Many people dream of having a chance to start afresh and attain success and fortune for their family, even if that means starting with little to nothing in a foreign country. As a first-generation Caribbean-American college student, I hold a lot of responsibility in my hands for the future generation to live the American dream. The American dream to me is the goal of rising through the ranks. I want to make an ascent from my current position. My parents were born in the Dominican Republic and did not go to college, making me the first to do so. I have the added support of my big family in America and across the waters to keep me on track, they are a huge support system for me. Many of my older family members did not have the same opportunities that my generation has now, a lot of them we take for granted. My home, the choice to continue my education, a wide range of career opportunities, and the freedom to explore my passions, are all things that I consider a privilege to have. I know that I have to work harder than others. I was raised to always do well in school so that I can be on the right track for higher education. Higher education means more opportunities to find a suitable career. In the eyes of an immigrant, they will expect their child to find a career that is both useful to society and pays well, a rather black and white way of seeing things. With added financial aid and scholarships, the place of many first-generation students at college depends on where their grades stand. I am a rising sophomore at the University of Rhode Island and a human development and family sciences major. With my major I have many opportunities to give back to my community. What I am most interested in is to work with families of children with disabilities and help them make progress and understand their child. I know from experience in my own family that many families struggle to have resources to care for their child, especially when they have a disability. I want to provide my community with those resources and help them comprehend their child and their needs. No matter what path I find myself on, I know that I will always have my family to support me. They made it so that I wouldn’t have to go through the same struggles that they did. All first-generation Americans and college students have the opportunity to achieve greater social mobility and an increase in income. We are climbing up the ladder and creating future generational wealth despite being born with so little in our hands.

To work on my mental health, I use journaling as a method of releasing stress. Journaling is something that I do whenever I feel high levels of stress or whenever I feel like it. This could be a couple of times a week to multiple times a day to a couple of times a month. It all depends on what is happening in my personal life at the moment. This process is very helpful for me because when I write I pretend like I am writing a letter to someone else about what is going on. My mind feels cleansed after I write and I feel like I can see things from a new perspective and can make better decisions. Stress management has taught me a lot about how I deal with these issues. Stress is a constant issue in my life. I constantly worry about the little things and it could feel like I have the weight of the world on my back sometimes. I've learned new skills to help me deal with stress and anxiety, plus I've learned that the things that I already do for myself are considerably effective. The stress management skills that are most important to me are journaling and writing affirmations, exercise, music, social support, and visualization. In the future, I will continue to be mindful of my stress and remind myself of ways to support myself.

When I started my freshman year in the fall of 2021, I found myself in a new learning environment different from what I was used to in high school. I already practice a few study strategies but I know that they are not strong and I only allowed myself to do so much. Oftentimes I feel frustrated and I push myself to the point where it is mentally damaging, and the new habits i learned during my first semester helped me improve on my study skills. My plan was created to fit with my schedule and with what I know is possible for me to follow through. However, I ran into obstacles. One concerned was the distractions. Being able to restrict my access and hold myself accountable to it is crucial in reaching my goal. Another challenge is committing to my schedule. I have pushed my timetable in favor of using the free time to relax or start another activity rather than work. I addressed these issues by preparing myself for these study sessions and trying to make them as engaging as possible so it is not something that I will see as a big load of work for me. I factor in free time for myself to do the things I want and will commit to that. If I want to overcome these challenges I will have to keep myself liable and remain persistent. I need to build these habits and stick to them. An outside figure will help me in check as well by giving me reminders. I am going to have to find others that I trust to keep me in line, and I could be that person for them as well. I am confident that I will achieve a mindset that will help me be successful.

From a young age, I decided that I was going to work in the health sciences. Years ago my mother and older brother had a car accident and had to do physical therapy for six months. I tagged along on a few of those visits and was intrigued by how the physical therapist knew what to look for and how to use that knowledge to create a solution. They were detail-oriented and connected to my family and our concerns. From that experience, I developed an interest in physical therapy. After engaging in some further research over a year ago I learned of the diverse specialties in physical therapy that I would like to explore, such as pediatrics, geriatrics, orthopedics, or neurological. There is a growing need for physical therapy and I am determined to get involved. As a Latina student, my dream is to use my privilege as a current student and future health professional to connect to my community. I want to help those with similar backgrounds as me and create a safe environment. Other than physical therapy, I would be hugely excited to enter the field of occupational therapy. As a medical professional my first priority is to make sure that I am providing a good service to everyone no matter their status, race, sexual orientation, and beliefs.

In the summer of 2019, I worked for the City of Providence, my hometown in Rhode Island, as a Summer Lunch Supervisor for the Eat Play Learn PVD program. My duties were to prepare and serve free lunches in my community. This was a valuable experience for me because I met many people and served my community. My neighborhood is full of many different people and cultures. I know that I made a difference for many families that summer. With that experience, I have learned how to be more understanding of people because of their experiences. I helped feed a lot of households that come from different backgrounds.

My favorite self care activity is journaling as a method of releasing stress. This is a practice that I do in my daily life. Journaling is something that I do whenever I feel high levels of stress or whenever I feel like it. This could be a couple of times a week to multiple times a day to a couple of times a month. It all depends on what is happening in my personal life at the moment. This process is very helpful for me because when I write I pretend like I am writing a letter to someone else about what is going on. My mind feels cleansed after I write and I feel like I can see things from a new perspective and can make better decisions. Learning about stress and stress management has taught me a lot about how I deal with these issues. Stress is a constant issue in my life. I constantly worry about the little things and it could feel like I have the weight of the world on my back sometimes. This way I've learned new skills to help me deal with stress and anxiety, plus I've learned that the things that I already do for myself are considerably effective. The stress management skills that are most important to me are journaling and writing affirmations, exercise, music, social support, and visualization. In the future, I will continue to be mindful of my stress and remind myself of ways to support myself.