My life path shifted dramatically when I became a mother right after graduating from high school. I had the grades, I had the acceptance letters, but I did not have the support I needed to pursue a college education. In my family, college was not something you pursued if you had children. It was a crazy dream, not a plan, so I went to work. I joined the retail industry and climbed the ranks quickly at the shoe store I worked in. I felt pride in providing for my daughter, but I also felt as if something was missing. I craved a spark that I first experienced in my childhood. That spark was curiosity. When I was a kid, my parents had a rule: I had to read the encyclopedia for an hour before I could go outside and play. At first, I did it just to earn my playtime, but I eventually started looking forward to those moments of discovery. I did not know what STEM was back then, but I knew I loved learning how things worked. That curiosity never left me, even when life got complicated and I became a mother. As a shoe store manager, I had to work closely with performance brands like Nike and Adidas and learn about the development of their shoes. But my curiosity got the best of me. I started asking deeper questions: How do materials affect comfort? Performance? Sustainability? That curiosity turned into a new dream—I did not want to sell shoes anymore. I wanted to be the person behind the science; I wanted to be an engineer. I enrolled at Southwestern College and eventually transferred to the University of San Diego, where I am now pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering with a minor in physics. Since then, I’ve 3D-printed my own designs, worked with biomaterials, and traveled internationally to conduct research in Mexico and Chile. My journey has not been easy; I carry responsibilities my peers often do not. While many students spend their evenings studying, I spend mine doing Instacart deliveries to cover expenses. When I get home, I help my daughter with her homework and do not start my own studying until she has fallen asleep. Sometimes, something as small as paying for a doctor’s note means not having enough money to cover my gas expenses to get to campus. Still, my resilience keeps me going. Each experience reaffirmed that I belong in STEM, not just because of my skills, but because of my values and passion. Curiosity led me to STEM; resilience has been my fuel to keep going, and equity is what motivates me to achieve my long-term goals. My goals include working in a research and development lab focused on biomaterials and sustainability, helping build a circular bioeconomy that reduces waste and improves lives, and pursuing a PhD in Materials Science Engineering. But my ultimate goal is to return to the community college where I began as a professor. I want to promote equity in STEM and support students like me: older, working-class, first-generation, and full of potential. Eventually, I hope to create a scholarship fund for students like me—those who do not fit the traditional mold but show up anyway. Because dreams should not come with a price tag, and no one should feel like they do not belong in science because of where they started.

Pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering with a minor in physics has been one of the most fulfilling yet challenging decisions I have ever made. As a first-generation college student and single mother, I have had to navigate higher education on my own. The process has been overwhelming and often financially draining. Financial aid forms were intimidating, and without family guidance, every step toward my goals felt like a leap into the unknown. On campus, I struggled with feeling like an outsider. I am much older than most of my peers and constantly balancing coursework with the responsibilities of raising a child. While many of my classmates use their free time to study for our rigorous STEM courses, I spend mine fulfilling Instacart orders to ease my financial stress. When that is done, my attention shifts entirely to my daughter and helping her with her schoolwork. My studying does not begin until the dead of night, once the rest of the house is asleep. Unexpected expenses make things even harder. Something as small as paying for a doctor’s note can mean not having enough money for gas to get to class—or even to buy myself lunch while I am there. As I continue my education, I know that the financial challenges will only grow. From upgrading my six-year-old laptop to covering the cost of commuting to school or future internships, these expenses can influence whether I stay on track to graduate or fall behind. This scholarship would relieve some of my financial burdens. Five hundred dollars may not seem like to some, but to me, it means a month of gas for my commute to school. It could be just enough to buy a new laptop for the upcoming semester, or more than enough to help with childcare so I can join my peers in study sessions and better prepare for exams. This scholarship is more than a monetary award; it would offer me peace of mind and the freedom to focus on my future without having to worry about how I will afford my next step. My goal is to complete my bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and later work in a research and development lab focused on biomaterials and sustainability. I am especially passionate about building a circular bioeconomy and helping reduce waste through innovative material design. My long-term goal is to work in a research and development lab, then return to school to earn a PhD in Materials Science. Ultimately, I hope to return to community college, not as a student but as a professor. I want to give back to the place where I first dared to believe in myself, and show other first-generation students like me that no dream is too far out of reach. I also want to help make college more accessible for first-generation students and single mothers pursuing STEM, so that finances do not hinder a person’s potential. This scholarship will help me achieve my academic and professional goals and help me empower and inspire others to pursue similar paths.

I am a single mother who is trying to break through the stereotypes that come from being a young mother in a Hispanic culture. Although I am a mother, I do not want to settle for being a stay-at-home mom, I want to be the first person in my family to graduate from college. I also want to be a role model for my daughter and other young girls who feel like it is impossible to go to college when faced with similar stereotypes. It took me a while to decide to go to college, seven years to be exact. This is because I ended up having my first child right after I graduated from high school. I had made several attempts to go to college, but I found it difficult due to a lack of resources. Instead, I pursued a career in retail. Although I enjoyed being able to train and develop a team, I had a deep desire for learning. Now I am a student at Southwestern College pursuing a degree in chemical engineering. My goal is to create a club for mothers in STEM who want to continue their education but are lacking resources. So far, this club has started as a support group, but it will continue to grow. I am also an active member of SHPE. As a SHPE member, I have been able to organize free coding workshops for students in a collaborative environment. My decision to pursue chemical engineering is influenced by my background in retail. Before attending Southwestern College, I managed a shoe store in which I would educate customers and employees on the composition of a shoe. It is then that I realized there is a lot of science behind the development of something as simple as a shoe and I wanted to be involved in that process! My experience with plastics and textiles drives me to want to learn more about chemical engineering and material sciences. I have heard firsthand the issues that people are faced with when shopping for soft goods and would be able to use my skills as an engineer to help alleviate their concerns. As a chemical engineer, I want to explore the materials and processes that companies use to develop their goods and help make these processes better. Also, I want to help engineer a sustainable and eco-friendly textile fiber that can be used when industries have recycled footwear and apparel. The fashion industry faces the challenge of producing weaker fibers when they chemically recycle items. Thus, making textile recycling a difficult task. If I were able to further my studies in chemical engineering, I would be able to contribute to the solution for this issue. Earning a degree in chemical engineering would mean so much more than just research and design to me. As a chemical engineer, I will be able to make an impact in our climate change crisis. I will have an active role in helping move industries towards a greener industrial complex by improving the materials they use for production. Also, I would be able to prevent the pollution that occurs when weakened textiles and materials need to be incinerated or tossed in a landfill. Another goal I have as an engineer is to help strengthen the vision for programs such as the “Circular Fibres Initiative”. This is a program dedicated to transitioning the apparel industry into a zero-waste industry. I want to provide the research that initiatives like these need to gain momentum and support from larger corporations. Another area that I would like to improve as a chemical engineer is the production of personal protective equipment (PPE). With the rise of the pandemic, it is not rare to find PPE scattered in parking lots or other areas with high foot traffic. With my knowledge in chemistry, I would like to study the syntheses of proteins that will allow for a biodegradable fiber. I could then help engineer PPE that would decompose over a shorter period of time, preventing it from making it into our aquatic environments. Overall, my desire to make a positive impact on the world is greatly influenced by my enthusiasm for biodegradable fibers and protein interactions.