Though the darkness of my skin differentiates me from those around me, the resilience of my spirit knows no bounds. Growing up in a predominantly Hispanic area, I never understood what it felt like to be different. We didn't judge each other based on the items we possessed; we instead bonded over the values and experiences we shared. It wasn’t until I moved to Valencia, a majority-white area, that I began to feel the weight of my differences. I remember how foreign I felt on the first day of school because I couldn't connect with anyone. I felt as if I was below them. The looks I would receive when I admitted I had never been outside of Nevada or California, and the favoring of a certain group over others made my differences clear. This was a place where privilege and wealth overshadowed hard work. Rather than letting my skin dictate my potential, I focused on proving myself. When I audition in theatre, I never let the character's race drive me away. I make sure to be seen for who I am, not for what I lack. My dedication can be seen in everything I succeed in, such as my grades and awards. This also led me to become a founding member of my school's first Latino Student Union as a social media manager. LSU is dedicated to fostering education and sharing our varying cultures with our school. During my time as an LSU board member, I have helped produce video interviews with local Hispanic business owners, presented educational presentations, created engaging posts for meetings and events, and helped create a loving community to which all students are welcome. LSU also inspired me to begin working on Girls Like Me. Growing up, I never saw much representation of girls who looked like me on screen. The closest thing I got to media representation was the Tella Novelas, which my grandma and I would watch after school. Girls Like Me is a future project that will showcase some of the many successful Hispanic women in various workforces through l interviews; asking questions about how they have gotten to where they are now, and what their culture means to them. When filmed, I will upload these interviews to a variety of social media platforms. You can find updates at _girlslike.me_ on Instagram. If I could tell everybody in the world facing adversity one thing, it would be that our cultures are a treasure, not a barrier. They allow us to show fortitude and love in the face of adversity. Through every hardship I keep this belief close to my heart and in doing so, I hope to provide a path for others like me to follow.

Though the darkness of my skin differentiates me from those around me, the resilience of my spirit knows no bounds. Growing up in a predominantly Hispanic area, I never understood what it felt like being different. We didn't judge each other based on the items we possessed; we instead bonded over the values and experiences we shared. It wasn’t until I moved to Valencia, a majority white area, that I began to feel the weight of my differences. I remember how foreign I felt on the first day of school because I couldn't connect with anyone. I felt as if I was below them. The quiet judgment was never lost on me. The looks I would receive when I admitted I had never been outside of Nevada or California, and the favoring of a certain group over others made my differences clear. This was a place where privilege and wealth overshadowed hard work. Rather than letting my skin dictate my potential, I focused on proving myself. When I audition in theatre, I never let the character's race drive me away. I make sure to be seen for who I am, not for what I lack. My dedication can be seen through everything I succeed in like my grades and awards. I strive to cultivate understanding within my community, teaching my peers to look beyond my skin color. I am a founding member of my school's Latino Student Union as a social media manager, hoping to cultivate understanding within my community. LSU is dedicated to fostering education and sharing our varying cultures with our school. During my time as an LSU board member, I have helped produce video interviews with local Hispanic business owners, presented educational presentations, created engaging posts for meetings and events, and helped create a loving community to which all students are welcome. LSU also inspired me to begin working on Girls Like Me. Growing up, I never saw much representation of girls who looked like me on screen. The closest thing I got to media representation was the Tella Novelas, which my grandma and I would watch after school. Girls Like Me is a future project that will showcase some of the many successful Hispanic women in various workforces through interviews; asking questions about how they have gotten to where they are now, and what their culture means to them. When filmed, I will upload these interviews to a variety of social media platforms. You can find updates at _girlslike.me_ on Instagram. My culture is a treasure, not a barrier. It allows me to show my fortitude and love in the face of adversity. Through every hardship I keep this belief close to my heart and in doing so, I hope to provide a path for others like me to follow.

Though the darkness of my skin differs me from those around me, the resilience of my spirit knows no bounds. Growing up in a predominantly Hispanic area, I never understood what it felt like to be different. We didn't judge each other based on the items we possessed; we instead bonded over the values and experiences we shared. It wasn’t until I moved to Valencia, a majority-white area, that I began to feel the weight of my differences. I remember how foreign I felt on the first day of school because I couldn't connect with anyone. I felt as if I was below them. The looks I would receive when I admitted I had never been outside of Nevada or California, and the favoring of a certain group over others made my differences clear. This was a place where privilege and wealth overshadowed hard work. Rather than letting my skin dictate my potential, I focused on proving myself. This is what led me to become a founding member of my school's first Latino Student Union as a social media manager. LSU is dedicated to fostering education and sharing our varying cultures with our school. During my time as an LSU board member, I have helped produce video interviews with local Hispanic business owners, presented educational presentations, created engaging posts for meetings and events, and helped create a loving community to which all students are welcome. LSU also inspired me to begin working on Girls Like Me. Growing up, I never saw much representation of girls who looked like me on screen. The closest thing I got to media representation was the Tella Novelas, which my grandma and I would watch after school. Girls Like Me is a future project that will showcase some of the many successful Hispanic women in various workforces through interviews; asking questions about how they have gotten to where they are now, and what their culture means to them. When filmed, I will upload these interviews to a variety of social media platforms. You can find updates at _girlslike.me_ on Instagram. My culture is a treasure, not a barrier. It allows me to show my fortitude and love in the face of adversity. Through every hardship I keep this belief close to my heart and in doing so, I hope to provide a path for others like me to follow.

In the spring of 2023, I performed in a two-song medley with music from Hair for a theater competition. One of the songs we performed was Let the Sun Shine In. Though we didn't place first, the small silence at the end of the number was not one of awkwardness, it was instead a silence of astonishment and respect. In that fleeting stillness, I knew that we, that I, had done the song justice. That previous summer, the Supreme Court ruled the decision to overturn Roe V Wade, which was a law that protected abortion rights in the U.S. Vast amounts of women went unprotected after the overturn and a quick Google search will show you millions of stories of women who were affected by this decision. While rehearsing Let the Sun Shine In, our director asked us to pull from a place of despair and hope. The track itself is about hope shining down on dark times, which I saw was still a relevant topic. As I performed, I let my hand reach out to a world of peace instead of fear, and let my voice carry the emotions of women worldwide who are hurt by laws like these every day. I let their dreams, stories, and pain shine through my presence on stage, hoping I could convey even a fraction of what they have felt, what I have felt, to the audience. This is not the only story I shared through this performance. I also shared my story. It is the story of a Hispanic girl who faces harsh realities like racism daily yet is still able to thrive. I know many like myself, but never see them in the media. It is a fact that there is a lack of Hispanic representation in media but for Hispanic women, it's worse. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, data taken from 2015-2019 showed, "10% of all media occupations during that time were filled by Hispanic people, and only 3% were Hispanic women." Even without these numbers, I am encouraged to perform because I want to represent my culture and beat the statistics. I want girls who look like me and experience life like me, to see my success and my performances and know that we are resilient and are just as capable as anyone else because I never got to see that. I believe that with the proper training and education, I can make an even bigger difference with acting because theatre allows me to become a voice for the voiceless. This ability drives my passion to perform because I find it important for these stories to be shared with the world. Whether it be my own tales or narratives based on real-world issues, I intend to make people feel seen and heard and to help others understand things they aren't familiar with. Any role that can help me achieve this goal, is a dream role. One of my favorite roles that I have played is Ponyboy from the outsiders because I connected with his ideals on family and the treatment he gets because of his low status in society. This was a story I wanted to share. I want to ignite the spark, to twist the perception of what seems possible for that little girl watching me perform, thus inspiring the next generation.

In the spring of 2023, I performed in a two-song medley with music from Hair for a theater competition. One of the songs we performed was Let the Sun Shine In. Though we didn't place first, the small silence at the end of the number was not one of awkwardness, it was instead a silence of astonishment and respect. In that fleeting stillness, I knew that we, that I, had done the song justice. That previous summer, the Supreme Court ruled the decision to overturn Roe V Wade, which was a law that protected abortion rights in the U.S. Vast amounts of women went unprotected after the overturn and a quick Google search will show you millions of stories of women who were affected by this decision. While rehearsing Let the Sun Shine In, our director asked us to pull from a place of despair and hope. The track itself is about hope shining down on dark times, which I saw was still a relevant topic. As I performed, I let my hand reach out to a world of peace instead of fear, and let my voice carry the emotions of women worldwide who are hurt by laws like these every day. I let their dreams, stories, and pain shine through my presence on stage, hoping I could convey even a fraction of what they have felt, what I have felt, to the audience. This is not the only story I shared through this performance. I also shared my story. It is the story of a Hispanic girl who faces harsh realities like racism daily yet is still able to thrive. I know many like myself, but never see them in the media. It is a fact that there is a lack of Hispanic representation in media but for Hispanic women, it's worse. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, data taken from 2015-2019 showed, "10% of all media occupations during that time were filled by Hispanic people, and only 3% were Hispanic women." Even without these numbers, I am encouraged to perform because I want to represent my culture and beat the statistics. I want girls who look like me and experience life like me, to see my success and my performances and know that we are resilient and are just as capable as anyone else because I never got to see that. I believe that with the proper training and education, I can make an even bigger difference with acting because theatre allows me to become a voice for the voiceless. This ability drives my passion to perform because I find it important for these stories to be shared with the world. Whether it be my own tales or narratives based on real-world issues, I intend to make people feel seen and heard and to help others understand things they aren't familiar with. I want to ignite the spark, to twist the perception of what seems possible for that little girl watching me perform, thus inspiring the next generation.