The impact I want to make is all about creating pathways for people who come from backgrounds just like mine. Growing up in a first generation Mexican American household, my parents pushed wrestling from the time I was a kid because I was a natural talent. They truly believed it was my only realistic ticket to college to escape generations of teen parents and poverty. I worked hard and became a six time All American and won nationals my senior year, but the sport took a massive toll on my body. After multiple concussions, injuries, and surgeries, I made the hard choice to turn down college wrestling scholarships so I could protect my health and focus completely on my new passion for computer science. Transitioning to STEM meant starting way behind. Because my family focused entirely on sports as my way out, academics took a back seat and I never took advanced math. The lingering effects of the concussions made it even harder, meaning I was not ready for college calculus. Instead of giving up, I built a strict four year plan that includes taking extra classes across three full summers, working a job to pay for basic necessities, and focusing entirely on core math and coding during the school year. I will use my education to give back directly to my community by changing what a typical computer science engineer looks like. My vision is to build a successful career in machine learning and artificial intelligence, and then use my platform to mentor underrepresented young girls who want to break into tech. When I was competing nationally in wrestling, my family could not afford the travel, so my clubs sponsored my trips. I paid that generosity forward by volunteering my time to coach younger athletes. In the technology field, I plan to do the exact same thing by providing the guidance, resources, and support that young girls from disadvantaged backgrounds need to succeed in STEM. The people who inspire me most are my parents. Even though they pushed sports because they did not know any other way to get me to college, their ultimate goal was always to give me a better life and break the cycle of poverty. They made massive sacrifices, like moving our entire family from Northern to Southern California when I was thirteen just so I could train at a higher level. Their love and work ethic are the driving forces behind everything I do. The change I am determined to create is to prove that your starting point does not define your destination. I want to show the next generation of Mexican American students that you can come from a non academic background, face severe physical setbacks, and still become a top engineer. By combining the grit I learned as a national champion wrestler with my computer science education, I am going to build a better future for my family and lift up my community along the way.

Being a first generation Mexican American student means everything to me because it gives me a clear purpose. Growing up my family had to make huge sacrifices. When I was thirteen we moved from Northern to Southern California just so I could train at a higher level in wrestling. My parents pushed the sport so hard from the time I was a kid because I was a natural talent. I ended up becoming a six time All American and I actually won nationals my senior year. They truly believed wrestling was my only realistic ticket to college and they wanted me to use my talent to escape generations of teen parents and poverty. Because my family could not afford the travel for national tournaments my clubs had to sponsor my trips. I learned early on that you have to work hard for every single opportunity. Because people helped me I wanted to pay it forward so I spent a lot of my time volunteering to coach younger athletes. I am passionate about this identity because it makes me resilient. Because the sole focus was on athletics as my way out, academics took a back seat and I never took AP math or advanced tracks. On top of that the sport took a massive toll on my body. After going through surgeries, injuries, and multiple concussions, I knew I needed to make a change. When I discovered computer science my senior year and fell in love with coding, it gave me the clarity I needed. Because of these health reasons I decided not to pursue wrestling in college and declined the scholarships so I could give my body a rest and just do computer science. However, transitioning meant starting way behind. The lingering effects of the concussions combined with the lack of advanced high school classes meant I was not ready for college calculus. A tech degree felt out of reach at first. Instead of giving up I used the same determination I learned in sports. I built a complete four year plan to catch up which includes taking extra classes across three full summers. During the school year I only take core computer science math and one easy elective so I can completely focus then I take my general education classes during the summers. Even while working a job to pay for basic necessities I refuse to stop. Being first generation means I get to be the one to break new ground for my family and fulfill the dream my parents had for me, just on a different path. I am taking the same grit I used to win a national championship and applying it to engineering. My goal is to build a career in machine learning and use my success to mentor other young girls trying to break into tech. This scholarship will help me afford my education so I can execute my plan and prove that Mexican American students can overcome any setback to succeed in STEM.

Students from disadvantaged backgrounds deserve scholarships and grants because they already proved they can get good results with nothing. When a student does well even when they are broke it shows they have a lot of motivation. Investing in these students is smart because they bring a level of grit and resourcefulness that you cannot teach in a class. They are the people who will actually build solutions for the real world because they know what struggle looks like. Giving them money just unlocks potential that is already there. My own life is like this. For twelve years wrestling was my whole world. I worked hard and became a national champion and a six time All American. But staying at that level was a constant worry because my family could not afford the travel for national tournaments. My clubs had to sponsor me. Because people helped me I wanted to pay it forward so I volunteered my time to coach younger athletes. Everything changed my senior year when I took my first computer science class. I fell in love with coding and how artificial intelligence works. I loved the problem solving and it gave me the clarity to focus entirely on technology. Because of my health reasons I decided to decline the wrestling scholarships I was offered so I could give my body a rest and commit to my education. Pursuing a computer science degree meant starting way behind. Because my family pushed sports so hard instead of school I never took AP math or advanced classes. Then I got a severe concussion my junior year and all of that combined meant I was not ready for college calculus. A tech degree felt out of reach at first. Instead of giving up I used the same determination I learned in sports. I built a complete four year plan to catch up which includes taking extra classes across three full summers. During the school year I only take core computer science math and one easy elective so I can completely focus. Then I take my general education classes during the summers. Even while working a job to pay for basic necessities I refuse to stop. My parents do not have the money or credit to pay for a four year college. This grant would help me afford my education so I can focus on my intense schedule and summer classes without worrying about tuition. I want to build a career in machine learning and mentor young girls trying to get into tech. I am tackling computer science with the exact same grit I used in wrestling and I am ready to succeed.

For twelve years, wrestling was the center of my world. My family pushed athletics heavily over academics, and I focused entirely on my training until I became a national champion and a six time All American. My family could not afford the travel for national tournaments, so my clubs sponsored me. I wanted to pay it forward, so I volunteered my time to coach younger athletes. Giving back my time was all I had to offer, but I gave it willingly. Everything shifted during my senior year of high school when I took my first computer science class and got my first exposure to STEM. The moment I started coding, I fell in love with the problem solving, the logic, and the creativity behind it. I became completely fascinated by artificial intelligence and machine learning. Seeing how lines of code could teach a computer how to think blew my mind. I realized I simply loved the subject, and it gave me the clarity to turn down the athletic scholarships I was offered so I could focus entirely on technology. Pursuing this degree has not been easy. Because of the heavy athletic focus growing up, I never took AP math or advanced tracks. Combined with a severe concussion I suffered in my junior year, I was not ready for college calculus, and a tech degree felt almost out of reach at first. Instead of giving up, I built a complete four year, three summer plan to catch up. I am taking extra classes every summer so I can focus purely on core computer science and math during the school year. Even while working a job to pay for basic necessities, I am tackling my education with the exact same grit I used on the wrestling mat. As a person of color, I hope to have a lasting impact by bringing my unique perspective to the development of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. The tech industry needs diverse voices to build systems that work fairly for everyone, and I want to be one of the engineers actively architecting that future. I also want to show people that you can come from a non academic background and still belong in a lab. Beyond the technical side, I want to use my education to uplift others just like my community uplifted me. In the STEM field, I plan to continue paying it forward by mentoring underrepresented young girls who want to get into tech, giving them the confidence and support they need to succeed. By sharing my journey, I hope to prove to the next generation that you can start out behind, face massive setbacks, and still build a successful future in STEM.

For 12 years, elite wrestling was the center of my world. When I was 13, my family made a massive sacrifice to move from Northern to Southern California solely to advance my training. Alongside cheerleading and boxing, wrestling was my proving ground. I became a 6x All-American, a National Champion, and carried the heavy pressure of being ranked in the top ten in the nation. Financially, staying at that level was a constant worry. My family could not afford national travel, so my trips had to be fully sponsored by my wrestling clubs because otherwise I would not have been able to compete. Because people helped me, I wanted to pay it forward by volunteering to coach younger athletes. Giving back with my time was all I had to offer, but I gave it willingly. Everything shifted during my senior year when I took my first Computer Science class. My eyes opened to coding, and I fell in love with the logic, creativity, and problem-solving. I became completely fascinated by artificial intelligence and machine learning, and seeing how lines of code could teach a computer how to think blew my mind. For the first time, I found something that made me want to pivot away from the sport I had known my whole life. It gave me the clarity to step away from competing, give my body a rest, and fully commit to Computer Science. This path is especially precious to me because, as a first-generation Latina, a STEM degree always felt completely out of reach. I felt like people just saw me as a hard core combat athlete who belonged on a mat, not in a lab. That feeling only got worse during my junior year when I suffered a severe concussion. Math had always been my favorite subject because it was clean, clear, and logical. If you followed the rules, you got the right answer. But the brain injury temporarily wiped out my core math skills. Looking at a page and not understanding things that used to come naturally was terrifying. After that, there was nothing I wanted more in the world than to prove I could actually do STEM. Rebuilding my brain has been the hardest fight of my life. Even while recovering from injuries, I still worked a job to help pay for basic necessities, refusing to let anything pause my progress. I am already getting those math skills back. I am full steam ahead on this degree, and I am going to make it through the math. I am already planning my college schedule around extra tutoring and taking math classes every single summer just to ensure I finish. Choosing this passion meant walking away from the sport entirely and giving up the athletic scholarships I was offered. Now, I am so close to going away to a 4-year college, but my parents do not have the money or credit to fund it. I am hopeful for the future, and I just need a few scholarships to finally afford it. It might take me longer and require twice the work, but I am tackling STEM with the exact same grit that got me through everything else, ready to learn, grow, and build a future in tech.

For 12 years, elite wrestling was the center of my world. When I was 13, my family made a massive sacrifice to move from Northern to Southern California solely to advance my training. I homeschooled in 8th grade to train twice a day, six times a week, plus weightlifting, before transitioning to a traditional high school. Alongside 6 years of cheerleading and 4 years of boxing, wrestling was my proving ground. I became a 6x All-American, a National Champion, a 3x National Runner-Up, and carried the heavy pressure of being ranked in the top ten in the nation. But during my senior year, everything shifted when I took my first Computer Science class. Guided by an incredible teacher, my eyes opened to coding. I fell in love with the logic, creativity, and problem-solving possibilities of technology. I became completely fascinated by artificial intelligence and machine learning, and seeing how lines of code could teach a computer how to think blew my mind. For the first time, I found something that made me want to pivot away from the sport I had known my whole life. It gave me the clarity to make a massive decision to step away from competing, give my body a rest, and fully commit to Computer Science. This path is especially precious to me because, as a Latina, there are not many women who look like me in STEM. I want to change that. However, my journey to this degree has been a real battle. During my junior year, I suffered a severe concussion. Math had always been my favorite subject because it was clean, clear, and logical. If you followed the rules, you got the right answer. But the brain injury temporarily wiped out my core math skills. Looking at a page and not understanding things that used to come naturally was terrifying. Rebuilding my brain has been the hardest fight of my life, but I am already getting those skills back. I am full steam ahead on this degree, and I am going to make it through the math. I am already planning my college schedule around extra tutoring and taking math classes every single summer just to ensure I finish. Choosing this passion meant walking away from the sport entirely and giving up the athletic scholarships I was offered. Now, I am so close to going away to a 4-year college, but my parents do not have the money or credit to fund it. I am hopeful for the future, and this financial assistance is the bridge I need to get there. It might take me longer and require twice the work, but I am tackling STEM with the exact same grit that got me through everything else, ready to learn, grow, and build a future in tech.

Before my world got turned upside down, math was the one place where things actually made sense. My life was completely chaotic back then, training six days a week for wrestling, traveling for tournaments, and dealing with the heavy pressure of being ranked in the top ten in the country. In the middle of all that stress, math class was the only place where the noise stopped. I loved it because it wasn't abstract or confusing; it was just clean, clear, and logical. If you followed the rules and put in the work, you got the right answer. In a life full of things I couldn't control, math was the one thing I could always count on. Then, during my junior year, I suffered a serious concussion. The brain injury took a massive toll on me, and almost overnight, my favorite subject turned into my biggest nightmare. The math skills that used to come so naturally to me were just gone. It was terrifying to suddenly look at a page and not understand things I used to know, especially since I had just fallen in love with computer science and decided that was what I wanted to do with my life. Honestly, my life has been a lot of hard fights, but trying to rebuild my brain after that injury has been the hardest one yet. Relearning everything from scratch is exhausting, but I am already getting it back. I am full steam ahead on this computer science degree, and I am going to make it through the math. I am already planning my college schedule around extra tutoring and taking math classes every single summer just to make sure I finish. I still love math because the logic is still there, waiting for me. It might take me longer and require twice the work, but I am tackling this with the exact same grit that got me through everything else.

This is the essay I've been using for all of my scholarship applications but everything is true. I love computer science and I will be using every summer in college to stay caught up while pursuing this comp sci degree. : For 12 years, elite wrestling defined my life. At 13, my family moved from Northern to Southern California solely to advance my training. I homeschooled in 8th grade to train twice a day, six times a week, plus weightlifting, before transitioning to a traditional high school. Alongside 6 years of cheerleading and 4 years of boxing, wrestling was my proving ground. I became a 6x All-American, a National Champion, a 3x National Runner-Up, and during my senior season, Sports Illustrated ranked me the #1 wrestler in the nation in my weight class for a four-week run. With this elite success came intense, unrelenting pressure. My academic and athletic journey was a battle. Sophomore year required major shoulder surgery, and throughout high school, I fought through multiple broken bones. Most brutally, a serious junior-year concussion heavily impacted my cognitive recovery. Math had always been my best, most natural subject, but the brain injury caused me to temporarily lose those core math skills. For a future STEM major, this was devastating. I have had to fight incredibly hard to catch up and rebuild the mathematical concepts that used to come easily to me. Yet, I refused to pause. During recoveries, I also worked a job to pay for basic necessities, maintaining my grades while conquering national rankings. Financially, staying at the top was an uphill battle. My family could not afford national travel, so my competition trips had to be fully sponsored by my wrestling clubs because otherwise I would not have been able to compete. This grind taught me the value of community, and I constantly volunteered to mentor younger athletes at my school and local clubs. As team captain, I led us to our school's first and only girls' varsity league title before handing leadership over to the next generation. For this, I was named Athlete of the Year my senior year. Everything changed my senior year when I took my first Computer Science class. My strict training schedule had never allowed me space to explore anything outside of sports. But in that classroom, guided by an incredible teacher, my eyes opened to coding. I fell in love with the logic, creativity, and infinite problem-solving possibilities of technology. For the first time, I felt a spark that rivaled wrestling. This experience gave me the clarity to make a massive decision to step away from wrestling to prioritize my physical and mental health, and to fully commit to Computer Science. However, choosing to protect my health and follow my passion meant turning down the athletic scholarships I was offered. Now, I am so close to going away to a 4-year college, but I face a massive financial barrier because my parents do not have the money or the credit to fund my education. I am asking for this financial assistance because I am ready to pour that exact same champion-level discipline into becoming an elite software engineer. I am already fighting to reclaim my math skills, and I am prepared to fight throughout college, including taking math classes every single summer, to ensure I make it through to the end. In tech, just like in wrestling, success demands individual accountability, intense focus, and grit when you are exhausted. I am stepping into STEM with the mind of a champion, ready to break barriers for Latinas in tech.

For twelve years, elite wrestling was the center of my world. When I was thirteen, my family made a huge sacrifice moving from Northern to Southern California so I could chase better training. I homeschooled in eighth grade to train twice a day, six times a week, alongside weightlifting, before going to a regular high school. I became a 6x All-American, a National Champion, and during my senior season, Sports Illustrated ranked me the #1 wrestler in the nation in my weight class for four weeks. But honestly, even after all the national titles, nothing means more to me and my family than the chance for me to become a first-generation college graduate. Getting here wasn't easy. My sophomore year required major shoulder surgery, and I dealt with multiple broken bones. The hardest part was a severe concussion my junior year. Math had always been my favorite subject, but the brain injury temporarily wiped out my core math skills. For someone dreaming of a STEM major, that was terrifying. I had to work incredibly hard to relearn the concepts that used to come naturally. Still, I refused to give up. During recoveries, I worked a job to help pay for things I needed, keeping my grades steady while keeping up with wrestling. Financially, competing at an elite level was a constant worry. My family couldn't afford national travel, so my trips had to be sponsored by my wrestling clubs because otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to compete. Because people helped me, I wanted to pay it forward. I spent a lot of time volunteering to coach younger athletes at my school and local clubs. As team captain, I helped guide our team to the school's first and only girls' varsity league title, and I was honored to be named Athlete of the Year my senior year. Everything shifted senior year when I took my first Computer Science class. My crazy training schedule had never left room for hobbies, but sitting in that classroom with an amazing teacher, my eyes completely opened. I fell in love with coding, creativity, and problem-solving. It helped me make the difficult decision to step away from competing, give my body a rest, and fully commit to Computer Science. Because I chose my health and my passion, I had to turn down the athletic scholarships I was offered. Now, I am so close to going away to a four-year college, but my parents don't have the money or credit to fund it. For a first-generation family, getting to college is the real victory. My parents gave up so much so I could have a shot at a future they never had, and seeing me earn a STEM degree means everything to us. I’m already planning my schedule to make sure I use tutoring and support systems to get through my math classes, and I'm ready to use everything sports taught me to build a career in tech.

For 12 years, elite wrestling defined my life. At 13, my family moved from Northern to Southern California solely to advance my training. I homeschooled in 8th grade to train twice a day, six times a week, plus weightlifting, before transitioning to a traditional high school. Alongside 6 years of cheerleading and 4 years of boxing, wrestling was my proving ground. I became a 6x All-American, a National Champion, a 3x National Runner-Up, and during my senior season, Sports Illustrated ranked me the #1 wrestler in the nation in my weight class for a four-week run. With this elite success came intense, unrelenting pressure. I constantly carried the weight of national rankings and immense expectations. My academic and athletic journey was a battle; sophomore year required major shoulder surgery, and throughout high school, I fought through multiple broken bones and a severe junior-year concussion that heavily impacted my cognitive recovery. Yet, I never used an injury as an excuse to pause. During recoveries, I immediately shifted my energy into working a job to help pay for things I needed. Despite the immense physical and mental toll, I fought to maintain my grades while conquering national rankings. Financially, staying at the top was an uphill battle. My family could not afford national travel, so my competition trips had to be fully sponsored by my wrestling clubs, or I wouldn't have been able to compete. This grind taught me the value of community, and I constantly volunteered to mentor younger athletes at my school and local clubs. As team captain, I led us to our school's first and only girls' varsity league title before handing leadership over to the next generation. For this, I was named Athlete of the Year my senior year. Everything changed my senior year when I took my first Computer Science class. My strict training schedule had never allowed me space to explore anything outside of sports. But in that classroom, guided by an incredible teacher, my eyes opened to coding. I fell in love with the logic, creativity, and infinite problem-solving possibilities of technology. For the first time, I felt a spark that rivaled wrestling. This eye-opening experience gave me the clarity to make a massive decision: to step away from wrestling to prioritize my physical and mental health, and to fully commit to Computer Science. However, choosing to protect my health and follow my passion meant turning down the athletic scholarships I was offered. Now, I am so close to going away to a 4-year college, but I face a massive financial barrier. As a first-generation student, my parents do not have the money or the credit to fund my education. I am asking for this financial assistance because I am ready to pour that exact same champion discipline into becoming an elite software engineer. In tech, just like in wrestling, success demands individual accountability, intense focus, and grit when you are exhausted. I am stepping into STEM with the mind of a champion and a deep passion for technology, ready to break barriers for Latinas in tech.

For 12 years, elite wrestling defined my life. At 13, my family made the massive sacrifice to move from Northern to Southern California solely to advance my training. I homeschooled in 8th grade just to train twice a day, six times a week, while adding a weightlifting class to my weekly schedule before transitioning into a traditional high school down here. Alongside 6 years of cheerleading and 4 years of boxing, wrestling became my ultimate proving ground. I became a 6x All-American, a National Champion, and a 3x National Runner-Up. During my senior season, I reached the ultimate milestone: being ranked the #1 wrestler in the nation in my weight class by Sports Illustrated for a four-week run. With this level of elite success came intense, unrelenting pressure that carried through my entire wrestling career. Every time I stepped onto the mat, I carried the weight of national rankings and immense expectations. My academic and athletic journey reflects a battle just as intense as any match. My sophomore year required major shoulder surgery, and throughout high school, I fought through multiple broken bones and a severe junior-year concussion that heavily impacted my cognitive recovery. What sets my work ethic apart is that I never used an injury as an excuse to pause. During any period of injury, I immediately shifted my energy into working a job to help pay for the basic things I needed. Despite the immense physical and mental toll of these recoveries, I still fought and maintained my grades while simultaneously conquering the national rankings. Financially, staying at the top was an uphill battle. My family could not afford the high costs of national travel, so for the most part, my competition trips had to be fully sponsored by my wrestling clubs—otherwise, I would never have been able to afford to compete. My deep sense of responsibility also extended to my community. Throughout my career, I constantly volunteered my time to mentor and train younger athletes at my high school and local clubs. As team captain, I led us to our school's first and only girls' varsity league title before handing the leadership over to the next generation. For this, I was named Athlete of the Year at my high school senior year. After a lifetime of grueling physical sacrifice and back-to-back competition, I made the necessary choice to step away from wrestling this year to give my physical and mental health a much-needed rest. My strict training schedule never allowed me the time or space to explore anything outside of sports, and I am now using this time to fiercely pursue my true passion: Computer Science. However, stepping away to protect my health meant turning down the athletic scholarships I was offered. Now, I am so close to going away to a 4-year college, but I am facing a massive financial barrier. As a first-generation student, my parents do not have the money or the credit to fund my education. I am asking for this financial assistance not for a handout, but for an investment. I am currently channeling my champion-level work ethic into my tech education. In tech, just like in wrestling, success demands individual accountability, intense focus, and the grit to debug a failing program when you are exhausted. While I hope to return to the mat next year fully recharged, I am currently stepping into STEM with the mind of a national champion, ready to outwork any challenge and break barriers in tech.

For 12 years, elite wrestling defined my life. At 13, my family made the massive sacrifice to move from Northern to Southern California solely to advance my training. I homeschooled in 8th grade just to train twice a day, six times a week, while adding a weightlifting class to my weekly schedule before transitioning into a traditional high school down here. Alongside 6 years of cheerleading and 4 years of boxing, wrestling became my ultimate proving ground. I became a 6x All-American, a National Champion, and a 3x National Runner-Up. During my senior season, I reached the ultimate milestone: being ranked the #1 wrestler in the nation in my weight class by Sports Illustrated for a four-week run. With this level of elite success came intense, unrelenting pressure that carried through my entire wrestling career. Every time I stepped onto the mat, I carried the weight of national rankings and immense expectations. My academic and athletic journey reflects a battle just as intense as any match. My sophomore year required major shoulder surgery, and throughout high school, I fought through multiple broken bones and a severe junior-year concussion that heavily impacted my cognitive recovery. What sets my work ethic apart is that I never used an injury as an excuse to pause. During any period of injury, I immediately shifted my energy into working—whether that meant working a job, diving deeper into my studies, or breaking down film. Despite the immense physical and mental toll of these recoveries, I still fought and maintained my grades while simultaneously conquering the national rankings. This deep sense of responsibility extended far beyond my own performance. Throughout my career, I constantly volunteered my time to mentor and train new and younger athletes, both at my high school and within local wrestling clubs. As team captain, I took on the responsibility of unifying our squad, leading us to our school's first and only girls' varsity league title before handing the leadership responsibilities over to the next generation. For my leadership, resilience, and performance, I was ultimately named Athlete of the Year at my high school during my senior year. After a lifetime of grueling physical sacrifice and back-to-back competition, I have made the intentional choice to give my body a much-needed rest this year. My strict training and competing schedule never allowed me the time or space to explore anything outside of sports. Now, I am using this time to fiercely pursue my true passion: Computer Science. As a first-generation Latina, I am channeling that exact same champion-level work ethic into my tech education. In tech, just like in wrestling, success demands individual accountability, intense focus, and the grit to debug a failing program when you are exhausted. While I hope to return to the mat next year fully recharged, I am currently stepping into STEM with the mind of a national champion and the heart of a leader, ready to outwork any challenge in front of me.