When my dad was fixing the car, he’s under the car doing an oil change. He tells me to get a tool for him and I would every time rush to get the tool he was asking for, he tells me “No menzo la otra! (no dummy the other one!)”. I froze just holding the wrong tool, My dad’s voice echoed under the car, muffled and I was half-lost, not because he was speaking Spanish, but because I could not hear out of my right ear. I noticed that I was different from others and for most of my life I became deaf with one ear. I would get made fun of for it every time I played soccer for my high school team and my performances in the game would be somewhat bad because of poor communication in the game which led to sometimes letting the other team score. Some of them saw me as a weak link, and I started to feel left out. It affected my confidence and made it harder to build strong relationships in the team. Over time, I had to find other ways to contribute by working harder in practice and supporting my teammates in quieter ways which helped me earn back their respect. I had a hard time with my deafness disability, but I was tired of being embarrassed about it. Even though I still get jokes about it everyday, I felt like it was time to move forward. I often asked my family, “How can you hear so well when I can’t ?”.It was a hard time for me to accept that I was born with it. Even during my everyday activities like playing soccer, talking with friends, or listening to my teachers in class, it was difficult for me to fully understand what was happening. Having that disability was hard to understand conversations, especially in noisy places or when sounds come from my deaf side. I often explain this to people, which can feel tiring and awkward since it’s not always obvious. But I've learned that being open to others understands me better and makes it easier to connect. I finally started to realize, from my childhood with a disability and to where I am now in life, the key has always been to keep going no matter how different I may seem from others that have both ears. Although I may only have one, I’ve learned to listen deeply to my teammates, coaches and the people around me. My hearing loss has taught me to be resilient, patient, and discover skills that are important for me becoming an athletic trainer or physical therapist which makes me want to study kinesiology to help other athletes reach their full potential, especially those who feel held back by challenges like I once did.

When my dad was fixing the car, he’s under the car doing an oil change. He tells me to get a tool for him and I would every time rush to get the tool he was asking for, he tells me “No menzo la otra! (no dummy the other one!)”. I froze just holding the wrong tool, My dad’s voice echoed under the car, muffled and I was half-lost, not because he was speaking Spanish, but because I could not hear out of my right ear. I noticed that I was different from others and for most of my life I became deaf with one ear. I would get made fun of for it every time I played soccer for my high school team and my performances in the game would be somewhat bad because of poor communication in the game which led to sometimes letting the other team score. Some of them saw me as a weak link, and I started to feel left out. It affected my confidence and made it harder to build strong relationships in the team. Over time, I had to find other ways to contribute by working harder in practice and supporting my teammates in quieter ways which helped me earn back their respect. I had a hard time with my deafness disability, but I was tired of being embarrassed about it. Even though I still get jokes about it everyday, I felt like it was time to move forward. I often asked my family, “How can you hear so well when I can’t ?”.It was a hard time for me to accept that I was born with it. Even during my everyday activities like playing soccer, talking with friends, or listening to my teachers in class, it was difficult for me to fully understand what was happening. Having that disability was hard to understand conversations, especially in noisy places or when sounds come from my deaf side. I often explain this to people, which can feel tiring and awkward since it’s not always obvious. But I've learned that being open to others understands me better and makes it easier to connect. I finally started to realize, from my childhood with a disability and to where I am now in life, the key has always been to keep going no matter how different I may seem from others that have both ears. Although I may only have one, I’ve learned to listen deeply to my teammates, coaches and the people around me. My hearing loss has taught me to be resilient, patient, and discover skills that are important for me becoming an athletic trainer or physical therapist which makes me want to study kinesiology to help other athletes reach their full potential, especially those who feel held back by challenges like I once did.

My personal experiences with finances and financial education has been rough for me because I would be relying on be dependent on others for purchasing me things that I want and it made me feel guilty any chance. When my dad was fixing the car, he’s under the car doing an oil change. He tells me to get a tool for him and I would every time rush to get the tool he was asking for, he tells me “No menzo la otra! (no dummy the other one!)”. I froze just holding the wrong tool, My dad’s voice echoed under the car, muffled and I was half-lost, not because he was speaking Spanish, but because I could not hear out of my right ear. I noticed that I was different from others and for most of my life I became deaf with one ear. I would get made fun of for it every time I played soccer for my high school team and my performances in the game would be somewhat bad because of poor communication in the game which led to sometimes letting the other team score. Some of them saw me as a weak link, and I started to feel left out. It affected my confidence and made it harder to build strong relationships in the team. Over time, I had to find other ways to contribute by working harder in practice and supporting my teammates in quieter ways which helped me earn back their respect. I had a hard time with my deafness disability, but I was tired of being embarrassed about it. Even though I still get jokes about it everyday, I felt like it was time to move forward. I often asked my family, “How can you hear so well when I can’t ?”.It was a hard time for me to accept that I was born with it. Even during my everyday activities like playing soccer, talking with friends, or listening to my teachers in class, it was difficult for me to fully understand what was happening. Having that disability was hard to understand conversations, especially in noisy places or when sounds come from my deaf side. I often explain this to people, which can feel tiring and awkward since it’s not always obvious. But I've learned that being open to others understands me better and makes it easier to connect. I finally started to realize, from my childhood with a disability and to where I am now in life, the key has always been to keep going no matter how different I may seem from others that have both ears. Although I may only have one, I’ve learned to listen deeply to my teammates, coaches and the people around me. My hearing loss has taught me to be resilient, patient, and discover skills that are important for me becoming an athletic trainer or physical therapist which makes me want to study kinesiology to help other athletes reach their full potential, especially those who feel held back by challenges like I once did.

The worst time in my soccer career was forgetting to wash my uniform before a game day in the state playoffs. Everybody around noticed the smell of how it stinks and I was in disbelief with myself about forgetting to wash them last night and at the day of the game someone noticed my bag was so smelly with the uniform inside. They said that my backpack stinks like crazy and after that, we happen to lose in the second round of playoffs 7-0 against a team we knew we could not beat. Best time in my soccer career was in my junior year where it was the first time in our school to win 6 games in a row and it was difficult too because I was getting used to playing as a left-back defender for the team and I thought it wasn't going to suit me well but it did. At first our team wasn't on the right track and we happen to lose 3 games in a row but we managed to keep practicing more on what we needed to improve even though all of us never played in clubs or academies, we just play for fun but it felt like the games were serious. One of those games we played against a good team that was undefeated at the time and they played my high school team last year and beat us 5-0, but at the time in my sophomore year I wasn't playing because I wanted to improve myself overall for next season. That day, it was very hot, like I can't even believe that we got to play against a good team with no water and that's when I felt like we were going to lose that game. We fought for every touch to get to the ball in the goal and they were already ahead 4-1 and I thought in my mind, "yeah why can't just end the game already". Then, a spark within the team showed up and we came back to tie it up 4-4 and we went to penalties to end the game on who wins. We happen to win the penalties and celebrated like how the Argentina National Team won the world cup in 2022. That journey of my worst and my best became understandable for me to when things get hard or nerve-racking, I just always felt like I got to move on from the negative and think about the present because I know that every minute of when I was playing on the field even when I'm single-sided deaf on my right ear, there could've been a difference made if I think and became an option for plays that would make us win the games.

Motivated and high-achieving students from disadvantaged backgrounds deserve opportunities such as scholarships or grants to know that they can overcome challenges because students from low-income backgrounds who overcome difficult obstacles are more likely to be resilient, risk-taking, and determined. As a student from a low-income family who has been diagnosed with deaf hearing loss, I constantly take advantage of opportunities. I can't fathom why my parents never finished school because of personal mistakes they made when moving to the United States. I even considered why none of my brothers who have already graduated may have attended college or a university, but it was primarily their choice to work after school. I, on the other hand, didn't see myself in that light because I was secure in my ability to contribute to my school by pursuing my interests. Despite knowing my entire life that I was single-sided deaf on my right ear, I worked hard to achieve good academic results, but it was still difficult for me because I would ask friends and teachers back home from school about what homework or tests we had. My parents, on the other hand, would assist me get hearing aids, which never worked for me since I was too humiliated by what people said, but it was the only way I could be "normal" like everyone else. Even though it helped me improve my grades and my communication skills with others. Although I never praised my mother for it, she was always there to aid me in any possible way to make my life be resolved so that my life can go on as usual. Receiving this grant would allow me to complete my study without putting further financial hardship on my family. More than just financial assistance, it would be a statement that my hard work and perseverance are valued and that someone believes in believes in students like me, who come from terrible backgrounds yet refuse to give up. With this funding, I will continue to work towards my goals, utilizing my experiences as fuel rather than excuses. I know I have more to prove to not just myself but those who are working hard behind the scenes, quietly overcoming every challenge that comes their way.