1. In a world shaped by diverse cultures and values, each person holds unique perspectives on what matters most to them. For me, family and my mixed Hispanic heritage are the pillars of my foundation. This essay aims to explore the significance of these two intertwined aspects of my life and shed light on why they hold such great importance. At the core of my soul lies the cherished bond of family. Our family personifies unwavering love, support, and connection. Through both the joyful and difficult moments, it is family that has remained a constant source of comfort and guidance. Whether it be my father's sense of humor which continues to escape me, or my mother’s faith, both have shaped my character into the man I am today. The unconditional love that my family has given me has nurtured my growth and has instilled a deep sense of belonging. They have cheered me on and have motivated me to pursue my dreams even when I thought it was impossible. Whether it be going through a cat five hurricane, a pandemic, or my pure stubbornness; my family’s support has not wavered and I love them for it. Embedded within the tapestry of my existence are the two vibrant threads of my Hispanic heritage. Both my father and mother come from two different sides of the Hispanic community; different but the same in many ways. My mother’s heritage comes from the South American country of Bolivia where they have a profound appreciation for the art of storytelling, dance, and music. These aspects of my mother’s heritage spoke to me from a young age learning from the traditions that were deep rooted in her country. While my father’s heritage comes from the Central American country of El Salvador where they have a profound sense of appreciation for food, honor, and family. From the long hours of watching my grandmother cook, to the stories my grandfather told of the old country, these memories have enriched me with pride for our culture. The fusion of family and Hispanic heritage forms an inseparable part of my identity. It is through the love of my family that I have cultivated a deep appreciation for my culture. Our traditions and values intertwine and create a tapestry that represents who I am. By honoring both sides of my family and heritage, I honor the achievements and sacrifices of my ancestors. That is why my family and my Hispanic heritage is what is most important to me 2. The road to achieving a dream is often the one with the most difficult terrain. This was one of the insights that I have learned from the law school application process. From the start, I saw how rigorous the process was to apply to many schools, and expensive. Becoming a lawyer has always been my dream and going forward to achieve this dream has not been an easy one. By going through the application process, I have learned determination, navigating rejection, and self-reflecting which are insights that will help me transition to law school. Law school is one of the most rigorous degrees that one can pursue. It has been stated to be not only stressful but requires a huge amount of commitment. When going through the application process I witnessed and began to understand the reasoning behind making the application process tedious. During the application process, my heart did not waver and I continued to have confidence that I would get into law school. This determination will help me through the stress of law school especially when I will have to rely on myself during my studies. Navigating rejection was one of the hardest undertakings I have had to process. Each rejection from law school hit harder each time it happened. While it did not hinder my pursuit to go to law school I appreciated the lesson it was teaching. I know law school will be difficult and by navigating rejection I know that I will be able to evaluate feedback and evolve. Rejection has only improved my resilience which will help me with the road ahead going to law school. When going through the application process I self-reflected, reevaluating my goals to make sure that this was the road I still wanted to take. After many weeks I determined that my unique background and skills aligned with that path. This will help me transition to law school because there is no doubt that becoming a lawyer is my dream and knowing that will help me even in my darkest hour. Determination, navigating rejection, and self-reflection are all insights I have learned during the application process. These insights will help me through the transition to law school and help me become a future lawyer because there will be no doubt that I will become one.

As we get older life gets hard. Most of the time the magic of reading a book or even exploring a new place begins to fade; whether we want it to or not. We end up growing up and living our life remembering the good times we had as children sometimes sacrificing some of that magic to get by. Yet, Disney despite almost being almost one-hundred years old still rattles what magic is left with the power of storytelling to bring us joy. While I would love to talk about how my favorite thing about Disney is a certain character; I cannot. The power that excites me to see a Disney movie even as an adult is the storytelling. When watching a Disney animated movie, you could tell the love and compassion each writer had when creating the world. They can bring you into the world with research about certain cultures and are accurate. I remember seeing Coco for the first time with my family and was surprised about how much they got right about Spanish culture, especially the music. Seeing them show the family dynamic while being able to expand upon that was incredible and heartwarming. When it comes to their live-action movies the storytelling is also incredible whether it be movies new or old. One of my favorite live-action movies is Christopher Robin because of how much adults can relate to the titular character. The story shows the main character growing up and losing their childhood in the process until they neither can remember it, or it becomes unimportant. The movie took its time telling the story and expanding upon a character and world we all thought we knew so well. This type of storytelling is something I have not witnessed in other studios. Disney’s ability to tell a fantastic story also applies to its television shows; both animated and live-action. I remember rewatching old shows as an adult like “Suite Life of Zack and Cody” thinking that I only enjoyed the show out of old nostalgia; only to be happily mistaken. The show still was able to capture my attention and make me laugh even though I had less respect for the main characters and more respect for the adult ones. Disney is still able to maintain their ability of storytelling today with shows like Owl House and Amphibia which aren’t afraid to talk about hard topics and teach about other cultures. Throughout the years Disney has still proven through animated movies, live-action movies, and television shows that they are still the best at storytelling. I have seen friends who are now parents look forward to Disney movies not only to see the magic but also to watch as their kids enjoy it with them. Disney will always have a special place in my heart for this, and that is why storytelling is my favorite thing about Disney.