The determination trait that I carry is from when I was growing up and seeing my mom negotiating prices and being determined to seek potential customers for her self-care products, homemade food, or home-grown crops that she would sell to people in our community. She would always end up getting more sales than intended. It may be luck, but I call it being strategic. She always told me to do good, if not then even better, and to never settle for less for myself. I know she said that to me because where she and my brothers came from was a country they wanted to leave for better opportunities. My mother believed in me before I even believed in myself, just as her mother did for her when my mother came to the U.S. at a young age with two kids of her own by her side. Success is often said than done. It is achievable when you believe in the impossibilities. The journey that leads up to that is a gift to obtain. It's not tangible, but it is valuable. Success can look different in many ways in people's eyes. I want my family’s hard work to allow their daughter to go to the outside world far from home to pursue higher education and be the first to do it. I have grown to use and take the opportunities given to me. Now that I am about to graduate high school, I am fighting for continuous education and a future in the business industry. I want to be a businesswoman who contributes positively to society and gives back to the community. Since my mother believed in me, I have an assurance that I can do this for her to repay her for the days stacked on each other with her sweat and tears as a single mother. My reasoning for giving her recognition and applause is that she sparked something in my heart to do something bigger than myself and our family. I can be the first to start this pathway to success and pass it along to the next generation, after each one after the next. I am passing down the torch of success to those who strive for success and are full of eagerness, discipline, and passion as success is essential in my life. That is how I will repay this generous opportunity and my family's sweat and tears. I will certainly be putting my education and work first because I am gifted to do so. I am willing to go through the hard work for my family and me. I will dedicate myself to success because I deserve it. Not only do I deserve it, but my family deserves their success. Deserving does not mean selfishness, but knowing your value because you have harvested your hard work. I know I am here to succeed and give back to others to help them succeed. That is my dream and purpose in life. Just as attaining this generous opportunity to receive financial assistance to attend my desired university will support my dreams and pathway to success as a Hispanic female from a low-income family and first-generation. I may not be a burden because I am her daughter, but she has sacrificed so much for me, and I want to repay her and my family with success and financial security. Thank you for your consideration and the opportunity to apply for a generous scholarship to help people who are children of immigrants or are immigrants. This scholarship uplifts the community and creates a better future for us.

A selfish 8-year-old girl with a dirty shirt and unbrushed hair says “Mami quiero ir a jugar con los niños” and repeatedly begs her mom in the movie's opening scene named Ganas. The 8-year-old girl and her family of 7 lived in the unit A apartment in a neighborhood filled with memorable memories and horror. The neighborhood mainly consisted of people of color and people who struggled financially. The struggles that my family had gone through were low-income, immigration, and alcoholism. When surrounded by that your whole life, it's normal and you work your way around for you not to continue a cycle of bad habits and living. Horror is not like movie theater horror… it is the horror that can crumble your family apart. Money was always the main problem in my family. It‘s like it almost always leads to something bad in the family. There are times when somebody puts it to good use. My mother worked and still works her tail off to provide for the family. She has this fascinating determination and I wish people could recognize that, but sometimes the most beautiful diamond is never found. Diamond found or not, I will always go to my mami for everything because she always has the ganas to support me. Ganas is to have the desire and dedication. Some didn’t have that. That is the horror of this movie. It’s like asking to take the bad path in life. Being sluggish doesn’t benefit yourself or anybody in positive ways. The 8-year-old girl in the movie believes that the ones who don’t have the desire and dedication won’t ever get what they want in life which can lead to more problems and negative feelings that are created from unique situations. “You cannot enjoy the fruits of your harvest and labor if you never begin.” says the older version of the 8-year-old girl. Being selfish at a young age can develop a hatred of the world when getting older. It is scary and I know because I was that girl whose world revolved around family. From personal experience, it is something to recover from especially when you get everything you wanted even if you didn’t earn it. Eventually, I got humbled because I was so self-centered. It got to a point where I was blinded by all of my delusions and lived in a lie. It created such horror in my life. Thankfully, I am now taught to work hard for what I want and need. I cannot earn anything and enjoy the fruits if my work isn't harvested. I received an eye-opening experience as I started to hit my preteen years. It was hard to understand as a child, but I became open-minded. It made me a mature and helpful individual as the years went by. Now I am teaching the younger kids in my family to be well-behaved and to respect their parents even if they don’t want to. That is what I should have done to my mother, but I was unaware of all of the hardships she had gone through. I always thought about me. You have to have the ganas to be a better person and to earn the things you work hard for.

The determination trait that I carry is from when I was growing up and seeing my mom negotiating prices and being determined to seek potential customers for her self-care products, homemade food, or home-grown crops that she would sell to people in our community. She would always end up getting more sales than intended. It may be luck, but I call it being strategic. She always told me to do good, if not then even better, and to never settle for less for myself. I know she said that to me because where she and my brothers came from was a country they wanted to leave for better opportunities. My mother believed in me before I even believed in myself, just as her mother did for her when my mother came to the U.S. at a young age with two kids of her own by her side. Being the youngest child makes this experience meaningful much more because seeing my family struggle while growing up made me determined to do my best and give what they deserve in return for their sacrifices, even if they aren’t asking me to repay them after everything because I grew up with so much burden in my heart. My reasoning for giving her recognition and applause is that she sparked something in my heart to do something bigger than myself and our family. I want my family’s hard work to allow their daughter to go to the outside world far from home to pursue higher education and be the first to do it. I have grown to use and take the opportunities given to me. Now that I am about to graduate high school, I am fighting for continuous education and a future in the business industry. From a child to now, as I am about to become a young adult, I have gone through the hardships that shaped me to become a resilient being, a disciplined individual, and a leader. I am passing down the torch of success to those who strive for success and are full of eagerness, discipline, and passion. I am not afraid of change and the what-ifs my family has faced because those barriers cannot stop me from achieving success. Without a doubt, obtaining the Julius Quentin Jackson Scholarship will help my education and support the dream of a Hispanic female from a low-income family and first-generation. I may not be a burden because I am her daughter, but she has sacrificed so much for me, and I want to repay her and my family with success and financial security. It will start with me in my family history, and I want my family to carry that legacy to continue to pour their hearts into and aim for betterment. Thank you for your consideration and the opportunity to apply for a generous scholarship to help people who are children of immigrants or are immigrants.

The determination trait that I carry is from when I was growing up and seeing my mom negotiating prices and being determined to seek potential customers for her self-care products, homemade food, or home-grown crops that she would sell to people in our community. She would always end up getting more sales than intended. It may be luck, but I call it being strategic. She always told me to do good, if not then even better, and to never settle for less for myself. I know she said that to me because where she and my brothers came from was a country they wanted to leave for better opportunities. My mother believed in me before I even believed in myself, just as her mother did for her when my mother came to the U.S. at a young age with two kids of her own by her side. Success is often said than done. It is achievable when you believe in the impossibilities. The journey that leads up to that is a gift to obtain. It is not tangible, but it is valuable. Success can look different in many ways in the eyes of people. I want my family’s hard work to allow their daughter to go to the outside world far from home to pursue higher education and be the first to do it. I have grown to use and take the opportunities given to me. Now that I am about to graduate high school, I am fighting for continuous education and a future in the business industry. I want to be a businesswoman who contributes positively to society and gives back to the community. Being the youngest child makes this experience meaningful much more because seeing my family struggle while growing up made me determined to do my best and give what they deserve in return for their sacrifices, even if they aren’t asking me to repay them after everything. Since my mother believed in me, I have an assurance that I can do this for her to repay her for the days stacked on each other with her sweat and tears as a single mother. My reasoning for giving her recognition and applause is that she sparked something in my heart to do something bigger than myself and our family. From a child to now, as I am about to become a young adult, I have gone through the hardships that shaped me to become a resilient being, a disciplined individual, and a leader. I am passing down the torch of success to those who strive for success and are full of eagerness, discipline, and passion. I am not afraid of change and the what-ifs my family has faced because those barriers cannot stop me from achieving success. Without a doubt, obtaining the Goobie-Ramlal Education Scholarship will help my education and support the dream of a Hispanic female from a low-income family and first-generation. I may not be a burden because I am her daughter, but she has sacrificed so much for me, and I want to repay her and my family with success and financial security. It will start with me in my family history, and I want my family to carry that legacy to continue to pour their hearts into and aim for betterment. I know I am here to impact by helping others succeed. That is my dream and purpose in life. Thank you for your consideration and the opportunity to apply for a generous scholarship to help people who are children of immigrants or are immigrants.

Success is often said than done. It is achievable when you believe in the impossibilities. The journey that leads up to that is a gift to obtain. It's not tangible, but it is valuable. Success can look different in many ways in people's eyes. On the other hand, mine is like a well-earned gold medal, and it's harvested through hard work. When I have a taste of success, it feels like I am winning in all areas of life. Unfortunately, that feeling doesn't last forever. I will work hard and seek opportunities to reach that continuous success that won't ever go away. Just as attaining this generous opportunity to receive financial assistance to attend my desired university will support my dreams and pathway to success as a Hispanic first-generation daughter. I can be the first to start this pathway to success and pass it along to the next generation, after each one after the next. I can achieve success because I am Marivel Miguel, and I believe in myself even through the impossibilities. Preteen to now, as I am about to become a young adult, I've gone through the hardships that shaped me to become a resilient being, a disciplined individual, and a leader. I am passing down the torch of success to those who strive for success and are full of eagerness, discipline, and passion as In addition to being a Hispanic first-generation in my family, I will dedicate myself to success because I deserve it. Not only do I deserve it, but my family deserves their success. Deserving does not mean selfishness, but means knowing your value because you have harvested your hard work. I know I am here to succeed and give back to others to help them succeed. That is my dream and purpose in life. Success is essential in my life. Despite that, everything does not go according to the plans, and I will discover new ways to succeed. I am not afraid of change and the what-ifs because those barriers cannot stop me from achieving success. Being put on this pathway is so rewarding because I know my hard work from the start of my high school years to the end of high school is rewarding. I grew tremendously as a person because of all of the hardships and my work. I will continue that as I take my education to a higher level. Without a doubt, the Refining Victory Scholarship will be used to support my dreams, but my family's hard work allows their daughter to go to the outside world that is far away from them to bring back a gold medal. That is how I will repay for this generous opportunity and my family's sweat and tears. I will certainly be putting my education and work first because I am gifted to do so. I am willing to go through the hard work for my family and me. Through the hardships I will face in the future, I will succeed, and I believe.

My name is Marivel Miguel. I am fighting for my continuous education and future. I want to be those important people who contribute positively to society and give back to my community. Obtaining the Reach For Your Future Scholarship will help my education at High Point University. As a Hispanic female from a low-income family and first-generation, it will help tremendously with my school of choice because each cent counts. Education is the foundation of academic disciplines and areas of study. Others suggest that education is the foundation of life. Important people who contribute positively to society are brilliant, experienced, dedicated, and intelligent. Most of them have pursued higher learning because it’s not always easy to get where they are at. Various careers need higher education to be the best and not just knowledgeable. Picking where you want to pursue your higher education is crucial because that is what you will represent when entering the career industry or workforce and help with your goals. My goals started at the beginning of high school. I knew I wanted to have a tremendous impact on my family, my mother especially. She is the reason why I am seeking scholarships that will help me continue my education without being a burden on her behalf. I may not be a burden because I am her daughter, but I feel guilty because she has sacrificed so much for me, and I want to repay her with success and security. Growing up in north Alabama with a mixed environment with adults and programs reaching out to the kids to help them with their education and future, kids who wanted to better themselves and their lives, and kids who did not care and were distracting to others. The environment makes me appreciate that I can see my reality and be able to work for my deserved reality. Being taught to use and take the opportunities given to me, I am still learning, and that is okay because everyone is still learning aside from age and lessons. It will start with me in my family history, and I want my family to carry that legacy to continue to pour their hearts into and aim for betterment. I will use my resources efficiently regarding the Reach For Your Future Scholarship. With each cent, I will be able to accomplish my goals in my desired career as a consultant and human resource. Thank you for your consideration and the opportunity to apply for a generous scholarship accommodating low-income females in Alabama.

The first question I ask myself when a lesson is taught by a coach or in a situation is, "How can I learn from this coach/lesson?" I always find ways to learn from others or situations. My curiosity taught me how to create and implement my creativity. From a child to the present time, I've been full of ideas of creativity and ambition following a competitive trait. Having an open mind allows me to be curious. It allowed me to put myself in a position where I can be the best at what I am good at and excel from that point forward. I love to craft, explore, find new ways to do something better, research, and learn new things I've never known. Throughout my high school career, I knew a bunch of wrestlers who were going through things in their personal lives but still showed up to practice and gave it their all because I was also one of those people. It changed the way I thought about their passion for a brutal sport —how someone can go through so much and still show up and be the best they can be. During my first year of wrestling as a sophomore, I had a good work ethic, but my talent did not match others. Feeling that way puts me in competition with the skilled wrestlers. I remember questioning myself, "What makes me different from the others?" I felt behind, ashamed, and hopeless. That is the consequence of having an ambitious heart and being competitive. Two things that helped me continue and not let my light become dimmed are being curious and challenging myself to be better than the Marivel that was hurt. Later on, regardless of the talented wrestler, I found myself trying to get better every day. Specifically, this year, I dealt with many problems and situations that could have potentially ended my wrestling career. I continue to show up for wrestling even if it feels like wrestling didn't show up for me, yet it's always there. People who believe in me, and I want to prove the other crowd wrong. That is what pushes almost all wrestlers to be the best they can be, and judging them for that is not what I want because I share that same drive. At last, what if I wrestled since I was seven? Everything happens for a reason, and I was in this situation as an athlete for this exact reason. It is to learn to be myself and continue to strive for better even if I'm not accepted. Along the way, it shaped me to be open-minded and let myself be curious without shame, and believe that as I continue to walk my path, I will only elevate from here on out and the dream of being a woman who shines even in the darkest times hoping my heart full of ambition will experience the life I am purposed to live. Being the best of the best is not what completes me or my future. It's being the better version of myself. I am grateful for this sport, and I can take things from wrestling and implement wrestling into my life. It has shaped me to treat others respectfully regardless of everything, including sportsmanship. Wrestling is not for the weak-minded and can only better you if you allow yourself to become great in those areas.