The wisest thing I've ever heard came from my step-father, he said "In this life, nothing is handed to you. You may feel like you want to quit things , but quitters never get anywhere, those who work hard and fulfill their goals, they can get anything they want." If I told you that growing up, my life was a cake walk, I'd be lying. I like everyone else has had their fair share of trials and tribulations. I come from a broken home pieced and held together by a man who does not share my last name or blood, but treats my siblings and I like we do. I come from a family who did not always have what they wanted, but had each other. I come from a community of people who are judged by their skin color, language, and job titles rather than their character. I've lost people who I should've spent more time with and regret not doing so. I've felt the emptiness of abandonment and ive felt the pressure of others having to watch over me. I've learned so much from this and I am thankful for it. When these issues felt like they were piling up, I always turned to my step-dad for his advice. He always told me that the outcome of my life is in my own hands. He pushed education in each of his children, blood or not, and told us that if we wanted our life's to change, the life's of the people in our community to change, and the world to change, this was the answer. "You may feel like you want to quit things , but quitters never get anywhere, those who work hard and fulfill their goals, they can get anything they want."

I am Miranda Marquez, I am Latina, I am Mexican, I am American. I am the product of a broken home put together by a man who raised us with his own two hands without having to. I come from a community of the working class, the dreamers, the parents who come home every day after working 16 hours to put food on the table, the people who sell homemade dolls and food on the sidewalks to make an honest living, I come from honest people. I come from the people who broke their backs for generations picking the very food you have on the dinner table, I come from people with a spirit that never once quit, and neither will I. Demographically speaking I should not be applying to your scholarships, I should have a child before the age of 21, I should only have a highschool diploma; if I’m lucky. Growing up I was always told I could. I could be a powerful successful woman, go to college, I could be whoever I dreamt I could be if I put in work. I have no intention of doing otherwise. I was taught to never shy away from who I am and who and where I come from, my people hold the story of millions of our lives. Until we get equality in education, we will not have an equal society. I want to become a dentist, upon looking at the different dental apartment’s orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics looked extremely intrigued. When I looked up exactly what dentofacial orthopedics meant I was captivated and could see myself in a classroom learning about the bones in the face and jaw and how important it is to the structure of the face. The reason I want to become an orthodontist is because I struggle with the insecurity of my teeth. I want to be a dentist so that I can help people not only with health concerns regarding their teeth but also with something as little as their confidence. Becoming a Dentist would mean that I fulfilled one of my biggest goals which is having the privilege to be able to help those with low self-esteem and take care of others.

Bravery is choosing your own path, even if it means standing alone. Bravery is more than just saving life's if it means putting your own at risk. Bravery can be demonstrated through small actions that may not seem all that courageous, but still make an impact on both your life and others. Bravery is standing up for what you believe in, choosing the path less taken, and helping those in times of need. I practice bravery through my hunger for education and my aspiration to leave my small town into unventured territories to better my opportunities. I aspire to become a Dentist, and in order to do this many sacrifices have taken place to get to this decision and to reach my goal. I sacrificed free time to focus on my education through tutoring and studying. I've applied to schools both in Texas and outside of Texas to increase my chances of getting into a good dental school. This is a bold move that if I'm being completely hones, scares me a little. This feeling of fear is my drive to fulfill my goals. This bold move of mine is a small price to pay for the rest of my life, and to me that is what bravery is.

If I could do anything with my life, I'd become a dentist or an orthodontist. I'd open my own dental practice that-a couple times a year- would help those who cannot afford insurance get their dental checkups and procedures taken care of. I would make enough money to give back to my community and support local organizations like our animal shelter and immigration shelter. I would be able to support my parents like they did for me I want to show other women and little girls what they are capable of if they apply themselves and work hard. I once heard a quote and will share it with you now " The most strongest, the most powerful, the most dangerous creature on this whole Earth is a woman who knows how to think. Ain't nothing she can’t do." I feel like if only more women knew what they were capable of doing in territories they have never ventured before, this world would have so many more powerhouse women in positions of power. If I could be that someone for that little girl dreaming of becoming more than the restraints of society tells her she can be, I wouldn't hesitate at all to do it. I live in a predominantly Latino community where much of the traditional gender roles are still seen. I want all women to know that they are worth so much more than the oppressors tell them to be. STEM is the perfect field to exemplify this hunger for knowledge and success.

I aspire to make a positive impact in the world through my education. I aspire to be a STEM major and inspire other Latinas and all women and girls to want more than people tell them they can have. I intend on enrolling to college as a Biology major and after obtaining my bachelors degree attending dental school. I aspire to become a dentist or an orthodontist and open my own dental clinic. One thing that I have come to know is that in my community there are very few female dentists. I want to be the one to change that. I want to encourage every child regardless of gender that there is so much that the world has to offer, we just have to step out of our comfort zone to do so. By becoming a dentist I feel that I can restore confidence that many with dental problems have. I believe that no one should ever feel ashamed to smile and being a dentist can help me ensure that my patients will not. I know what its like to dread taking a photo because I don't have perfect teeth, I want to prevent anyone from feeling that pang of regret. More importantly though, I want to make people happy and confident and help them live the best versions of themselves that they can, one smile at a time. I believe that smiling is one of the most beautiful things in the world. Smiles can change someone's day and a smile can bring comfort to others. I want to be the reason that people have the confidence to showcase their happiness. Growing up I was fortunate enough to have a stepfather that always told me that I could do anything that my heart desired, as long as I worked for it. I want to have the same impact that he had on my life, for others. I want to be someone my community can be proud of and inspire others to be the change they want to see in the world. I want to prove to everyone what women and people of Latino backgrounds are capable of doing, that we are not a statistic but success stories that do not get told often enough. I want to prove that by me getting out of my home town, getting a top-notch education, and becoming successful is a possibility for everyone regardless of their background.

One of the greatest challenges I've had to overcome was the pandemic. I know I'm not the only one who had my fair share of trials and tribulations, but to be completely transparent, I fell into a rut of lack of motivation. I had many challenges during this time, my parents struggled to make ends meet because they were forced to close their business, my father got sick, and virtual classes isolated me from everything but my laptop. During the first couple of months, I could not understand why my friends were having emotional break downs or why my parents were easily agitated. That is, until I finally hit a breaking point as well. I would wake up in dread because I felt like I was reliving the same day repeatedly, I talked to computer screens rather than people, and I never left my house. However, I kept in mind that I could not quit like everyone else had, I had too much on the line. My education purely relies on me and the grades I make to get scholarships and college acceptances so that I could get out of my small town and find so much more. I did not let myself fall behind like so many others. I could've easily done what others did and not log into class, but I refused. I forced myself to work through my rut and make the best possible grades I could. In the end, I closed out the year with straight A's, my lowest grade being a 97. I managed to get passed this time by keeping a quote my stepfather had repeatedly told me "This is just a small price to pay for the rest of your life."

Where I come from education is all that a lot of us have. Where I come from, students depend on school for meals. You are lucky where I'm from if you have a teacher that remembers your first name, if you have a ride to school every day, if you have nice school clothes, and if you don't need an after-school job to help support your family. I was one of the lucky ones. Even though I didn't always have what I wanted, I had what I needed. I have an education which for the generation before me, did not always have. I was raised by a family who always made sure that I took whatever privileges life gave me and never let go. Life gave me pain and self-doubt and I turned it into my drive, I made myself a promise that I will be worth more than the sum of pain and self-doubt but the product of it when it does not define you but teaches you how to grow and heal .Life gave me my stepdad who taught me the value of self-worth, honesty, integrity, discipline and more importantly love . My education is my everything. It has been my goal ever since I was three years old to get into college and to be a success for my family and my town. I want to show little boys and girls, even adults who question whether they still have time to get an education, that they can, because I will. Where we come from should not define where we end up, who we are and our character should define where we go and our worth, not a statistic

I'm just a highschool senior from a small town many people probably never heard of. I live a pretty ordinary life. I'm sure my meaning of life may not be the right one (if there is any real meaning to the life we live) but its one that may be in some parameter of what life was meant to be. The meaning of life is (drum roll please) to live life. I know, that sounds ridiculously anticlimactic, but hear me out. The life that you and I live are our life's and our life's only. The meaning of life is for us to live a life that we feel we will be proud of and pass on what we've learned to the next generation of living beings. The meaning of life is to do what each individual feels will make them happy. I intent to go to college and become a dentist, I intend to have enough money to support my parents, have a family, see my family grow, and die. Because in the end, we may not know what our future holds for us today, in forty years, or in the next minute, one thing is for certain however and it is that all good things come to an end, everyone dies. The meaning of life is to live it as we see fit, and if there are bumps in the road to keep going until out time is up. I heard a quote once by Panese " Love is truly the great manifesto; the urge to be, and if death may come, to die valiantly with acclimation-in short, to remain a memory" I believe that this is true for life as well.

Demographically speaking I should not be applying school, I should have a child before the age of 21, I should only have a high school diploma; if I’m lucky. People look at my community for what they look like, not who they are. They see our melanin and see no more, they hear our Spanish and look at us sideways, they hear our accents and see us as foreigners. Growing up I was always told I could. I could be a powerful successful woman, I could go to college, I could be whoever I dreamt I could be if I put in the work. I have no intention of doing otherwise. I was taught to never shy away from who I am and who and where I come from, my people hold the story of millions of our lives. Until we get equality in education, we will not have an equal society. Where I come from education is all that a lot of us have. Where I come from, students depend on school for meals. You are lucky where I'm from if you have a teacher that remembers your first name, if you have a ride to school every day, if you have nice school clothes, and if you don't need an after-school job to help support your family. I was one of the lucky ones. Even though I didn't always have what I wanted, I had what I needed. I have an education which for the generation before me, did not always have. I was raised by a family who always made sure that I took whatever privileges life gave me and never let go. Life gave me pain and self-doubt and I turned it into my drive, I made myself a promise that I will be worth more than the sum of pain and self-doubt but the product of it when it does not define you but teaches you how to grow and heal and I promised to that if I could, make sure no one ever feels that pain and emptiness of abandonment .Life gave me my stepdad who taught me the value of self-worth, honesty, integrity, discipline and more importantly love . My education is my everything. It has been my goal ever since I was three years old to get into college and to be a success for my family and my town. I want to show little boys and girls, even adults who question whether they still have time to get an education, that they can, because I will. Where we come from should not define where we end up, who we are and our character should define where we go and our worth, not a statistic. I do not intend to become a statistic forced onto my people by a society that never intended to highlight their worth, talent, or work ethic. I intend to become the person people are proud of. I intend on being the real me and make my community and family proud no matter the cost. I will be another success story

I am Miranda Marquez, I am Latina, I am Mexican, I am American. I am the product of a broken home put together by a man who raised us with his own two hands without having to. I come from a community of the working class, the dreamers, the mothers and fathers who come home every day after working 16 hours just to put food on the table, the people who sell homemade dolls and food on the sidewalks to make an honest living, I come from honest people, I come from the people who broke their backs for generations picking the very food you have on the dinner table, I come from people with a spirit that never once quit, and neither will I. My goal is to become a dentist or an orthodontist and one day open up my own dental office. I want to become a dentist because I firmly believe everyone deserves confidence in themselves and a smile that they are not ashamed of showing. Growing up I struggled with my confidence in relation to my teeth. Although I felt this flaw in every picture taken of me, I never stopped smiling. I came to the realization however that not everyone has the courage to continue to smile. I want to become a dentist to give people their confidence back. No one should ever feel ashamed when they smile, they should feel happy. I want to become a dentist so that I can ensure no one ever has that feeling of dread before having their picture taken. I want to make a change in the way people live their lives in the best way possible. What I aspire to do with my clinic is help those in need. A couple of times a year I want to help those less fortunate or without dental insurance get the dental care they need. Dental care is more important than what many think. My father once told me, "Your dental health is the gate way to overall health", and I am a firm believer in this. The mouth is the primary area of digestion and respiration and can effect your heart, breathing abilities, and face structure. Drunk driving impacted my life because I saw first hand what victims of a drunk driving go through. When I was four or five years old my father got into an accident. It was late in the afternoon, the sun had just gone down. My father was on the road trying to get home when he was hit by a drunk driver. She was a teenager, operating a vehicle under the influence, she kept driving. My fathers car was crushed, the rims had flown off and he suffered injuries that affected him for years to come. He broke an ankle and was severely bruised. I saw the aches and pain he delt with and saw how it affected his working abilities. As a result he gained weight and developed more pain. One thing my mind always went back to was that girl. I kept thinking about how she potentially ruined her life through one irresponsible act.

“Until we get equality in education, we will not have an equal society” -Sonia Sotomayor. I am Miranda Marquez, I am Latina, I am Mexican, I am American. I am the product of a broken home put together by a man who raised us with his own two hands without having to. I come from a community of the working class, the dreamers, the mothers and fathers who come home every day after working 16 hours just to put food on the table, the people who sell homemade dolls and food on the sidewalks to make an honest living, I come from honest people, I come from the people who broke their backs for generations picking the very food you have on the dinner table, I come from people with a spirit that never once quit, and neither will I. Demographically speaking I should have a child before the age of 21, I should only have a high school diploma; if I’m lucky. People look at my community for what they look like, not who they are. They see our melanin and see no more, they hear our Spanish and look at us sideways and see us as foreigners. Growing up I was always told I could. I could be a powerful successful woman, I could go to college, I could be whoever I dreamt I could be if I put in the work. I have no intention of doing otherwise. I was taught to never shy away from who I am and who and where I come from, my people hold the story of millions of our lives. Where I come from education is all that a lot of us have. Where I come from, you are lucky where if you have a teacher that remembers your first name, if you have a ride to school every day, if you have nice school clothes, and if you don't need an after-school job to help support your family. I was one of the lucky ones. Even though I didn't always have what I wanted, I had what I needed. I have an education which for the generation before me, did not always have. I was raised by a family who always made sure that I took whatever privileges life gave me and never let go. Life gave me pain and self-doubt and I turned it into my drive, I made myself a promise that I will be worth more than the sum of pain and self-doubt but the product of it when it does not define you but teaches you how to grow and heal .Life gave me my stepdad who taught me the value of self-worth, honesty, integrity, discipline and more importantly, love . My education is my everything. It has been my goal ever since I was three years old to get into college and to be a success for my family and my town. I want to show little boys and girls, even adults who question whether they still have time to get an education, that they can, because I will. Where we come from should not define where we end up, our character should define where we go and our worth, not a statistic. I do not intend to become a statistic forced onto my people by a society that never intended to highlight their worth, talent, or work ethic. I intend to become the person people are proud of. I intend on being the real me and make my community and family proud no matter the cost. I will be another success story

“Until we get equality in education, we will not have an equal society” -Sonia Sotomayor. I am Miranda Marquez, I am Latina, I am Mexican, I am American. I am the product of a broken home put together by a man who raised us with his own two hands without having to. I come from a community of the working class, the dreamers, the mothers and fathers who come home every day after working 16 hours just to put food on the table, the people who sell homemade dolls and food on the sidewalks to make an honest living, I come from honest people, I come from the people who broke their backs for generations picking the very food you have on the dinner table, I come from people with a spirit that never once quit, and neither will I. Demographically speaking I should not be applying to your school, I should have a child before the age of 21, I should only have a high school diploma; if I’m lucky. People look at my community for what they look like, not who they are. They see our melanin and see no more, they hear our Spanish and look at us sideways, they hear our accents and see us as foreigners. Growing up I was always told I could. I could be a powerful successful woman, I could go to college, I could be whoever I dreamt I could be if I put in the work. I have no intention of doing otherwise. I was taught to never shy away from who I am and who and where I come from, my people hold the story of millions of our lives. Until we get equality in education, we will not have an equal society. Where I come from education is all that a lot of us have. Where I come from, students depend on school for meals. You are lucky where I'm from if you have a teacher that remembers your first name, if you have a ride to school every day, if you have nice school clothes, and if you don't need an after-school job to help support your family. I was one of the lucky ones. Even though I didn't always have what I wanted, I had what I needed. I was raised by a family who always made sure that I took whatever privileges life gave me and never let go. Life gave me pain and self-doubt and I turned it into my drive, I made myself a promise that I will be worth more than the sum of pain and self-doubt but the product of it when it does not define you but teaches you how to grow and heal. Life gave me my stepdad who taught me the value of self-worth, honesty, integrity, discipline and more importantly love . My education is my everything. It has been my goal ever since I was three years old to get into college and to be a success for my family and my town. I want to show little boys and girls, even adults who question whether they still have time to get an education, that they can, because I will. I aspire to become a biology major and become a dentist. What inspired me to look into STEAM was that there is an underrepresentation of Latinas in this field, I want to be a role model and show women and little girls what they are capable of doing.

One of the greatest challenges I've had to overcome was the pandemic. I know I'm not the only one who had my fair share of trials and tribulations, but to be completely transparent, I fell into a rut of lack of motivation. I had many challenges during this time, my parents struggled to make ends meet because they were forced to close their business, my father got sick, and virtual classes isolated me from everything but my laptop. During the first couple of months, I could not understand why my friends were having emotional break downs or why my parents were easily agitated. That is, until I finally hit a breaking point as well. I would wake up in dread because I felt like I was reliving the same day repeatedly, I talked to computer screens rather than people, and I never left my house. However, I kept in mind that I could not quit like everyone else had, I had too much on the line. My education purely relies on me and the grades I make to get scholarships and college acceptances so that I could get out of my small town and find so much more. I did not let myself fall behind like so many others. I could've easily done what others did and not log into class, but I refused. I forced myself to work through my rut and make the best possible grades I could. In the end, I closed out the year with straight A's, my lowest grade being a 97. I managed to get passed this time by keeping a quote my stepfather had repeatedly told me "This is just a small price to pay for the rest of your life." Like I mentioned earlier, my father got sick. This definitely took a toll on my family and my outlook on life. My father got diagnosed with acute chronic heart failure, at the stage he was diagnosed, many only have 5 years to live. I did not want to come to the reality that I could loose one of the people I love most in the world. After letting this sink in, I made a promise to myself that my father-whether he were to live a few months or 40 years- would only see me succeed. As a result I worked hard to impress him with my grades and did everything I could do try to make him proud. My father fought for his life for two years and continues to do so, and so will I.

One thing that I've always valued and taken pride in is my education. From a very young age and the influence my stepfather has had on my upbringing, I always strived for nothing but the best of myself. Statistically speaking, where I come from, I should have a child before the age of 21, I should only have a high school diploma; if I’m lucky. I aspire to break the molds imposed on the people of my community. Where I come from education is all that a lot of us have. My education is my everything. It has been my goal ever since I was three years old to get into college and to be a success for my family and my town. I want to show little boys and girls, even adults who question whether they still have time to get an education, that they can, because I will. Where we come from should not define where we end up, who we are and our character should define where we go and our worth, not a statistic. If I could do anything with my life, I'd become a dentist or an orthodontist. I'd open my own dental practice that-a couple times a year- would help those who cannot afford insurance get their dental checkups and procedures taken care of. I would make enough money to give back to my community and support local organizations like our animal shelter and immigration shelter. I would be able to support my parents like they did for me even when they struggled to do so. What excites me most about STEM is the rigor of STEM subjects. Many feel intimidated by the sciences, but I've always seen this as an opportunity to prove what individuals can do. Another thing that has drawn me to STEM is that there are not many women in STEM. I want to show other women and little girls what they are capable of if they apply themselves and work hard. I once heard a quote and will share it with you now " The most strongest, the most powerful, the most dangerous creature on this whole Earth is a woman who knows how to think. Ain't nothing she can’t do." I feel like if only more women knew what they were capable of doing in territories they have never ventured before, this world would have so many more powerhouse women in positions of power. If I could be that someone for that little girl dreaming of becoming more than the restraints of society tells her she can be, I wouldn't hesitate at all to do it. I live in a predominantly Latino community where much of the traditional gender roles are still seen. I want all women to know that they are worth so much more than the oppressors tell them to be. STEM is the perfect field to exemplify this hunger for knowledge and success. One of the greatest challenges I've had to overcome was the pandemic. I know I'm not the only one who had my fair share of trials and tribulations, but to be completely transparent, I fell into a rut of lack of motivation. I had many challenges during this time, my parents struggled to make ends meet because they were forced to close their business, my father got sick, and virtual classes isolated me from everything but my laptop. During the first couple of months, I could not understand why my friends were having emotional break downs or why my parents were easily agitated. That is, until I finally hit a breaking point as well. I would wake up in dread because I felt like I was reliving the same day repeatedly, I talked to computer screens rather than people, and I never left my house. However, I kept in mind that I could not quit like everyone else had, I had too much on the line. My education purely relies on me and the grades I make to get scholarships and college acceptances so that I could get out of my small town and find so much more. I did not let myself fall behind like so many others. I could've easily done what others did and not log into class, but I refused. I forced myself to work through my rut and make the best possible grades I could. In the end, I closed out the year with straight A's, my lowest grade being a 97. I managed to get passed this time by keeping a quote my stepfather had repeatedly told me "This is just a small price to pay for the rest of your life."

It would be an understatement to say that these past two years have been a little bump in the road. Worldwide our lives came to an abrupt halt and our futures, unclear. We as a community lost 5.34 million lives. Amongst these lives were mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, neighbors, friends, and grandparents to someone. Personally, I lost my cousin and two life-long family friends to this disease and my grandfather and uncle to other circumstances. One thing that I can say that I learned throughout this uphill battle that everyone has suffered through is this; tomorrow is never guaranteed so, work as hard as you can while you can, and tell your loved ones that you love them. During the past two years I've come to understand and digest the horrible truths of life, people don't live forever. During the pandemic my stepfather got diagnosed with acute chronic heart failure. Prior to his diagnosis, my family watched him struggle for his life, struggle to breath, and walk. For days I would sleep on the couch beside him to make sure he was okay and that if anything happened or he needed help, he was not alone. I came to the harsh reality that there was a possibility that I could lose the person who made me the woman I am today. Without him, I would not have half the moral or values that I have now. Because of him I learned that secondary education was an option for me, and that if I worked hard enough, I could do anything. I kept this in mind throughout the sleepless nights and hospital stays While this was going on, I still had school every day. It would have been so easily for me to do what all the other kids were doing throughout out years of virtual classes and not show up. Every day was a struggle to wake up in the morning because I felt like I was on the hamster wheel of life, living the same day every day. I wouldn't let myself quit, the last thing I would want to do is disappoint my father. As a result, I woke up every day and attended every class, I turned in my assignments as early as I could, I even stayed on after school calls for tutoring. I promised that I would not let myself fall behind. In the end, I closed out the year with straight A's with my lowest grade being a 97. I did exactly what I promised I'd do and excel. Today, my father is slowly recovering. We've had a few unexpected bumps in the road and hospital stays, but just like I was, he's fighting to keep his head above water. Most people with this disease only live 5 years, but we have hope he’ll be here for the long haul. Although his future is unclear, whatever time he has left will be lived seeing me excel and become everything we hoped for and more.