To me, one of my greatest achievements to date is making the President’s List for Fall 2024, my first semester of college. To me, this is much deeper and personal than a standard academic milestone, as making that list has been a symbol of my resilience and determination. It’s not just a title for me; it’s proof that hard work, persistence, and overcoming challenges can lead to success. My journey in college began soon after my world became even more difficult, as my mother had passed just before I started school. Losing her was devastating, and adjusting to life without her felt overwhelming. There were days when the grief felt suffocating, genuinely, it was difficult to breathe without her. My life would never be the same. There were several days where I just wanted to quit from the sheer grief. I had always dreamt of seeing her at my graduation while I walk in my cap and gown. To continue on knowing that would never be my reality was soul crushing, but I knew I had to push forward. It felt so unfair, my mother had always dreamed of me pursuing a higher education, constantly urging me to be the first in our family to graduate college. I was determined to honor her continuing that journey, no matter how difficult it became. Her passing also meant I would be paying for college out of pocket, working to afford expenses and juggling assignments on top. This would be a struggle to anyone studying full-time, as the physical and emotional toll can be relentless. It certainly was for me. Yet somehow, I kept my focus. I kept up my studies, my commitment, my grades, and as the Spring semester rolled in I would receive an email of congratulations. I had made the president's list. A 4.0 GPA, really? I was so focused on passing I didn't realize I could fly, and as I received my shiny envelope I imagined what my mother would think if she were here to see this. I felt so proud with what I could achieve. What this achievement taught me most was that success is about how willing you are to push through the challenges. Despite everything stacked against me, I learned that I am capable of handling more than I thought. I learned the importance of resilience, of persevering even when things feel impossible, and most importantly, I learned that I can succeed. Looking ahead, I have big dreams for the future. I want to use my degree in finance not just to build a career, but to make a real impact in my community. Growing up in a low-income family, I saw firsthand how financial literacy and access to resources could change lives. I want to be a part of breaking the cycle of poverty for families like mine by creating financial programs that are accessible and understandable to everyone, especially those from underserved communities. I believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to grow no matter their background. In the long term, I hope to combine my passion for finance with my commitment to helping others. I want to make financial services more inclusive, particularly for immigrant and low-income families who, like mine, often lack the resources or knowledge to navigate the complexities of finance. I want to be a role model for other first-generation students, showing them that it’s possible to overcome the odds and succeed, just as I am trying to do. And although financial literacy is not a life-saver, I strongly believe in the value of education. Knowledge is not a solution, but a tool in which we use to better our lives. Despite the struggles, college has been the best thing that has happened to me. I wouldn't have access to so many opportunities to advance my personal growth if I were not a student. Ultimately, my greatest hope is to build a future that honors the sacrifices my family made for me to get here. Making the president's list, to me, is a reminder that no matter how difficult things may get, with hard work and determination, anything is possible. I carry that belief with me every day as I continue working toward my goals, and I know that with this scholarship, I can get one step closer to making those dreams a reality.

I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety at 15, and for years, I struggled to navigate it without the support I needed. Growing up, mental health wasn’t something that was openly discussed in my family or community, so when I first began experiencing overwhelming worry and fear, I didn’t know how to cope. I felt isolated, unsure of what was happening to me, and unsure of how to ask for help. There were times when the weight of my anxiety felt suffocating, as though every decision, every task, and every interaction was an enormous hurdle to overcome. Therapy, medication, and other professional help weren’t readily available to me, and the stigma surrounding mental health often made me feel as though my struggles weren’t valid or worthy of attention. Instead, I had to learn to manage my anxiety on my own. I found ways to work through it by reading about anxiety, developing my own coping mechanisms, and seeking out support through friends and online communities. It wasn’t easy, and it took time to figure out what worked for me, but the process ultimately taught me resilience. Although navigating anxiety on my own was difficult, it also gave me a deeper sense of determination. The experience taught me that even when I feel overwhelmed, I have the ability to push forward, to persevere, and to grow. This has been crucial in my academic journey. I learned that in order to succeed, I couldn’t let anxiety control me. I had to develop strategies to manage my stress, prioritize my mental health, and find ways to stay focused on my long-term goals. Over time, I’ve come to understand that while anxiety is something I will always carry with me, it doesn’t define me. Pursuing a college degree is incredibly important to me because it represents both a personal and professional milestone in my life. It’s not just about obtaining knowledge or credentials but proving to myself that I am capable of achieving my goals, regardless of the challenges I’ve faced. Going to college is a way for me to reclaim my narrative. It’s a space where I can push past my fears and anxieties to become the person I want to be: someone who uses their education to create positive change in the world. In the end, obtaining my degree is a form of personal triumph. It’s proof that despite the battles I’ve fought with anxiety, I’ve persisted, and I am capable of achieving my dreams. It’s a way for me to take control of my future, create a life that aligns with my values, and make a meaningful impact in the world.

For me, success is not defined by a single achievement, but rather by a continuous journey of growth, fulfillment, and the ability to make a positive impact on the world. Success is about finding alignment between personal values and professional ambitions, and using my skills to contribute to something larger than myself. It’s about pursuing my passions without compromise, living authentically, and fostering inclusivity. Growing up in a Hispanic community where hard work and financial stability were paramount, I understood early on that success meant being able to provide for yourself and your family. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realize that true success is about creating a legacy that transcends financial success. It is about how you use your position of privilege, whether through your career, voice, or resources, to uplift others and drive meaningful change. For me, that means working at the intersection of finance and sustainability, using my education and career to advocate for sustainable farming practices that protect the planet for future generations. The key to success in my view is not just excelling in business, but doing so in a way that fosters sustainability and supports marginalized communities. More than simply achieving professional success, I want to create a legacy that contributes to a more sustainable world while helping uplift underserved communities, particularly those in agriculture, which is where I believe my work can have the greatest impact. This scholarship represents a vital step toward that vision. In particular, I’m excited about the chance to collaborate with like-minded individuals who are also passionate about sustainability and using business as a tool for positive change. Through my education, I plan to connect with internships, mentorship, and industry connections, this opportunity will allow me to collaborate with leaders who are equally committed to leveraging financial strategies for environmental and social change and help me build a career where I can integrate both my business understanding and my personal commitment to justice and environmental responsibility. In the long run, success for me is about being able to use my career to make a meaningful impact, and for me that means influencing sustainable agricultural practices, advocating for marginalized communities, and leading with empathy and integrity. This opportunity is a stepping stone toward that larger vision, equipping me with the tools I need to pursue a career that is not only professionally successful but also personally fulfilling. I want to work with businesses that prioritize sustainability, ensuring that their financial decisions align with ethical practices that benefit both the environment and local communities. Whether it’s by advising organizations on sustainable investments, or helping to develop financial models that encourage long-term environmental stewardship, I am committed to using my career to make an impact. I am excited for the chance to grow, learn, and contribute in ways that will shape the world around me. Success, for me, is creating a life where I can be my full, authentic self and make a lasting difference in the lives of others.

For many, education is a door to a better future, and for me, education is a form of freedom. As a first-generation college student, I recognize that not everyone has the privilege or opportunity to pursue an education, and that awareness shapes how I view its value. Education, in its most profound sense, is an equalizer. Through education, we are provided with the tools to understand the world around us and that gives us the ability to challenge barriers that might otherwise limit our potential. Growing up, I saw firsthand how access to education could change the course of someone's life, for many families, education is the bridge to opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach. As a child of immigrant parents, I understand the sacrifices that are made in order to give the next generation a chance to learn and grow. My parents didn’t have the chance to attend college, but they instilled in me a deep respect for education because they saw it as the key to a better life. They worked hard to ensure that I could pursue an education, something I dare not take for granted. It is freedom to me because it not only opens doors to opportunities, but access to education empowers me to chart my own course in a world full of possibilities. Education has brought immense value to my life by providing me with a sense of purpose and helping me discover my passions. My passions and interests within my field of finance, for instance, grew from understanding how economic systems and environmental issues are interconnected. Education gave me the vocabulary and framework to think critically about how we can use finance as a tool to address pressing global issues like food insecurity and climate change. The more I learn, the more I realize how much more there is to discover and how crucial it is to keep learning, not only for personal growth but to help make the world a better place. In addition to personal empowerment, education has also helped me recognize the power of knowledge to transform communities as this equips us with the ability to analyze problems from multiple perspectives. Through my life, I've come to realize that learning is not just about intaking information but to develop skills such as problem solving and critical thinking. With access to education, people can make informed decisions and build upon ideas. Ultimately, education has brought value to my life by giving me the freedom to pursue my passions, build my future, and help build a better future for others. Learning has given me the tools to understand the world, to question it, and to seek ways to improve it. Education is freedom because it allows us to learn, grow, and create change. I am reminded that the privilege of education is not just about what we achieve individually, but in how we use what we’ve learned to empower and inspire other and how our knowledge and perspectives can be used to serve the greater good and build a more equitable world.

I am aware that the challenges our society faces today involving climate change, economic inequality, and food insecure require innovative solutions that bridge multiple disciplines. While my passion for sustainability and agriculture might not immediately seem to align with my finance major, I believe by pursuing finance, I have the capacity to be more active and involved with meaningful change. Currently, I’m actively involved in Meals by Grace, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing food to underserved populations. I’ve had the opportunity to not only serve meals but also help manage logistics, coordinate teams, and interact with community partners to enhance the organization’s reach. This experience has been deeply rewarding and has shown me the importance of community and collaboration. Meals by Grace helped me understand how critical it is to address food insecurity in a way that is both sustainable and scalable. The volunteer experience involved sourcing produce from local farms and donations to then prepare and package balanced meals to families in need. Not only did this experience build a sense of community among our area, but also brought to light ways that we can source sustainable food sources. This volunteer experience also brought to light one of the things plaguing our world today, which is the existence of "food apartheids" where systemic inequalities limit access to healthy food for certain communities. Food apartheids disproportionately affect low-income areas, where residents may lack the infrastructure, accessibility, or income for nutritious food options and are often relegated to highly processed, unhealthy alternatives. This ignites my passion for ensuring that everyone has access to fresh, nutritious food. I am committed to driving change by promoting equitable food systems that prioritize health and sustainability. In the future, I see myself working with finance and sustainability, specifically within agricultural. Within my field of finance, I plan to support sustainable farming initiatives that promote environmental stewardship while also addressing food insecurity. In many regions farmers lack access to the financial resources required to transition from conventional, resource-intensive farming to more sustainable method, by connecting these farmers to impact investors or sustainable finance mechanisms, we can make it easier for them to adopt practices that are environmentally sustainable and impactful. I take a strong interest in agriculture because in this world of rapid innovation, agriculture is one of the ways we can reintroduce sustainability into our communities. I believe that agriculture has the potential to both feed the world and heal the planet, but only if we start making smarter, more sustainable investments in it. I plan to work with organizations that are committed to this vision; whether through sustainable investment strategies, public policy, or nonprofit initiatives that promote sustainability practices. The impact I hope to have on the world is one rooted in sustainability, community, and financial equity. I know that I can start to make a difference in my community now, and after college, I’ll have the tools, knowledge, and experiences to make a broader impact in the world; working to create systems that are economically sustainable and environmentally sound.

When presented with a blank slate such as an empty word document or a blank paper, I as the writer am tasked with filling the empty space. People usually look at all the empty space and are stuck on one question, "What do I write to fill this empty space?" As a child in school, I learned to despise the task of writing because of this very question. I would sit at my desk and stare at what was in front of me in frustration, there was nothing in front of me but pressure! I just sat and pondered, but as I pondered I allowed my pencil to move and fill some of that space for me, but what I was doing wasn't writing, I began drawing pictures and unwinding my thoughts into drawings. Of course, doing that in school instead of your work will typically get you into trouble and I was not immune to the rules of conduct. Nonetheless, I persisted, as I had a deep love for art regardless, I was not a fan of the dull and gray when I had a deep creativity to untap. I would, however, soon learn that my frustration was not towards writing as a whole, but towards how it was presented to me. I was twelve when I was placed into my first "creative writing" class, I thought that, despite the name, there would continue to be no joy in writing within this classroom as that was all I had known. Yet, my pessimistic assumptions would soon be brought to a halt when I was given the first assignment for the class. We were to write about whatever topic of our choice, the task was simply to introduce said topic to someone who has never heard of it before. One paragraph minimum, meaning that I didn't have to write very much at all, and I wouldn't have to struggle with it at all. At the time, I had a very deep fascination with mythical creatures and would often find myself sketching all these different fabled species or reading about the myths associated with them. There it is, that would be my topic; mythical creatures. All I had to do now was simply make an introduction for this topic and I would be done. I took out a sheet of paper and began with my draft. As I continued, I realized I was enjoying myself, I was expressing something I was passionate about and I could simply set down my thoughts as I was having them, I grew to become more comfortable with my writing. I completed that assignment with about five paragraphs written about something I love. That was the first time I realized that I needed to approach writing differently, I needed to see it in the same way I saw my art; a creative medium. When I fixed my relationship with writing, as well as learning better methods to being a writer, I learned that I love writing because it as a form of visible creative thinking. To me, writing is art and communication; we write to share thoughts and information but also to express ourselves. I believe that exploring your creative side and really diving deep into connecting yourself with your art makes a good creative scholar. My desired career in Finance is seen as a creativity killing industry by most, but I digress; one thing I am, and always will be, is a creative. As I further my education, I wish to intertwine my art while studying something I am passionate about and fully explore myself.

"Your father, your father's father, and his father could call ourselves graduates, we came here so you could." My culture comes from the fiery brilliance of my forefathers, my brown skin comes from my long ancestry in Latin America, my curly hair comes from my father's natural genes, and my nose comes from my mother's beautiful face. I am as beautiful as my culture, for I am a mixed Mexican-Honduran child who grew up in the States and I have no apologies for being proud of who I am. I know that I come from a family and culture built of strength and resilience as I live every day knowing that my parents have left their homes, families, and everything they knew to give their children a stronger chance at succeeding in life. Their love is my motivation to take advantage of living the wonderful life they gave me, and in my heart, I know my family could have been so much more but have been denied the ability to prove it. I firmly believe my father was a genius, a genius who could not move on to have his name known by the world because his environment unfairly denied it from him. My mother deserved a better home and a better education as she is the most hardworking person I know, but the adversaries in life are blind to what is fair and unfair. Despite all this, I still had a family that taught me the determination and passion that categorizes me now, and they never failed to enlighten me on the world that we come from. I am connected with my culture and my identity, but growing up in the States I also had to navigate through a life filled with discrimination and inequity for being a brown-skinned Hispanic, such as being yelled at to "go back to your country!" or "Speak English!" All reminders that I am "different" from most Americans. Though such treatment was unfair I believe my background blessed me with a broader lens that many cannot say they have. I am Mexican, I know what it's like being a Mexican, but I am also an American who knows what it's like being an American. Being a Mexican-American is a unique experience altogether, with its respective adversaries and experiences. This mixed heritage and my upbringing have brought out valuable lessons in perception: to be open-minded about the world and who surrounds you, to value people beyond a surface level, and to never apologize for being yourself, especially to a racist. This life I was gifted with, the world I know, and the perception I learned are all reasons for me to be passionate about my Mexican-American background. Moreover, I am passionate about being a Mexican-American college graduate, as I have been gifted the ability to learn and pursue a higher education that many members of my family have been denied. By being a graduate, not only will I be the first in my family to graduate college, but I will also pass this gift of privilege to my descendants. To conclude, I am proud of my Mexican-American heritage and grateful for the opportunities I have, knowing that I am carrying forward the dreams and sacrifices of my family.

Generosity is humble and human. Archeologists have dug up the remains of ancient people with disabilities, sometimes missing all their limbs or with signs of immobility but these remains were of full grown adults. This is important because it highlights humanity since day one, there were once people who took care of others who couldn't take care of themselves, there was no reason to other than just pure kindness. It disgusts me when people say we don't need to be generous because people should "take care of themselves" and those who can't "aren't worth it," and it's infuriating how many people believe such a selfish statement. Generosity and kindness has been within humans since day one, it's natural to take care of each other, it's natural to want a better life for everyone else, its natural to care. We have saved lives, rescued animals, developed medicine all in favor of the lives around us. Even so little as adding a dollar to a poor man's pocket is enough to continue the human nature of caring. The sheer enlightenment of seeing the smile on another human being and knowing that you helped them is enough to make one continue doing good for others, and I think that's beautiful. The generous nature humans have is beautiful, no matter how small or how big, it is still humble and human.

I am a Hispanic, first generation immigrant. Both of my parents are immigrants, my father's home country being Honduras and my mother's being Mexico, both came to the states in hopes for better opportunities, safety, and a stable life and through doing so, fate led them together to have me, their second child, and my two siblings. I am anticipated to be the first in the entire family to gain a higher education, something that my parents really wish to see for me. Their original plan to send all their children to college and be the first family of college graduates, but college isn't for everyone and sometimes people have different plans that don't include a higher education, that's how it went for my sister. But I've always had an interest in the legal field, specifically legal assistance professions such as being an attorney. However, we're working class citizens and while we're lucky enough to have air conditioning and our basic needs met, I would not be able to get anywhere past a community college near home. I'm warned against taking up student loans to avoid a lifelong debt but without any financial aid I wouldn't be able to get into law school and follow my dream of being an attorney and I would have to stick with whatever stable career I can get. So far I've managed a great feat in my education. I was able to enter into a public, career oriented Highschool: Alliance Academy for Innovation in Georgia. (Although Bold.org does not recognize this school, it is relatively new, so my Bold profile has my district school which I was originally meant to go to) There, I've completed Intro to Law, Public Safety, and Corrections, Legal Services, Marketing Principles courses and I'm currently enrolled in the Application of Law and Hospitality and Tourism courses and I've maintained a proud 3.8 GPA while at it. Through this school, I've learned a lot of skills to apply into my future careers that I don't think I would have been able to learn if I hadn't been selected for this school. If I manage to win this scholarship, all the money will be going towards my education, time will tell whether I can use this money just to pay off for community college in hopes to at least start a stable career or along with other financial aids to get into law school after college for a Juris Doctorate and live my dream. Perhaps if I'm lucky enough, I could even have money left over to either support my family or support my community. My parents expect great things from me, and the last thing I'm gonna do is let them down.