Through the different volunteer work I have done, such as the collaboration I did at the Hickory Grove Methodist Church on May 18, 2024, where, with the recreational program "Póngale Vida a los Años", a free banquet that was held for the elderly Hispanic people in which they were given medicines, prizes, and made them exercise a little. I collaborated by organizing the banquet, serving as a waiter, and talking to them. I was able to observe that these people felt listened to, taken into account, and important since they were able to tell me about their experiences over the years and I learned from them. It is worth noting that older adults are people who must be shown respect, solidarity, and affection. Another volunteer project I helped with was the “Festival Día de Muertos” with the Latin American Coalition on November 2, 2024. The concept was to celebrate deceased loved ones through altars, traditional clothing, food, and traditional Mexican dances. At this event, I helped dress up as Catrina (an elegantly dressed skeleton figure used as a symbol of the Día de Muertos celebration) while I was providing protocol services welcoming people at the entrances and explaining what the festival was about. I found that people were interested, excited, and intrigued by the information provided to them as they were able to learn about one of the most important celebrations in Mexican history. Finally, another participation I had was in the “Música con Amigos” festival at the Latin American Coalition headquarters on April 28, 2024, where the main objective was the integration of the Hispanic-American community through music with the participation of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and other musical groups. My primary job was to provide information about how music can unite communities and that there are no borders since music is a universal language. I was able to perceive the union of different cultures and perspectives of our society. It is worth noting that I have done more volunteer work, where I have learned different skills and strategies to influence society as well as it has influenced me in order to make a positive impact on the world. My financial situation is low economic resources since my parents and I are immigrants. We have been in the country for 5 years with a work permit, political asylum process, and TPS (Temporary Protected Status) approval to be able to work legally, but being 16 years old I am only focused on studying and my extracurricular activities such as being in the cross country and track and field team since it is an activity that I am passionate about so I do not have time to work. However, my parents' salary is average to cover basic household expenses. My father works washing cars in a company and my mother works in a restaurant as a kitchen assistant. As a result, their salary is not enough to cover my educational expenses. Therefore, I require scholarships or financial aid to cover the beginning of my university expenses and fulfill my dreams of studying Computer Science. I would like to acknowledge the opportunity of this scholarship as your support encourages my continued commitment to achieving my academic goals. Being able to receive this scholarship would motivate me to maintain my academic level and complete my education. Your financial generosity would help me get one step closer to my career aspirations.

"Education is tomorrow's future," my mother told me before boarding the plane. Coming from a communist country disguised as socialism, education can be quite lacking. As an immigrant, my possibilities are very limited, with only 5 years in the country I can say that it has not been easy at all. My first day of school in the United States, I can say, was the worst of my short 16 years. Surrounded by people very different from me, not speaking the language, and not even knowing how to use a computer properly were some of the obstacles I had the most that day. What kept me calm was counting the remaining school hours that I had left so I could cry in my mother's arms. After actually crying, I was determined that I never wanted to feel that way again and that if I wanted a change, I would have to start doing it for myself and keeping in mind the huge effort my parents made. So I took matters into my own hands; I started studying and doing homework using the translator application every night and also started learning the English language on my own since no one from my school helped me translate. As time went by my grades improved, as did my English. By being able to understand my classes more, a great interest grew in me to know more. It didn't matter what topic we were learning about, I always researched them and that's how I came across computer science. I didn't know it could be a bachelor's degree. At that time I was not very good at mathematics, so I ruled out that option immediately. However, little by little it captivated and intrigued me even more. It seemed really impressive to me how a computer is developed- reminding me how hard it was for me to learn to use it- so that it can function. Despite my great interest, I always thought that I was not good enough to choose that career, I thought that someone who was an immigrant should not aspire to so much but instead conform. I continued with this mentality until my second year in High School when I was accepted to take an IB math class, I was surprised since I was the only Latina in the class. This made me feel like I belonged too, and that I deserved to be there just like everyone else. Today, I can say that my dream career is Computer Science and with this career, I want to create an impact on immigrant families who left everything and give everything to their children, for a better future, for a better tomorrow. Some of the personal reasons that will allow me to achieve my professional passions are the support and effort that my parents make every day, and especially myself.  If I want a future I have to look for it just as my parents looked for an opportunity in this country.