Over the course of my life, I have come to believe we are bound to those with whom we share blood. While we may not choose our family, the burden of service can be both our greatest strength or our deepest regret. For a young girl of age six, it was one of the deepest burdens I could carry. Life at the time did not play fair for the daughter of the lady who cleans. Growing up, joyous childhoods and uniform normalities were the very hindrances I yearn for in my adolescent years. At an early age, I was taught to be fervent, however, the perseverance I armored myself with, transformed into a cataclysm of vexatious outrage. Unbeknownst to the faulty in realization of the gift I was given, I turned my pestering nods and charms into that of gratefulness. At the peak of my adolescence, I began to struggle with my ethnicity. The mere thought of going back to school awoke this undermining solicitousness that would crush me on a day-to-day basis. From having classmates yell at me to go back to my country, to being branded as the new “Dora”, my tan skin and dark orbs magnetized the numerous allegations that questioned my citizenship as a Hispanic American. The feelings of inadequacy compared to those of my peers and the insecurity about my mother's career became a constant fortitude, I needed to keep moving forward. It didn’t avail me much that a part of me was missing. I would hear tales of my childhood friends going on fancy getaways with their perfect families of four and would doubt my normalcy. I used to get taunted at school events and graduations for only having one parent present, however when my charming Hispanic charisma sprung out of me, they would all cease their quarrel. Nonetheless, after all the daddy issues and emotional trauma, I was perpetually perseverant. The taste of liberation and longing for more fueled my very desire for a better life not only for me but for my mother as well. So, I took it upon myself to find acceptance in helping her out as much as I could. Like all children born to immigrant parents, I was forced to grow up before my time. Having only one parent who barely finished middle school in a foreign nation meant that I had to figure out everything about college on my own. Taking a two-hour bus ride to school every day meant that I had to refrain from succumbing to the desire for abandonment. But with every downfall, there is always a spark of hope. Santiago, a child of ten years, denied an education in a third-world country simply because he has Down syndrome, awoke a feeling of determination. Upon hearing about Santiago I knew I had to do something. I began working on a project that will be able to help out children that are deprived of an education. Rescue Education is a non-profit organization where school necessities are provided to financially deprived children in the poorest regions of Colombia. Items such as clothes, pencils, notebooks, reading books, and food were given to the children and poverty-stricken schools. By joining various organizations, I was able to gain leadership positions in tremendous clubs that represent my respective opinions coherently. Coral Gables PAL, a youth leadership program solely based on serving the community, has allowed me to develop characteristics that shape the individual I am today. From spending my summers cleaning, painting, and interacting with people who have disabilities at the Sunrise Community Center to feeding the homeless at Camillus House. My commitment to this organization was recognized when I was voted to become a trustee and when I was hand-selected to represent Coral Gables in a state-level Youth Director Conference. But the most rewarding experience I will forever cherish was volunteering at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. As a volunteer, I was trained to identify families’ concerns, provide information about hospital initiatives and services, and gather data to identify areas of improvement. Not only was I able to interact with and help patients, but I was also able to put smiles on their faces. Through volunteering, I gain a new perspective on what it means to be empathetic toward people. I learned and understood what it truly means to be a human being. All of the stories I would hear would fuel my desire to help as many as I can, which led me to pick becoming a human rights attorney. With the prospect of becoming an international human rights attorney, I will be able to help those who have known absolutely nothing but struggle their entire lives. This semester, I joined an organization called UNICEF at FIU. Dedicated to educating students on the endeavors children in third world countries experience. What snagged my attention was that children and girls are being sold for a measly 100 dollars to foreign men. 10-year-old girls who haven't even begun to dream about what they’ll do in life are being trafficked and sold into prostitution because their mothers cannot afford food. It is unbecoming to know that in this era of technology, no one is speaking on these matters. Those who possess the power and knowledge to shelter safety for these children have the honor of doing so. This aid would allow me to pay for law school and to ensure my future. A future in which I would be able to give back and help those who are disposed of as tired as an outcast to social propriety. As a child, I welcomed the sentiment of lashing out and gaining vengeance against those who opposed me. As a young girl, I clung desperately to the notion of what was to become my future. As an adult, I became the first person in my entire lineage to ever walk across the stage and receive a parchment of cream paper holding the essence of my achievements and possibilities.

Over the course of my life, I have come to believe we are bound to those with whom we share blood. While we may not choose our family, the burden of service can be both our greatest strength and our deepest regret. For a young girl of age six, it was one of the deepest burdens I could carry. Life at the time did not play fair for the daughter of the lady who cleans. Growing up, joyous childhoods and uniform normalities were the very hindrances I yearn for in my adolescent years. At an early age, I was taught to be fervent, however, the perseverance I armored myself with, transformed into a cataclysm of vexatious outrage. Unbeknownst to the faulty in realization of the gift I was given, I turned my pestering nods and charms into that of gratefulness. At the peak of my adolescence, I began to struggle with my ethnicity. The mere thought of going back to school awoke this undermining solicitousness that would crush me on a day-to-day basis. From having classmates yell at me to go back to my country, to being branded as the new “Dora”, my tan skin and dark orbs magnetized the numerous allegations that questioned my citizenship as a Hispanic American. The feelings of inadequacy compared to those of my peers and the insecurity about my mother's career became a constant fortitude, I needed to keep moving forward. It didn’t avail me much that a part of me was missing. I would hear tales of my childhood friends going on fancy getaways with their perfect families of four and would doubt my normalcy. I used to get taunted at school events and graduations for only having one parent present, however when my charming Hispanic charisma sprung out of me, they would all cease their quarrel. Like all children born of immigrant parents, I was forced to grow up before my time. Having only one parent who barely finished middle school in a foreign nation meant that I had to figure out everything about college on my own. Taking a two-hour bus ride to school every day meant that I had to refrain from succumbing to the desire for abandonment. But with every downfall, there is always a spark of hope. Santiago, a child of ten years, denied an education in a third-world country simply because he has Down syndrome, awoke a feeling of determination. Upon hearing about Santiago I knew I had to do something. I began working on a project that will be able to help out children that are deprived of an education. Rescue Education is a non-profit organization where school necessities are provided to financially deprived children in the poorest regions of Colombia. Items such as clothes, pencils, notebooks, reading books, and food were given to the children and poverty-stricken schools. But the most rewarding experience I will forever cherish was volunteering at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. As a volunteer, I was trained to identify families’ concerns, provide information about hospital initiatives and services, and gather data to identify areas of improvement. Not only was I able to interact with and help patients, but I was also able to put smiles on their faces. Through volunteering, I gain a new perspective on what it means to be empathetic toward people. I learned and understood what it truly means to be a human being. All of the stories I would hear would fuel my desire to help as many as I can, which led me to pick becoming a human rights attorney.

Over the course of my life, I have come to believe we are bound to those with whom we share blood. While we may not choose our family, the burden of service can be both our greatest strength and our deepest regret. For a young girl of age six, it was one of the deepest burdens I could carry. Life at the time did not play fair for the daughter of the lady who cleans. Growing up, joyous childhoods and uniform normalities were the very hindrances I yearn for in my adolescent years. At an early age, I was taught to be fervent, however, the perseverance I armored myself with, transformed into a cataclysm of vexatious outrage. Unbeknownst to the faulty realization of the gift I was given, I turned my pestering nods and charms into that gratefulness. At the peak of my adolescence, I began to struggle with my ethnicity. The mere thought of going back to school awoke this undermining solicitousness that would crush me on a day-to-day basis. From having classmates yell at me to go back to my country, to being branded as the new “Dora”, my tan skin and dark orbs magnetized the numerous allegations that questioned my citizenship as a Hispanic American. The feelings of inadequacy compared to those of my peers and the insecurity about my mother's career became a constant fortitude, I needed to keep moving forward. It didn’t avail me much that a part of me was missing. I would hear tales of my childhood friends going on fancy getaways with their perfect families of four and would doubt my normalcy. I used to get taunted at school events and graduations for only having one parent present, however when my charming Hispanic charisma sprung out of me, they would all cease their quarrel. Like all children born to immigrant parents, I was forced to grow up before my time. Having only one parent who barely finished middle school in a foreign nation meant that I had to figure out everything about college on my own. Taking a two-hour bus ride to school every day meant that I had to refrain from succumbing to the desire for abandonment. But with every downfall, there is always a spark of hope. Santiago, a child of ten years, denied an education in a third-world country simply because he has Down syndrome, awoke a feeling of determination. Upon hearing about Santiago I knew I had to do something. I began working on a project that will be able to help out children that are deprived of an education. Rescue Education is a non-profit organization where school necessities are provided to financially deprived children in the poorest regions of Colombia. Items such as clothes, pencils, notebooks, reading books, and food were given to the children and poverty-stricken schools. But the most rewarding experience I will forever cherish was volunteering at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. As a volunteer, I was trained to identify families’ concerns, provide information about hospital initiatives and services, and gather data to identify areas of improvement. Not only was I able to interact with and help patients, but I was also able to put smiles on their faces. Through volunteering, I gain a new perspective on what it means to be empathetic toward people. I learned and understood what it truly means to be a human being. All of the stories I would hear would fuel my desire to help as many as I can, which led me to pick becoming a human rights attorney.