For years, there was no hope. I couldn’t imagine I’d grow old and live a full life, because everything seemed so bleak, and I was exhausted. But then, I met 20 doe-eyed preschoolers (mostly 4-5-year-olds) who have changed my perspective and have convinced me that there’s more to life than pain and sadness. These little beings who love so unconditionally and represent pure innocence give me hope for future generations to come. Now I say this as being around them and being aware of their family lives. Some are difficult, and all are far from perfect, yet they still manage to be compassionate to staff and their peers. For example, a week ago, I had a particularly rough day. I never allow the children to see my anxiety symptoms, so I step into the backroom and compose myself before coming out. Yet somehow, one little girl just knew something was wrong. “Are you having a bad day?” she asked. “Yes, I am, but I know I will be okay soon,” I replied. She gives me a big smile and says, “yeah, you will like I do on bad days.” Indeed, this moment made me want to tear up again because of how sweet it was, but it’s one of the many times these children show love, kindness, and compassion to myself, the teacher, and their friends. That gives me hope for the future, these children being who they are, so pure, for nothing in return. Behaviors and attitudes like these are necessary in the world, it’s already challenging to navigate life, but for me, these small acts of kindness from anyone can change my mood. I hope they stay this sweet and vulnerable. I hope the world does not change them and convince them that vulnerability and compassion are signs of weakness, because I believe they are fundamental traits of good and decent people. As a future social worker, I am aware of the challenging situations I will encounter, especially in children and family settings. Cases such as abuse, neglect, and maltreatment, but I’d like to believe that the good will always prevail, even with all that negativity and hurt out in the world. Unfortunately, no one gets to choose their family, and they may be the biggest reasons for insecurity and struggle. Still, with the help of people in social work and other professional fields, there is hope for peace and happiness.

Most students applying for this scholarship will say the same thing, they would pay off some of their loans or pay for their current courses. I am one of those people because it applies; I need as much money as I can get to pay for my education, so I don't start my career in social work with 65,000 dollars worth of debt. However, I don't see this money as just something I'd use to pay for my Master of Social Work (MSW) from Syracuse University; I see it as a motivator to keep going and not give up because of a lack of finances. It should be noted that I come from Mexican immigrants who, from a young age, pushed a college education on me, I have the pressure of completing my degree, which I'm so excited to do, but it's coupled with mentions that it's too much money. It's conflicting opinions because I'm accomplishing lifelong dreams for myself and my loved ones. Still, it's so expensive that it may not happen, or it'll be completed with minimal support. Either way, I need to try, my degree is the one thing that cannot be taken from me, and I'm so ready to enter and complete this chapter of my life, and this money would help me do that. It will help me be the first person in my family to get their master's degree and work in a field devoted to assisting people in getting through stressful life situations.

As a child, I've always been labeled overly sensitive, and my responses to certain situations as overreactions. Due to childhood trauma, my ability to regulate my emotions was complex, and my emotions' intensity carried into adulthood. It wasn't until I began my bachelor's in psychology that I began to learn why I was the way I was and what triggers led me to act and react the way I did. I learned about those parts of myself that would stop me from doing what I love and enjoying my healthy friendships and romantic relationships. The realization that I wasn't living in the moment and I was worrying about things that couldn't be controlled led me to get into therapy. Once in treatment, the most important thing I learned about myself was yes I felt my emotions very intensely, but they allowed me to be compassionate, caring and understanding of others, which I believe is necessary in this day and age. The one thing I'm proud to say about myself is how much I care about others, especially children and underrepresented disadvantaged populations. My ability to feel my feelings and, with therapy, appropriately regulate them can help me understand others and ultimately reach a career in social work

Mr. T, a proud Mexican American History/Social studies middle school teacher who never failed to make learning fun. I had him for 4th period which was a college prep class but I envied those who were able to take his history class because I didn't have much interest in the subject, it always felt like a requirement rather than something intellectually stimulating. However, everyone who took his class said it was so fun they felt eager to enter every day and learn about Early civilizations, the Renaissance, Native American Life, etc. My friends that were lucky enough to get his class raved about how he would create trivia games and present each question with a sing-songy tone. Although I wasn't in his history class, I learned so much from his college prep class, he showed us different colleges in the area, extracurriculars we could benefit from and he even organized field trips to visit these said colleges. Fast forward to Parent conference and he lets my mother know that I am a pleasure to have in class although very talkative. I appreciated his honesty and genuine interest in our education. One of the many things I recall about him and his 4th-period class was a list he gave us of almost 200 books to read before college. Once I started reading the book on this list, I was hooked. I knew higher education was my goal because I felt once I completed it I would be ready for the next step in my education. This list gave me a purpose, something to do to expand my vocabulary and knowledge of world literature, classic literature, science, and drama. The first book I read from this list was the Scarlet Letter which in middle school I can say I didn't fully understand, but as I grew I reread it multiple times and understood the true message. It wasn't just a book of adultery or shame rather of identity and pride, pride in accepting the mistakes or decisions we make as our own and deciding whether they define who we will be. Through the years this list followed me from grade to grade but no book ever impacted me like the story of Hester Prynne. I knew I wanted to achieve higher education but I often second guessed myself and whenever I felt confused and conflicted I would reread this book. This book of a woman that made a decision she may have regretted but still lived her life the best she could. A book on a list a very devoted and helpful middle school teacher gave his students as something to complete before college. I feared failing and making erroneous decisions which I must admit I did by constantly changing career paths and even schools but I never stopped, I kept going and I finally landed on a path I felt was right for me. Although fictional, I still reread this book as a reminder of human flaws, and the ability to grow from mistakes. I thank Mr. T, I never received anything like it from any other teacher, no other piece of advice or document that I still carry with me. My hunger for knowledge comes from the feeling I felt when I completed that list a few weeks before my high school graduation. I strive to achieve more educational goals like that one, and now I am on my way to completing my bachelors in psychology and applying to master's programs.