and I have created. I know that they have my best interest, and I know if my papers or thoughts get critiqued or there is a disagreement it has nothing to do with me being a minority or a woman. My overall goals are to go to graduate school for my master’s in history and to work for the government, specifically the CIA. I want to pave the way for other Mexican American women or Latinas to work in government. I also want to set up scholarships to help minorities, first-generation, and low-income students because there are many challenges these groups face. I would like to give back to my family who sacrificed so much and to help other students achieve their goals.

Hi, my name is Jessica Mejia Montes. I wanted to attend college because neither of my parents had the opportunity to go to college or complete their education. Both of my parents came to the United States from Mexico for a better life. They wanted to give their children opportunities they never had, such as education. My father had to drop out of high school and my mother never finished elementary school because their families couldn’t afford it. That’s why I wanted to attend college because I know that my parents sacrificed so much just to give my siblings and me an opportunity to get an education. That’s why I’m dedicated to school. Since I’ve been in college my focus has been on my education and doing my best. Going to college I faced many challenges such as being a first-generation student. In college, I struggled with transcripts, not being able to afford the deposit fee for the colleges, FAFSA, etc. There is a first-generation group at the college I attend, but I think they don’t do the best job because when I transferred to my current university nobody reached out to me or helped me adjust to being a first-generation student. That’s why I think that colleges should reach out to upcoming first-generation students in high school because that’s where they need the most help with FAFSA, transcripts when to apply to college, and other things. Being at college hasn’t been easy because that was also the time my mother was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. So, my siblings and I have been taking care of her. In the beginning, it was hard to focus on my classes because all I could think about was my mom. However, this situation has motivated me to continue my education and work hard in college. It’s paid off because I’ve made it to the dean's list each semester. My professor said I should be in the honors programs and my other professor said I should go to graduate school. Some of my career/life goals are graduating with a bachelor’s in history and philosophy and going to graduate school to get my master’s in history. My overall goal is to work for the government, specifically the CIA. I’ve taken steps to achieve my goals such as applying for an internship called 2024 Archives, History and Heritage Advanced Internship which is a remote internship. The internship would teach me how the library's collections are acquired, cataloged, and preserved. Also, I’ve applied for a mentorship program my university offered for students who major/ or minor in history which would be working in the Museums/Libraries/Archives field in a university. Doing this mentorship would help me make connections and gain career advice that would shape the career I plan to pursue. If I’m able to achieve those goals, I want to give back to my parents who sacrificed so much, and I also want to be a mentor for first-generation students. I also want to set up scholarships for first-generation students and other scholarships for low-income students, and Mexican Americans because I know the challenges they face. I also want to set up scholarships for history and philosophy majors. Hopefully given this chance I’ll be able to help achieve my goals, my family, and other students.

My name is Jessica Mejia Montes, and I’m the daughter of immigrants who came from Mexico to the U.S. for a better life. Coming from a low-income household has led me to persevere through challenges because it has taught me to work hard and focus on my education. Since my family struggled to buy the essentials such as food and clothes. There were times it embarrassed me because I remember one time my mother and I were paying for groceries, and we had to put away some because we couldn’t afford to buy everything. Going to college I faced many challenges such as being a first-generation student. In college, I’ve struggled with paying for school and FAFSA. College was also the time my mother was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. I had to make sure I took care of her while still working hard in college. It’s also been hard on my family financially. However, I still focus on working hard in college. It paid off because I’ve made it to the dean's list and my professor said I should go to graduate school. I’m actively working towards pursuing my goals because I’m attending college for my history and philosophy degree. I’ve applied for an internship called 2024 Archives, History and Heritage Advanced Internship which is a remote internship. My overall goal is to work for the government, specifically the CIA. I plan on using my life experience to make an impact in my community by continuing my education. If I’m able to achieve those goals I want to give back to my parents, be a mentor for first-generation students, and set up scholarships for low-income students. I hope I'm able to achieve my goals, help my family, and help set up scholarships for other low-income students.

Hi, my name is Jessica Mejia Montes, and I’m a first-generation college student. For me, success looks like accomplishing my goals despite the obstacles I’ve faced. Success for me means graduating college with a bachelor's in history and philosophy and going to graduate school to obtain my master's in history. Going to college as a first-generation student has been difficult. There was no support for first-generation students such as me in high school. The teachers and counselors assumed everybody had parents who went to college or knew the college process. For my siblings and I that wasn’t the case. The hardest part was trying to figure out where to apply, how to apply, not having enough money for the deposit the school, transcripts, FAFSA, and touring the campus. By the time I got to college, there were groups for first-generation students. I thought they didn’t do a good job because having a group for first-generation college students I thought they would have done more and reached out to high school students who were going to be first-generation college students. I had to rely on my older siblings for help, but they were also struggling as first-generation college students. It was difficult and there were times when I wasn’t sure if I would be able to continue going to college. Despite that challenge, I knew that I couldn’t give up and had to continue my education because my parents came to the United States from Mexico, so they could give their children a better life and opportunities they never had such as education. My father dropped out of high school, and my mother didn’t finish elementary school because neither of their families could afford it. That’s why my education is important to me because they sacrificed everything for my siblings and me. Also, I recognize that not everybody can go to college. Other obstacles I’ve faced while in college have been taking care of my mother while in college. Like most college students, education isn’t the only priority we have. One of my other priorities has been taking care of my mother who has stage four ovarian cancer. Juggling my education and taking care of my mother has been hard, but it has taught me lessons that I’ve applied to my education. One of those is time management skills and utilizing my time wisely. I use my free time between my classes to work on homework and get ahead in my classes. The other time my siblings and I take care of our mother. I make sure she takes her medication with her to her appointments because she needs someone to translate for her. Seeing her struggle and wanting to give up on life has motivated me more to focus on school to obtain my bachelor's and hopefully go to graduate school to get my master's in history. My dedication to school has paid off because I’ve made it to the dean's list each semester. Also, one professor said I should be in the honor’s programs and another professor said I should go to graduate school. This opportunity will help me achieve my goals because the biggest obstacle I face in college is money. My family has struggled financially since I was younger and now more because of college and my mother’s cancer. The thing preventing me from going to graduate school is money. I want to go to graduate school, but I know that my parents would hesitate because it mostly comes down to money. They just don’t want me to struggle like them financially and be in debt. I want to go to graduate school for my master's in history and after graduate school another goal I have is working for the government, specifically the CIA. Once I’ve established my career, I want to give back to my family, specifically my parents because they sacrificed everything for their children. Another goal I have for the future is to help other students achieve their goals. I want to be a mentor for first-generation college students because I know that they lack support and that’s when they need help the most at that time when they’re moving from high school to college. I also want to set up scholarships for students. I want to set up scholarships for first-generation students, women, Mexican Americans/immigrants (first- and second-generation immigrants), low-income students, history majors, and philosophy majors. I found it hard to find scholarships for history and philosophy majors, and I found it sad because people think those subjects and the humanities in general are useless. However, I think they are very important. If given this opportunity I want to give back to my family, other students, and hopefully the country by working for the government.

Hi, my name is Jessica Mejia Montes. A time when I demonstrated exceptional leadership skills in my academic journey was my dedication to my education. The reason that I’m dedicated to my education is that I’m aware that not everyone can afford an education. One example would be my parents. Both of my parents came to the U.S. because they couldn’t afford an education. My father had to drop out of high school, and my mother didn’t finish elementary school. It also makes me appreciate my education, and I love learning. My dedication to my education has taught me time management skills. In my free time I used the time I had between classes, before, and after class to use that time to work on my schoolwork and get ahead of my classes. My education has also taught me how to listen to other people’s opinions whether it’s political, religious, different cultural background, etc. I think this is an important skill a leader should have because in this world you’ll meet people with different backgrounds and views. A leader should have these traits because nowadays online and in person people automatically see someone who has opposing views as the enemy or a bad person. I think that’s a dangerous way to act because we’ve seen how divisive that is. My education has taught me that each person has intrinsic value and should be treated with value regardless of whether I agree with them or not. The challenges I’ve faced in my academic journey have been navigating college life as a first-generation college student. At the beginning of my college journey, it was a hard adjustment because neither of my parents were able to help me. I had two older siblings who were already in college and helped me. Although they were a huge help and helped me with college and showed me around campus, it was hard when there were things they didn’t know and couldn’t help me with. One thing I’ve noticed is both the colleges I’ve attended do have clubs and groups for generation students, but if I’m being honest, it hasn’t been helpful. One thing that first-generation groups should do is reach out to high school students who will be first-generation college students. For me, that was the most important part because in high school nobody ever reached out to me. I didn't know how to apply for college when I should apply, whether I needed a deposit for the college I was going to, student loans, when to do a tour of the campus, or how to apply for FAFSA. It was so difficult because they weren’t helpful, so I had to rely on my older siblings. If I were a leader of first-generation groups, I would have reached out to the high schools to find out which students were first-generation students to help them while they were still in high school and when they got to college because there wasn’t much support for them. The strategies I used, and the impact of my work is that if there were problems, I faced I talked with my professors. The impact of my work has been that I’ve made it to the dean’s list each semester. I plan to apply my skills to my future career to make a positive difference by being dedicated to my career and being open-minded in my future career which is working for the government by listening to people with different backgrounds and being respectful of their views even if I don’t agree.

Hi, my name is Jessica Mejia Montes. I’m a first-generation college student. I’m the daughter of immigrants who are from Mexico who came to the United States for a better life. I’m passionate about being a first-generation college student because I know many people don’t have access to or can afford an education. One example that I can think of is my parents. My mother couldn’t afford to complete elementary school, and just like Jose Melendez my father never got to finish high school. My father had to drop out of high school because his family couldn’t afford it. That is why my parents came to this country, so my siblings and I could have the opportunities they never had in Mexico. That is why I’m so dedicated to my education because I know not many people can afford it, and my parents sacrificed coming to a country where they didn’t know anybody or the language. My father has worked many hard jobs such as picking strawberries, working in a restaurant, being a janitor, and currently working as a dishwasher. That’s why I’m proud of being his daughter because he’s shown me that it’s important to work hard no matter what. His work ethic has motivated me to put school first. It’s even more important now in my family because my mom is currently battling stage four ovarian cancer. Even though she doesn’t work, she has also taught me important skills that I have applied to my education. One of them is to never give up no matter how much you may want to or how difficult things are. It’s been difficult for her because, at the beginning of her diagnosis, she thought about giving up and not wanting to do chemotherapy, but my family and I have been her drive not to give up on life. Just like my mother whose motivation has been her family; they are my motivation to work hard in school and to not give up on life no matter how difficult it may be. My dedication to school has started to pay off because so far in college I’ve made it to the dean's list each semester. My professor has also complimented me on my dedication to my work and has noticed it. One of them suggested I be in the honors program, and my other professor has suggested I go to graduate school. I decided after I obtain my bachelor’s in history and philosophy, I plan on going to graduate school to obtain my master’s in history. One of my goals is to work for the government. Eventually, as my career is established, I want to give back to my family because they have sacrificed so much for me, particularly my mother and father. Another goal I have would be establishing scholarships such as this one to help other people who have faced barriers and hardships. I would like to create a scholarship for first-generation students because I know some of the challenges they face such as transcripts, applying for FAFSA, what loans they can take out, paying for college, and much more. I would also want to set up scholarships for Mexicans or Mexican Americans. I would also want to set up scholarships for history and philosophy majors because as someone majoring in those fields, I’ve found it extremely difficult to find scholarships for those fields. As a result, I hope to make a better life for my family, and hopefully for other students in the future.

Hi, my name is Jessica Mejia Montes. I'm the daughter of immigrants who came to the United States from Mexico for a better life. One social issue that means the most to me is class inequality/poverty. For me, this issue has had a huge impact on my life. Growing up my family didn’t have much, and it was hard. Most people don’t realize how much poverty or being low income has on your life choices and your everyday life. Since my family couldn’t afford a house, we lived in townhomes. As a child, I didn’t think it was a big deal, but as I grew up, I realized how dangerous the neighborhood was. There were always fights, there were drugs, vandalism, and the police were always there. Most of the people living in the neighborhood were low-income or minorities. My family was one of them. Living in that neighborhood had an impact on the school I went to because I was originally supposed to go to the school where it was mostly minorities and there were better schools that I was close to and that were better funded and had better infrastructure. Most people don’t realize how someone being poor or low-income impact has many barriers. In my life, I have faced many barriers as a result. One of them being transportation. Growing up my family couldn’t afford to buy a car. People don’t realize that in the United States, you need transportation to get around to places. Most things such as stores, schools, and much more aren’t within walking distance. If some families can barely afford to buy groceries, housing, clothes, and other things, they aren’t going to have money to spend on things such as sports, extracurricular activities, college, going on vacations, and much more. It limited the things I was able to do and had access to. That’s why school is so important to me and my family because I want to do whatever I can to help my family have a better life. Another social justice issue that means the most to me is racial inequality. Growing up in the Midwest as a Mexican American woman I’ve been lucky that I have never experienced racism. Unfortunately, I know that racism still exists and happens. One example that I can think of is racial profiling. Both of my brothers who are Mexican American males have experienced racial profiling. It happened to them separately on different occasions. My older brother told me he went to the store, he had a small bag that was average size. He went to pick up his medicine and looked around the store. He noticed that a security guard was following. He wanted to see if the officer was still following him. So, he went to different isles of the store, and a short while later the security guard was in the same isles. The security guard was talking to someone, but he was still staring at my brother. My older brother thought about telling the security guard to hold his bag to show that my brother was innocent and didn’t steal anything. I think it’s important to get involved in these social justice issues because many people are negatively impacted by it, and it makes people feel like they aren’t human. That’s how my younger brother described his experience of being racially profiled. That is why I want to go to graduate school to obtain my master's and eventually work for the government to give back to communities who are low-income and help fight discrimination on a systemic level and locally.

Hi, my name is Jessica Mejia Montes. One thing that makes me a leader is my dedication to school. The reason why I’m so dedicated to school is because I know that many people don’t have access to education or can't afford it. One example would be my parents. My parents came to the United States from Mexico for a better life. My father had to drop out of high school because he couldn’t afford it, and my mother never completed elementary school because her family couldn’t afford it. Some of the ways I’m dedicated to school are that I get to school early to do homework and to get ahead in my classes. It pays off getting ahead of my classes because it allows me to work on some of my other classes. I’m also less stressed around midterms and finals because since I’ve completed most of the work for my other classes it allows me to focus on midterms and finals. Another example is that I show up to class as early as I can. Instead of using that time on my phone like my peers, I use my time wisely and take advantage of it by doing some schoolwork. Whenever I have free time, I spend most of it focusing on my school. My dedication to school has paid off because each semester I’ve been in college I’ve made it to the dean's list. Another thing that makes me a leader is embracing other cultures. One thing that I love is learning about other people’s culture such as their language, clothes, foods, history, and much more. I think it’s an important trait for a leader to have because in school, jobs, and other places you’ll interact with people from different countries or backgrounds. One example is that two of my friends are from Mexico and the Philippines. I’ve learned so much from my friends. I’ve also had a coworker from Germany. I was fascinated hearing her tell me what Germany is like and how it’s different from the United States. I’ve wanted to ask her so much more, but she would probably be annoyed by my asking so many questions. Not only do I think it’s important to surround yourself with people who are from a different culture, but I think it’s also important to surround yourself with different opinions and perspectives. One thing that I’ve noticed is that people like to be surrounded by people who have the same opinions as them on issues. I think that’s not the best thing to do because it’s important to recognize that people have different opinions and to understand why those people hold those opinions. That doesn’t mean agreeing with their views but listening to and understanding them. As a double major in history and philosophy, it has made me more aware of the importance of having different perspectives and being open-minded. I believe these are important qualities a leader should have.

Hi, my name is Jessica Mejia Montes, I’m a first-generation student and the daughter of Mexican immigrants who came to the United States for a better life. My parents came to the United States so that their children could have a better life. My family and their story have shaped my beliefs about the world and my career aspirations because they taught me that it’s important to overcome obstacles and to learn from them. One example was something personal that happened to my family. My mother was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. That was a challenging and hard time for my family. Even though it was a difficult time, there was much that I learned from the experience. One thing I learned from the situation was not to take anything for granted. That included appreciating my family, friends, and education. It also taught me how to balance important things such as doing well in my college classes and making time to take care of my mother. Such as taking her to her appointments and translating for her, reminding her to take her medication, and being there for her emotionally and physically. That experience also made me work even harder so I could make her proud. Another way family and their story have shaped my beliefs about the world and my career aspirations is because they taught me that sometimes you need to make sacrifices and work hard. For that, I appreciate everything that my parents have done. My father had to drop out of high school because his family couldn’t afford to go to high school, and my mother couldn’t finish elementary school because her family couldn’t afford to send her and the rest of her siblings to school. As a result, both of my parents sacrificed everything and possibly never saw their family from Mexico ever again. Their sacrifices have motivated me to focus on my education and put in effort. It’s also made me appreciate my education because I know that there aren’t many people who can afford or are lucky enough to get an education such as my parents. When I got to college, the only thing that I focused on and dedicated most of my time was my education. I didn’t go to parties or hang out much with my friends because I was focusing on my studies. It paid off because each semester I’ve been attending college I’ve made it to the dean's list and put in more work compared to my peers, and one of my professors noticed and one of my professors suggested I go to graduate school. The more I thought about it the more I wanted to go to graduate school to obtain my master's in history. One of the things she told me was that since I speak two languages and have two cultures that would be an advantage I have. Growing up I never thought that could be an advantage. Once I get my master’s in history I want to work for the government. Specifically for the CIA. Also, another goal I have for the future is to set up a scholarship for first-generation immigrant students because I know from personal experience the obstacles they face. I would also want to set up another scholarship for history and philosophy because I’m majoring in both of those fields. One thing that I found is that there are no scholarships for those fields. I would like to help other students go to college, so they can achieve their goals and help my family once my career is established.

Hi, my name is Jessica Mejia Montes, and my favorite Netflix series would have to be Sky Castle. It’s a South Korean drama about elite families who would do anything to send their children to elite universities in South Korea. People should clear their weekend to binge-watch it because there’s drama, and it’s educational. Even though the series is fictional, the issues the series touches on are something that does happen in South Korea and other countries such as the United States. Just like in the drama, there are parents in real life who would do questionable and unethical things to send their children to college. In the series, some families spend so much money to pay for a tutor that will help them get into elite universities in South Korea. When I watched this series, one of the things I was thinking about was that this relates to the things I was learning in the philosophy classes I took. In those classes, one of the things I learned is that society treats education as a means instead of an end. What I mean by that is that people only care about passing their classes and doing well to obtain their degrees. Once they obtain their degree, they’ll find a job that pays well. They care more about that than learning. The parents in Sky Castle only cared about education as a means instead of an end. Their parents only cared about what they would gain from education such as money, recognition, power, and other things. Not only is that a bad way of looking at education, but it also harms the children. The children were constantly stressed and had a lot of pressure to be top of their class. Since they started to focus on being top of their class, they started to lose appreciation for their education which not many people can afford. One example I can think of is my parents. My father had to drop out of high school, and my mother never completed elementary school because neither of them could afford it. One bad thing about having that type of mindset was that their children didn’t enjoy studying. Their joy was taken away because their parents wanted them to be the best no matter what. One example from the series that treated education as an end instead of a means was Lee Soo-im. She had a son, and she cared more about her son doing his best at school than putting pressure on him to be at the top of his class. As a result, her son enjoyed school, and he was at the top of his class because he didn’t have pressure from his mother. Even though this series is fictional, this does happen. One thing that I’ve learned from this series and as a double major in history and philosophy was that it’s important to treat education as an end instead of a means. Having that type of mindset has taught me the importance of education for its own sake. I’ve also learned that education is meant to form the person as a whole. That is why in college we are required to take classes in subjects on science, math, literature, history, and more. People should also binge-watch the show because the soundtrack is beautiful and makes the scenes more impactful. I hope that in the future people will treat education as an end and appreciate it for its own sake instead of using it for something else.

Hi, my name is Jessica Mejia Montes. If I were to imagine a crossover between my two favorite Disney Channel shows they would be Kim Possible and American Dragon: Jake Long. The episode’s title would be “The Crossover.” The plot of the episode would be Kim Possible going on vacation with her family and Ron Stoppable invited to join their family on a vacation where Jake lives, which is New York City. Coincidentally, Dr. Drakken and Shego are also in New York City for a villain’s convention. At the convention is also Jake’s nemesis the Huntsman. The villain’s convention is where all villains across the United States come together once a year to exchange ideas on how to destroy their nemesis, destroy the world, and other villain things. This was the first year that Dr. Drakken and Shego were invited to the villain’s convention. That’s where they both met the Huntsman. Dr. Drakken, Shego, and the Huntsman decided to join forces to defeat their nemesis. As the three of them plot their plan to defeat their nemesis, Jake, Kim, and Ron bump into each other. Before meeting Kim, Jake knew about Kim because Lilo told him about Kim and wanted to meet her. Ron was with Jake and Kim because they seemed to get along too well, and Ron thought that it was because Jake had a crush on her. Little did they know as the three of them were hanging out Dr. Drakken, Shego, and the Huntsman were plotting their evil plan. Eventually, things start to go bad. They see people running away from Dr. Drakken and Shego because they have built a huge robot machine that is meant to capture magical creatures. That’s when Jake sees the Huntsman. Jake runs and finds a place to transform into a dragon, so people won’t see him. Kim and Ron follow him, and Ron passes out when he sees Jake transform. Jake and Kim team up to defeat Dr. Drakken, Shego, and the Huntsman. Ron helps out by leading people away and getting them to a safe place, so they won’t get crushed by the giant robot. Jake and Kim quickly come up with a plan to defeat them. After a long battle, Jake and Kim defeat the villains. In the end, Dr. Drakken, Shego, and the Huntsman are punished. As Kim and Ron are saying their goodbyes, Jake asks Ron to talk in private. Jake tells Ron that he doesn’t have to worry about him making a move on Kim because he has a crush on a girl named Rose who goes to his school. Ron plays dumb and acts like he doesn’t know what Jake is talking about, but Ron is secretly happy. Jake keeps in touch with Kim and Ron, and in the end, the villains are punished.

Hi, my name is Jessica Mejia Montes. Taylor Swift’s music, particularly during the Eras Tour, has helped me discover and understand something new about myself which is not to let my fears stop me. One song that has inspired me was The Man. The song helped motivate me to continue my education to pursue a master's degree in history. One thing that I’ve heard from one of my professor's wives was that she told me there weren’t many women in graduate school in the philosophy department. I thought that was sad because she is currently in graduate school pursuing her PhD in philosophy. Since there weren’t many women, there were even fewer Hispanic women in that field. I was deciding whether to go to graduate school for philosophy or history, but I decided to get my master's in history. One thing holding me back from applying to graduate school is the money and the fear of people thinking my work isn’t good enough because I’m a woman. As of now, I haven't been made to feel inferior by my male peers or seen as less than in education, but it does cross my mind that it might happen in graduate school. I hope that isn’t the case but the song The Man has made me realize that unfortunately, this does happen to women in different fields such as acting, music, academia, work, and other places. However, I shouldn't let that fear stop me from pursuing what I love, which is my education. Another song that helped me discover and understand something new about myself that I would rather try and fail to do something instead of living in regret was You Belong With Me. This song made me realize that you should do something you’ve always wanted even if it scares you because if you don’t you might regret it. One example that I can think of is that I had a crush on one of my classmates in college. He sat behind me in class, and I wanted to ask him for his number and make a move. It made me think that there were girls who would be better with him than me because they wore short skirts, and I wore T-shirts. However, I was scared about what his friends would think. I wasn’t scared about being rejected because I knew in life, you’ll be reflected in different things such as dating, school, jobs, and other things. It made me realize that I shouldn’t have let that stop me because I prefer failing and at least trying instead of having that regret of not doing anything. Listening to her music from the Eras Tour made me realize that I want to do things that I wouldn’t have done before, and I plan on overcoming those fears because I’ve focused only on what I will lose instead of what I’ll gain from those experiences.

Hi, my name is Jessica Mejia Montes. If my year so far had a soundtrack from 1989 (Taylor’s Version) one of the songs that would be on it would be Bad Blood. Even though Taylor Swift wrote this song about a friend she thought was her friend gone bad, the way I related to this song was that it made me think about my relationship with my family, specifically my sister. This song reminds me of my family because not just this year but for the past few years my family have had personal problems with each other. I think it started when my mother was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. It’s been stressful for my family. My relationship with my sister is okay now, but before it was bad. Since my mother was diagnosed with cancer, I was angry with my sister because I felt like she was causing more problems for our mom instead of helping her and making sure she wasn’t stressed out. It was even harder to have a good relationship with her when she had our mom take care of her children. Even though my mother loves spending time with her granddaughters, and they have been a light in the dark that my family has experienced, my mother has been stressed because she feels like my sister doesn’t give enough of her attention to her daughters. The part that made me think about my situation with my sister was “Now we got problems and I don’t think we can solve them (think we can solve them). You made a really deep cut” (Swift). Another song that would be on the soundtrack for my year so far would be This Love. Even though this song is about letting the love you have for someone go if the time isn’t right, if the person you love is the right person their love will come back to you. Even though I’ve never experienced love, I have experienced a crush on someone I had in one of my college classes. Even though we were never in a relationship or ever talked, I had thought about asking him for his number and making the first move. I hesitated to make a move because I wanted to focus on my education. It paid off because I’ve made it to the dean's list each semester I’ve been at college. Part of me wished that I had made a move, but at that moment I didn’t think it was the right time to get into a relationship. However, listening to This Love has made me think about how if he was the right person I'd meet him again in the future.

Hi, my name is Jessica Mejia Montes. One way that I will use my unique talents and skills to build a more empathetic and understanding global community is by surrounding myself with people who come from different countries or have a different experience than me growing up. Growing up in the Midwest as a Mexican American there weren’t many other Mexicans or Mexican Americans. Even though there were times when I wished there were other people who had a similar background to me to relate to, I looked at it as a learning opportunity to share and explain my culture to other people. There was one time when I was the only Mexican American in a class who spoke Spanish, and the girl sitting next to me wanted to learn Spanish and what some words meant, so I taught her. At that moment I didn’t see being the only person from a different background as a negative thing. I saw it as a positive thing because I helped someone else learn another language. It’s also helped me make friends from different backgrounds. My friend also faced something similar because there were times when she was the only Filipino American in the class. Even though we didn’t have the same culture. We found so many similarities between being Mexican American and Filipino American. We both had strict parents and had parents who were immigrants who came to the United States for a better life. She has taught me some Filipino traditions and I enjoyed hearing about her culture. One skill I would use to build a more empathetic and understanding global community is working for the CIA. If I’m able to achieve my goal, then I would be able to share with my coworkers my culture such as food and music. Also, a degree in history has allowed me to learn about other countries' cultures, history, traditions, and other things. Most people assume that a history degree is useless, but I would have to disagree. One thing that a history degree can do is make you an understanding and educated person because it can teach you another country’s culture, traditions, way of thinking, and their relationship to other countries. As a history major, I’ve taken classes in Latin America which taught me some of the challenges they face, their culture, government, and so much more. Also, having taken a class in China, Japan, and Korea has taught me the same thing, which was the challenges they faced, culture, history, and much more. One example is that in countries such as Japan and Korea people bow to the other person they’re greeting. Hopefully, my background and degree in history can inspire other people to build a more empathetic and understanding global community.

My name is Jessica Mejia Montes, and I’m a first-generation college student. My desired career path is working for the CIA. The steps that I have taken and plan to take to achieve my goals are getting a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in history. Currently, I’m attending college to get a bachelor's degree in history and philosophy. Another step that I have taken is applying for an internship called the 2024 Archives, History and Heritage Advanced Internship Program. Reading the information, what I would do is learn how the library's collections are acquired, cataloged, preserved, and interpreted. I would also work with other interns, exchanging information, and presenting what I learn to a group. I hope to get this internship. There is another step I have taken which was applying for a mentorship program my university is offering to students majoring in history or a minor in history. If I’m selected for this mentorship, I would be working in the Museums/Libraries/Archives field in a large university setting. Doing this mentorship would help me make connections and gain career advice that would shape the career I plan to pursue. I would also get networking opportunities. Once I graduate and obtain my bachelor's degree in history and philosophy, I plan on going to graduate school to get my master's in history. Once I’ve completed that I plan on applying to jobs for the government or directly applying for the CIA. My experiences, skills, and interests align with my chosen career because my college education has helped equip me with the experience and knowledge. During college, I’ve put in a lot of work to do my best, and I'm dedicated to fulfilling my obligation. Some examples were that in school I showed up earlier to school so I could use that time to do homework and work ahead. Also, showing up every day to class and never skipping. Also, I made sure to never submit things late or procrastinate on my work. As a result, I’ve made it to the dean's list each semester I’ve been attending college, and my professor suggested if I thought about graduate school and said that I should go. Also, having a master's degree in history would be helpful for the CIA because knowing the culture and history of a country can explain why there are countries that don’t get along and explain the relationships between countries. Another way that my experience and skills align with my chosen career is that I’m bilingual. I’m fluent in Spanish and English. Being bilingual is an advantage because many people in the United States speak Spanish. I'm also familiar with other cultures such as Mexico because both of my parents were born there, and they came to the U.S for a better life. The way I envision positively impacting my future profession is by breaking the barriers to help other minority women or the children of immigrants work for the CIA. Another way that I envision positively impacting my future is by bringing a different perspective. Being a philosophy major has also helped me because I’ve taken logic which has helped me make better arguments and be aware of the fallacies of other people’s arguments. Also, I’ve learned how to think critically and question things. I would also like to make a difference for the country through my career working in the CIA such as making the country a safer place, and making a scholarship that would help people such as first-generation students, immigrants or children of immigrants, women, low-income people because these are the challenges I’ve personally faced.

My name is Jessica Mejia Montes, and my favorite anime series that I watch over and over again is Tokyo Revengers. This is the first anime in which I couldn’t wait for the next episode to see what happened next, so I read the manga. One reason that this anime has endlessly captivated me is that the main character Takemichi is weak and a crybaby compared to his friend who is physically stronger than him. I like that his character is the traditional anime character who is strong or has powers. Even though Takemich isn’t strong like his friends he doesn’t give up on himself or his friends. Even if he gets beat up and isn’t strong enough to fit, it’s his determination to never give up that resonates with me so much. That’s what motivates his friends not to give up because when things look bad or it may look like they're losing, Takemichi refuses to give up. Another thing that I like about the character Takemichi is that he cries a lot. He doesn’t just cry for himself, but he cries for other people’s pain and struggles. That’s why he’s given the nickname crybaby. Takemich has also inspired me in my personal life to never give up such as when my mother was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. His character reminded me to never give up just like how he doesn’t give up trying to save the love of his life Hina which is why he constantly goes back in time just to save her. Another aspect in which his character has motivated me in my personal life is continuing my education. My goal is to go to graduate school to obtain my masters in history to eventually work for the government. Not only have I learned so much from watching Tokyo Revengers, but it’s also been a comforting anime to watch while I was struggling with my mother's diagnosis of cancer.

My favorite K-Pop group would be a group called Dreamcatcher. Their genres of music are pop and rock. One of the things that attracted me to the group Dreamcatcher was that their music was that they weren’t afraid to branch out to try different genres of music such as rock. Their music has had an impact on my life because their music motivated me to also branch out and try something I would have never done before. Their music has made me branch out and try something new in how I dress. When I was in middle and high school, I cared too much about what other people thought, so I never wore the things that I wanted to wear. It wasn’t until I started hearing their music that I started to become comfortable about being myself. Once I got to college, I started wearing the things that I wanted to express myself, and I felt so liberated and happier. I stopped caring about what people thought about me in that aspect. Another way in which the group has had an impact on my life is that it’s made me more comfortable telling people my interests such as what kind of music I listen to. Growing up in the Midwest people who didn’t listen to mainstream music, dress a certain way, or wear certain brands were seen as weird or in a negative light. Listening to Dreamcatcher made me care less about what other people thought. If I was ever asked about the type of music I listened to, I was honest with them and told them I listened to other types of music such as alternative, J-Pop, K-Pop, and music in Spanish. Being honest with people even made me a friend because we had the same music taste. One of the things we bonded over was the group Dreamcatcher. I was so surprised when I heard another girl listen to their music and love them as much as I do. From there that’s where my friendship started. Another way in which the group has had an impact on my life was my education. Seeing how the group kept making music that included other genres besides K-Pop such as K-Rock has motivated me to keep pursuing my education by going to graduate school to obtain my master's in history. Even though other genres of music such as K-Rock aren’t as popular or aren’t mainstream, that didn’t stop them from also making that genre of music. They don’t care if the songs they do in rock aren't as popular as the songs they do in pop because they’re doing what they love. That kind of mindset has motivated me to continue my education by going to graduate school to obtain my master's degree in history. I don’t want to let my fears or what other people think stop me from achieving that goal. The group Dreamcatcher has had an impact on global culture because they are paving the way for other genres to become mainstream besides K-Pop. I think what they’re doing is important because it’s going to allow other groups or artists to branch out into other genres of music such as K-Rock. The group has also toured in countries such as the United States, Spain, Germany, and other places.

Hi, my name is Jessica Mejia. I’m the daughter of immigrant parents and a first-generation college student. I’m a double major in history and philosophy. I plan on making a positive impact on the world through my career by paving the way for other first-generation Hispanic studies majoring in history or philosophy. I thought for these majors there would have been more representation of women, but in my experience that hasn’t been the case. Most of the professors I’ve had in middle and high school and even in college the people teaching those subjects have been predominantly white males. I never had a problem with that, but I want to show other women who are minorities that it’s possible to major in subjects such as history and philosophy. One professor who I had in college motivated me and got me into majoring in philosophy. I loved the way she taught, and I could tell she was passionate about her job. There was another situation in which my former philosophy professor's wife, who is also a philosophy major and pursuing her PhD in philosophy, told me that in graduate school there weren’t many women majoring in philosophy and most of them were men. When she told me that, I wasn’t surprised. There were even fewer women minorities majoring in that. She is also Mexican American her father came to the United States. Even though she was never my professor, her background was like mine, and it motivated me to do my best and achieve my goals. Another person who inspired me was my history professor/advisor. She is a Chinese immigrant. She told me when she was in graduate school, there was only one women history professor, and that was back in the early 2000s. I was hoping by that time there would be more women faculty in history, but that wasn’t the case. I wasn't surprised about the number because it was a university in the Midwest where it’s predominantly white. She was the one who told me that I should go to graduate school. She gave me ideas on what I could do with a master's in history. One of them was working for the government. She told me that my background of knowing two languages and having two cultures could help me. So, my goal now is to go to graduate school after graduating with a bachelor's in history and philosophy. My goal is to go to graduate school to obtain my master's in history and after that work for the government. If I’m able to achieve my goal of working for the government, I would be able to show other first-generation Hispanic women that it’s possible to achieve their goal, and hopefully pave the way for other women with similar backgrounds to me. I would also want to do a scholarship for women majoring in history or philosophy because one of the things I found when looking into graduate school was that there weren’t many scholarships for women, and there weren’t any scholarships for women majoring in those subjects. Most of the scholarships I found were for women majoring in STEM, which I think is necessary, but I think that it’s important to let people know that women are pursuing fields that are just as important such as history and philosophy.

One way in which I’ve demonstrated leadership has been through my education. For me, education is the most important thing. Education is important to me because I recognize that not many people are lucky enough to go to college. One example I can think of is my parents. They came from Mexico to the U.S. for a better life, and so their children could go to school. Neither of my parents could afford to complete school. My father had to drop out of high school, and my mother couldn’t afford to finish elementary school. That’s why I put in so much effort in school because I recognize that my parents have sacrificed everything to come to the U.S. When I got to college, I was dedicated to doing my best. While attending college, I made sure to get to school early to do homework. I got to school at seven in the morning to do work before my classes. After I finished my classes for the day, I had to take two buses to get home. As soon as I got home, I spent most of my night doing homework and trying to get ahead for classes. During college, I spent most of my time doing schoolwork, and I never got to hang out with friends or party like most college students. At the time I cared about not being able to do those things but focusing on school paid off. I made it to the dean's list each semester I’ve attended college. At the community college I attended I had a GPA of 3.6. When I transferred to a four-year university, I also made the dean's list, and each semester I had a GPA of 3.9. At college, I was also prepared to learn because I made sure to show up to class earlier. I sat in the front of the class and took notes. I also showed up every day to class and was never late or skipped class. I was surprised to learn that in college there were people who skipped class. There were people in my classes who only showed up the first two weeks of school and never showed up in person. I thought that was irresponsible of my peers, and I told myself not to be like that. The thing that I hope to achieve in the future through my leadership skills would be going to graduate school. I think my dedication to school and putting in effort in my work has started to pay off. Not only have I made it to the dean's list, but I’ve also had one professor who told me I should have done the honors program. Unfortunately, I couldn’t because I’m close to finishing college to earn my bachelor’s degree in history and philosophy. I also had one of my professors/advisors suggest that I go to graduate school. Before she suggested that I had thought about it, but I had some doubts. One of them is how I’m going to pay for graduate school and the other doubt is not being good enough. She told me that she believed I could do it, otherwise she wouldn’t have suggested that I go to graduate school because she wouldn’t want me to waste my money. She also told me that a master’s in history and my background of knowing two cultures, Mexican and American, and knowing how to speak English and Spanish could help me get a job in government which is the goal I have.

A time in my life when I had to deal with adversity and was able to overcome it was going to college as a first-generation student. My parents came to the United States from Mexico, so their children would be able to go to school and college which they weren’t able to do because they couldn’t afford it. My father had to drop out of high school, and my mother couldn’t finish elementary school because neither of their families could afford for them to continue their education. It was difficult for my siblings and me because we couldn’t ask our parents for help because they wouldn’t know, and it was in English which isn’t their native language. We had to start figuring out the process while we were still in high school. Going to college came with a lot of challenges for my family. One of them was paying the deposit to attend college. For my family, it was difficult coming up with the money because it wasn’t just me in the family who had to go to college but along with my other siblings. Another challenge I had to deal with was filling out the FAFSA form. That was also difficult for me because I never did it before, and my parents never did that. I was lucky that I had older siblings who had done the FAFSA form before, and they helped me. Another challenge that I had to deal with was before going to college I had to do a tour of the campus. When I did a tour of the campus, I went with my older brother. At first, I felt like an outsider because most people were with one of their parents who helped them. I couldn’t ask my parents to go with me because I would have to be the one who helped them understand what was going on. The reason for that is that they never went to college, and they are not one hundred percent fluent in English. My father speaks English, but it’s limited, and he wouldn’t have understood what was going on. I was able to overcome those challenges I faced while in college with help from my older siblings. Without the help from my sibling, I probably wouldn’t have gone to college because there was a lot that I didn’t know, and there weren’t many resources to help first-generation college students before going to college. Once I got to college they had programs for first-generation students, but for me, it didn’t matter because it would have been more helpful if they had those groups help students like me before going to college. I think that the most important thing about college is knowing how and when to start. If I didn’t know the things I needed before applying to college such as school transcripts, filling out the FAFSA form, the campus tour, and other things.

I’m the daughter of Mexican immigrants. One challenge I faced was filling out the FAFSA form when I first started college. As a first-generation student, I couldn’t ask my parents because they wouldn’t know how to complete it. I was lucky that I had older siblings who helped me. The role model and inspiration in my life who has motivated me to pursue higher education was my mother. She motivated me to pursue higher education. She never got the chance to go because her family couldn’t afford to finish school, which is why she never finished elementary school. That’s why my mother came to the U.S., so her children could have access to education which she didn’t have in Mexico. That’s why I always tried my best when I got to college and put school first before anything else. Another inspiration in my life who has motivated me to pursue higher education was my history professor/advisor because she suggested that I go to graduate school. I had some doubts, but she told me she believed I could do it because otherwise, she wouldn’t have suggested the idea. It also motivates me because she is a Chinese immigrant who came to the U.S. and was able to obtain her PhD in history. Her achievement has motivated me. Obstacles and hardships I’ve encountered on my educational path and how I’ve overcome them were peer pressure. An example was that my peers go to parties or have a social life. There were times when I felt left out or jealous, but I overcame it because I focused on my studies and school. It paid off because each semester I’ve been in college I’ve made it on the dean's list. The Legacy of Jose Prado inspires and influences my educational journey and ambitions in that it’s made me focus and put all my energy into my education. It also inspired me to go to graduate school to obtain my master’s degree in history. If I were able to establish a scholarship someday, the purpose of the scholarship would be to help groups of people who are underrepresented in academia in fields such as history, philosophy, and other fields of study. Qualities I’d look for in candidates would be underrepresented groups of people such as first-generation students, minorities, children of immigrant parents, low-income students, and having a good GPA and grades in college. I would have those qualifications because those are the barriers I’ve faced being a college student which have had an impact on my education. I believe that education has the power to impact my life and the lives of others because college was where I learned that the purpose of a liberal arts education is to form the person intellectually and as a human being. That’s why liberal arts are important because it’s meant for the student to be formed in different subjects such as science, math, literature, history, philosophy. Education is meant to be an end instead of a means which means education should be appreciated for its own sake, and not just how much I can get from my education. Having that view can impact the life of others because if people hold the view seeing education as a means, they will do whatever it takes to do well such as cheating on a test, using AI to write their papers for them, or other unethical ways to graduate college. Instead, people should treat education as an end that will make them appreciate what they are learning for its own sake instead of what they obtain with that degree.

I’m the daughter of Mexican immigrants. Being a child of immigrants has been hard, and there were times when I was embarrassed about my background. However, as I’ve gotten older, I’m lucky and proud of my background because it’s taught me to appreciate and to never take things for granted such as my education. One challenge I’ve faced being a child of immigrants was struggling with my identity. Being one of the few people in my elementary, middle, and high school who was the child of immigrants. There weren’t many people who had Mexican parents or with the same background as me because I grew up in the Midwest. and it was predominately white. I’ve struggled with my identity because of that. There were times when I felt like if I spoke Spanish, I was too foreign for the Americans or it felt like imposter syndrome, even though I grew up speaking Spanish. That leads me to the next challenge I faced as a child immigrant which was language. That was a challenge I faced because I had to translate for my mother. I hated doing that because I thought that was embarrassing. I remember having to do that as early as nine years old. That’s a lot of pressure that a child must deal with. Translating something into another language is hard because certain words might not be easily translated. It was even harder when I had to translate medical things into Spanish. In my head, I thought how I can translate something that I don’t even understand in English into Spanish. It made me think how much harder it was for my mother having to deal with that. That’s why if I could walk in someone’s shoes for a day, it would be my mother. I chose my mother because I would want to experience how she felt leaving behind her family back in Mexico, so she could give her children a better life. My mother has lived a difficult life, but I think that’s what has made her strong. Her family grew up in poverty. Her family didn’t have a bathroom, so they had to take showers in a lake close to their home and did their laundry in the same lake. There was one time the teacher told her that she smelled and made fun of my mom. Also, my mother couldn’t afford to finish elementary school because her family couldn't afford it. She’s also lost her firstborn daughter named Rubi. I would also want to know how she’s able to keep a smile on her face despite being diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer in 2021. It was the worst time because it was during COVID. The hospitals were strict on visitors. She had a difficult time because she only spoke Spanish and the nurses only spoke English, so there was a language barrier. She had a hard time communicating with them, so when visitors were allowed, my siblings and I translated for her. My aunt spent most of the time with her, but my mom had to spend the nights alone. She had to do chemotherapy which was difficult for her, and I remember my aunt told me that she was depressed and didn’t want to keep living. My aunt told her not to give up and to think of her children. That’s why education is so important to me because I don’t want my mother’s sacrifice to go in vain. I want to show her that her coming to the U.S. was a good decision because I was able to attain my degree.

My name is Jessica Mejia, I’m the daughter of two immigrant parents who came to the United States from Mexico for a better life. I grew up speaking both English and Spanish. Growing up in a state predominantly white, there weren’t many people who I went to school with who spoke Spanish. The only place I spoke Spanish was at home with my parents, and there were times when I had to translate for my mom because she didn’t speak English. I used to be embarrassed about my identity because when my mother and I were out in public I had to translate things for my mother. There was even a time when my sister, mom, and I went shopping for clothes, and there were two girls who sounded like they were mocking my mom for speaking Spanish. That made me upset and angry. I’m still learning to accept my identity as being Mexican American and being a first-generation student. I think it’s important to know a little bit about my background because it explains why education is so important to me and my family. My parents gave up everything just to come to this country so I and my other siblings could get an education. So, we won’t continue living in poverty. I don’t like telling people that because I’m afraid I’ll be made fun of because my father had to drop out of school and my mom never finished elementary school because they couldn’t afford it. That’s why I’ve tried so hard in college because I don’t want my parents' sacrifice to go in vain. That’s why receiving this scholarship will positively impact my career goals. It will allow me to graduate college with a bachelor's degree in history and philosophy. My bachelor's degree in history will help me towards my next goal which would be going to graduate school to obtain my master's degree in history. With my master's degree in history, I will either continue my education in pursuing my PhD in history or work for the government. I specifically want to work with the CIA because I was surprised when my professor told me I could work for the government with a master's degree in history. For me I love history and I was happy that I could potentially work for the CIA with a degree in history. My professor told me that having a background in speaking English and Spanish would be an advantage. I never thought about how my background could be a good thing. My career goal is to do an internship for the CIA and hopefully work for the CIA. I want to show other Mexican American women or other minorities that they can achieve their goals even if they face challenges like I do such as poverty and being a first-generation college student. If I’m able to obtain that goal, I will in the future do a scholarship for BIPOC first-generation college students because I know that it’s a struggle to achieve our goals. After all, there are certain barriers that we face.

The most influential person in my life is my mother. The reason I say my mother is because she has taught me many things ranging from life, dating advice, education, and other things. One thing I learned from the experiences she gave me was that sometimes I would have to make sacrifices. She never told me that I would have to make sacrifices in life because I could see it through her actions. She had to sacrifice everything she knew and loved back in Mexico so my siblings and I would have a better life. She had to start from scratch along with my dad. Living in a country where she didn’t know anybody or knew how to speak English. One example where I had to sacrifice something was when I took one school year in college online. It made me sad because I wanted to have the experience of going to college in person. I only had a normal semester of in-person classes because that was when COVID hit. During that time, I just took my classes online because my mom was diagnosed with stage four cancer. She needed someone to go with her to the hospital to translate for her and help her. I was that person because my dad was the only person in the family working full-time. My older brother was working part-time and was a student. My younger brother was also in college, but he doesn’t speak Spanish fluently and would have a hard time translating for my mom. No one in the family had to ask me to do that because I knew in the back of my head that I would have to make that sacrifice since I didn’t work and was the only one who would be able to translate for my mom. Another thing I learned from the experiences she gave me was never to give up even if you feel like it. This was something my mom never told me, but I learned this from her actions. While my mom was battling cancer, there were times when she wanted to give up. The beginning of her diagnosis and when she had to get surgery, was the hardest time for her and my family. I never knew that my mom felt like giving up and was depressed until my aunt told me. I had a hard time believing that because my mom never showed my sibling and me that side of her during that time. It was difficult hearing that from my aunt, but that gave me the motivation to continue my education and not give up even when there are times that are difficult or stressful. A third thing I learned from the experiences she gave me was valuing education. Ever since I was a kid, she told me to go to college, so my siblings and I could have a better life than she and my father had. My mom’s family was poor, and she couldn’t afford to finish elementary school. Even though she never completed elementary school, she learned how to write in Spanish from her father. I had to work harder compared to my other peers because if they had trouble with their homework, they could ask their parents. For me, it wasn’t the case. I had to learn things on my own, but now that I’m older I appreciate education even more. I love learning, and I want to go to graduate school to continue my learning.

Hello, my name is Jessica Mejia. The lyrics I chose were from the song “pretty isn’t pretty” by Olivia Rodrigo. Out of all the songs from the album this was the song that resonated with me the most. It described perfectly how I’ve felt for a while. It was hard to decide what lyric to focus on from the song, but I chose “there’s always something in the mirror that I think looks wrong” (Rodrigo) and “None of it matters and none of it ends you just feel like shit over and over again no, it’ll never change” (Rodrigo). The lyric “there’s always something in the mirror that I think looks wrong” (Rodrigo). I’ve never felt so insecure about myself until I got to college. Being surrounded by so many girls who are pretty, have nice clothes, money, and a boyfriend. It made me realize that I have none of those things and it’s made me insecure about how I look like, what I wear, that I don’t have a boyfriend, and I don’t come from money. Being surrounded by girls who are prettier than me at school has made me point out the flaws I have in front of a mirror. I have a big forehead while other girls have smaller foreheads. When I look in the mirror, I also see that I have really thin hair while the other girls have beautiful thick hair. I wear glasses while other girls have perfect vision. I have crooked and yellow teeth while other girls have a perfect white smile. I have bad posture while the other girls have good posture. Feeling so insecure about myself makes me feel like there would be no guy who would want to date me because they can find a girl who is prettier and is everything that I’m not. There are external things that I’ve done to help with those feelings such as using makeup to cover up my flaws and buying clothes to fit in to make me feel better, but the thing is that those things don’t help. It’s made me feel worse because I have to try so hard while other girls don’t, and they get things naturally or were born pretty and talented. The part of the lyric “None of it matters and none of it ends you just feel like shit over and over again no, it’ll never change” (Rodrigo) perfectly describes how feeling insecure and jealous has made me feel. The feeling I’ve felt has made it very hard that there were times when I’ve gotten depressed. So, that depression has made me feel like giving up in life because I’m not good enough compared to the other girls around me. The only thing that I have that makes me feel better and a little more secure with myself is my education. That’s the only thing that I’m good at. It’s my professors who have told me positive things about the work I do. Even though the work I do and turn in makes them say that I can’t help but feel a sense of imposter syndrome. It’s my insecurities that make me doubt what they say because I can’t help but compare myself to other students who are better than me. This song by Olivia Rodrigo has captured exactly how I felt which makes me feel like I’m not alone.