I was born in the United States, and when I was one year old, my father passed away. As an autistic child, I needed additional support, but my mother was alone and didn't know anyone here or how to access the resources I needed. With limited options, she moved with me to Mexico so my grandmother could help raise me. My grandmother became my caregiver and mother figure. She loved me unconditionally and taught me through her example how to be a giving and compassionate person. For most of my childhood, she was the person I could depend on. In 2020, when I was 15, my grandmother passed away. My mother was always working, and suddenly there was no one to look after me. After middle school, there was no one to register me for high school, and I didn't know how to do it myself. I missed my freshman year in Mexico. Without school or direction, I isolated myself and spent most of my time online. I felt lost and couldn't imagine college being part of my future. Then my cousin visited from the United States and discovered my situation. She brought me back with her and gave me a second chance to rebuild my life. Starting over was overwhelming. Although I was a U.S. citizen, I didn’t speak English. I had to adjust to a new country, language, and school system. I struggled to understand subjects like math and history, and worst of all, I didn't know how to ask for help. I learned to mask my struggles well. I became good at repeating things back without actually understanding them. I nodded so I wouldn't stand out and used the little I did catch to connect the dots. Deep inside, I felt incapable and began to doubt whether I could succeed in school. My cousin noticed my struggles, but she also saw my strengths. She didn't let me give up. Every day, she broke down instructions for my schoolwork in ways I could understand. She became my mentor, advocate, and guide. Her belief in me helped me begin believing in myself. In 2023, my cousin introduced me to another world: computer programming. I was fascinated that lines of text could become a website or application. At first, coding felt like another language I couldn't understand, but I kept trying. I began with HTML and CSS before moving into JavaScript. Every new skill I learned gave me more confidence in what I was capable of accomplishing. In 2024, she encouraged me to attend the Teens Exploring Technology summer coding and leadership academy. There, I learned more about programming and the technology industry. That experience motivated me to continue learning Python, artificial intelligence, and backend development. Being raised by my grandmother taught me the impact that unconditional love and stability can have on someone's life. Being guided by my cousin taught me what can happen when someone recognizes potential in another person and refuses to give up on them. Today, I plan to major in computer science and minor in cybersecurity and become the first person in my family to graduate from college. My grandmother gave me my foundation, and my cousin helped me build upon it. One day, I hope to use my education to give someone else the guidance and opportunity that changed my own life.

I didn't always love math. In fact, for most of my life, I tried to avoid it at all costs. Growing up, I didn't have anyone verify I was actually learning or understanding what was being taught. I became good at getting by without fully understanding, and because I didn't ask for help, it was easy for me to fall through the cracks. As an autistic student, pages filled with numbers, formulas, letters, and unfamiliar symbols felt overwhelming. Instead of sparking curiosity, math was intimidating. That changed my senior year in high school. My school offered virtual tutoring so I took advantage of the opportunity and used the services everyday. I went from getting by to actually understanding math. I started college as a computer science major, and avoiding math was no longer an option. My degree requires calculus, discrete mathematics, and linear algebra. I struggled, and at first, I approached those classes believing I simply wasn't good at math. When I started college, my professors and peer tutors didn't just show me how to get an answer, they took the time to ensure I understood how to get to the solution. I learned that even people who specialize in mathematics often forget formulas or don't immediately know the solution. Being good at math wasn't about memorizing everything; it was about learning how to approach a problem. I began to appreciate math for the same reason I enjoy computer science: problem-solving. Both require me to take a complicated concept and break it into smaller problems I can solve one at a time. I started staying late for tutoring at my school's Learning Resource Center to practice. I wasn't satisfied with simply getting the answer anymore, I wanted to understand why it was correct. I find healthy struggle, then finally getting to the point where everything connects rewarding. Math also gave me a community. I joined the Math Club and made friends with people studying mathematics, physics, mechatronics, and computer science. Being around people who enjoy learning and solving problems has encouraged me to keep challenging myself. Math is still difficult for me, and strangely, that is part of why I love it. Math has taught me to slow down, ask questions, and keep working until I truly understand. Every problem I solve is a reminder that something I once thought was beyond me can become something I enjoy and understand.

One mile for me once seemed impossible. The first half mile was difficult. Eventually, I could run ten miles. Every single mile reminded me of what I first learned from David Goggins's Can't Hurt Me: the moment my mind tells me I cannot continue is often the moment I need to keep going. David Goggins’s memoir Can’t Hurt Me taught me that my circumstances don't have to determine my future. Goggins overcame physical abuse, poverty, discrimination, depression, and obesity. He was stuck in a dead-end-job. Something that stayed with me after reading the book was the 40% Rule. When my mind tells me that I’m done I still have so much more to give. Goggin’s story fascinated me, but more importantly, it made me feel seen. I have also faced circumstances that made my future feel uncertain. When I was one year old, my father passed away. As an autistic child, I needed additional support, but my mother was alone and didn't know anyone here or how to access the resources I needed. With limited options, we moved to Mexico so my grandmother could help raise me. My grandmother became my caregiver and mother. She loved me unconditionally and was the prime example for how to be a giving and unconditionally loving human being. In 2020, my grandmother passed away. My mother was always working and no one could look after me. After my grandmother passed away, there was no one to register me for school, and I didn't know how to do it myself. As a result, I missed a whole year of high school in Mexico. My cousin visited me and found out about my situation. She brought me back with her to give me a chance at life. When I returned to the US, there were a lot of things that were so unfamiliar. High school was new to me. I had to learn a new language and adjust to this new life. I didn't know English, I struggled to understand the material in literature and math. Worst of all, I didn't know how to ask for help. I learned to mask my struggles well and became good at repeating things back without actually understanding them. I nodded so I wouldn't stand out and used the little I did catch to try to connect the dots. Deep inside, I felt incapable and began to doubt whether I could succeed in life. I didn’t have any motivation to continue my education. My cousin noticed my struggles and strengths. She didn’t let me give up. She took time every day to break down instructions for my schoolwork in ways I could understand. She pushed me to keep trying and reminded me that success comes from effort, not intelligence. My cousin taught me that I was capable of more than I believed and Goggins gave me a way to test that belief. I started running every day. One mile became 3 miles and eventually three miles became ten. I kept going every single day until I decided to run marathons. Becoming the first person in my family to graduate from college is my next marathon. I know there will be moments when I feel behind, overwhelmed, or unsure that I belong. But I have already learned that difficulty is not evidence that I should stop. Sometimes, it serves as evidence that I'm still growing. I decided that growth is no longer something that happens to me, but something that I choose through my actions. I have already learned how to keep running when the finish line feels far away.

I am a Computer science major, but technology is one of my biggest passions that I am interested, specially the are of programming because having the skill to create websites, applications and videogames through coding is something that amazes me, but not just that, also with just writing those lines of code, I can even fix problems and help people. Computer Science is not only about writing code and creating applications, but also is problem-solving and critical thinking. This is the main purpose, to solve any kind of problems that people have, and one of those problems is cybersecurity, a topic that interests me. Cybersecurity plays an important role in protecting people when they explore the internet. Which is an important issue that affects millions of people in the world, whether it is data breaches, people’s computers having malware or someone’s identity being threatened. I want to study cybersecurity to help protect people from phishing attacks, malware, and data breaches. For this to become real, I face many adversities in my life. I was born in the US, but after my father passed away when I was just one year old, my mother took me to Mexico because of financial struggles. Eventually, she could no longer care for me, so my grandmother raised me with love and stability. When I was 15, she passed away. I was devastated and completely lost. I isolated myself, neglected my hygiene and health, and turned to unhealthy internet friendships in search of validation. I became pre-diabetic, unmotivated, and disconnected from any sense of future. Then my cousin visited from the U.S. and was shocked by what she saw. She brought me back with her to give me a second chance. When I returned to the US, there were a lot of things that I had to learn such as: starting high school, learning a new language and adjusting to this new life. My first weeks of school were tough, I didn’t know anything and I didn’t have any motivation to continue my education, But my cousin saw something in me. She didn’t let me give up. She broke down schoolwork in ways I could understand, pushed me to keep trying, and reminded me that success comes from effort, not intelligence. Her belief in me sparked a transformation. She introduced me to the area of computer science. In the beginning, it was very difficult, I didn’t understand everything about coding, it was like another world, but I am still persistent and continue my journey of learning. Time passed, and my coding skill was showing an improvement with the most basic languages: HTML and CSS. Later, I began learning JavaScript, which taught me how to make webpages interactive for the user. In the summer of 2024, she encouraged me to go to the summer program Teens Exploring Technology (TXT), where I could learn more about coding and leadership. At TXT, I met with other young people like me, who didn’t know about coding. The program showed us how technology companies work, how the teams work and the functions of each team member with their nominated role: Scrum, Product Manager, UX/UI Designer and Developer. After the program, my passion for computer science increased to the point that currently I am pursuing a Computer Science major, which is something that before I saw impossible during the worst moments in my life. But thanks to the encouragement of my cousin and my passion for technology, I see myself as someone that can help people through cybersecurity and make the digital world a safe place for everyone.

Being a first generation student it means a lot to me, because it shows that anyone who decides to put effort, shows up every time to class, acknowledges that education is a privilege that comes with responsibility. I didn’t know this in my first years of high school, before I was a different person from who I am today. I didn’t take my education seriously, everything started since I was born in the US, but after my father passed away when I was just one year old, my mother took me to Mexico because of financial struggles. Eventually, she could no longer care for me, so my grandmother raised me with love and stability. When I was 15, she passed away. I was devastated and completely lost. I isolated myself, neglected my hygiene and health, and turned to unhealthy internet friendships in search of validation. I became pre-diabetic, unmotivated, and disconnected from any sense of future. Then my cousin visited from the U.S. and was shocked by what she saw. She brought me back with her to give me a second chance. When I returned to the US, there were a lot of things that I had to learn such as: starting high school, learning a new language and adjusting to this new life. My first weeks of school were tough, I didn’t know anything and I didn’t have any motivation to continue my education, But my cousin saw something in me. She didn’t let me give up. She broke down schoolwork in ways I could understand, pushed me to keep trying, and reminded me that success comes from effort, not intelligence. Her belief in me sparked a transformation. She introduced me to the area of computer science. In the beginning, it was very difficult, I didn’t understand everything about coding, it was like another world, but I am still persistent and continue my journey of learning. Time passed, and my coding skill was showing an improvement with the most basic languages: HTML and CSS. Later, I began learning JavaScript, which taught me how to make webpages interactive for the user. In the summer of 2024, she encouraged me to go to the summer program Teens Exploring Technology (TXT), where I could learn more about coding and leadership. After the program, my passion for computer science increased to the point that currently I am pursuing a Computer Science major, which is something that before I saw impossible during the worst moments in my life. But thanks to the encouragement of my cousin and my passion for technology. This scholarship would help me a lot to still pursuing my dreams to become a software engineer and create applications that would help the people in the future.

For a long time, I thought being autistic meant I had to hide who I was just to be accepted. I was wrong. I was diagnosed with autism at age five, back when it was still called Asperger’s in Mexico. For most of my childhood, I struggled with social skills. Making friends, asking for help, or even understanding jokes and figurative language felt impossible. I took things literally, and when people gave unclear instructions or made sarcastic comments, I was left confused or embarrassed. In school, I didn’t learn the same way as others. No one sat down to show me how I learned best. People saw me as a problem child instead of someone who needed support. They said things like, “He’s just destructive because he’s autistic,” or “Don’t bother him, he won’t understand.” I started pretending I knew what people were talking about just to avoid being called dumb. I felt ashamed of being autistic, and I didn’t want anyone to know. Everything changed when I moved to the United States and started living with my cousin. She showed me a different way of seeing myself. She believed in me and helped me realize that autistic people can do anything. She taught me how to break down lessons, manage my emotions, and ask for help. She told me, “Smart people don’t get A’s. Hardworking people do.” That one sentence stuck with me. My cousin taught me to stop being ashamed and start believing in myself. She helped me understand how to break lessons down, manage my emotions, and speak up for what I need. But even with her support, I had to unlearn habits I had developed just to get by. For years, I masked by copying others, raising my hand when I didn’t understand the question, and saying “yes” automatically just to avoid standing out. It became a reflex, and I am still working to undo it. Learning to stop pretending and start asking for help has been one of the hardest but most important lessons of my life. I started believing I could succeed, so I put in the work. I became less stubborn and more persistent. I did my own research when I didn’t understand something. I learned how to stay flexible when plans changed. Most importantly, I stopped hiding who I was. I started getting straight A’s. I discovered a passion for computer science and building applications that can help people. Living with autism has taught me discipline, focus, empathy, and resilience. These lessons have prepared me not just for college, but for life. I’m currently part of Teens Xploring Technology, a program that helps inner-city teens learn leadership and coding. I was the developer on my team, and we built an app to support our community. I’m also active in the Autism Society of Ventura County. I meet other autistic people each month and recently ran a 10K in their Aut2Run event. In college, I plan to major in computer science and become a software engineer at a major tech company. I’ve learned that being autistic doesn’t make me broken. It makes me different. It makes me creative, logical, and determined. I used to feel like I didn’t belong in school or in the world. Now, I know I have something valuable to offer. Autism taught me how to work hard, think differently, and never give up, and those are exactly the skills I’ll bring to college, my career, and the people I hope to help along the way.

Computer science is one of my biggest passions that I am interested in because having the skill to create websites, applications and videogames through coding is something that amazes me, but not just that, also with just writing those lines of code, I can even fix problems and help people. Computer Science is not only about writing code and creating applications, but also is problem-solving and critical thinking. This is the main purpose, to solve any kind of problems that people have, and one of those problems is cybersecurity, a topic that interests me. Cybersecurity plays an important role in protecting people when they explore the internet. Which is an important issue that affects millions of people in the world, whether it is data breaches, people’s computers having malware or someone’s identity being threatened. I want to study cybersecurity to help protect people from phishing attacks, malware, and data breaches. For this to become real, I face many adversities in my life. I was born in the US, but after my father passed away when I was just one year old, my mother took me to Mexico because of financial struggles. Eventually, she could no longer care for me, so my grandmother raised me with love and stability. When I was 15, she passed away. I was devastated and completely lost. I isolated myself, neglected my hygiene and health, and turned to unhealthy internet friendships in search of validation. I became pre-diabetic, unmotivated, and disconnected from any sense of future. Then my cousin visited from the U.S. and was shocked by what she saw. She brought me back with her to give me a second chance. When I returned to the US, there were a lot of things that I had to learn such as: starting high school, learning a new language and adjusting to this new life. My first weeks of school were tough, I didn’t know anything and I didn’t have any motivation to continue my education, But my cousin saw something in me. She didn’t let me give up. She broke down schoolwork in ways I could understand, pushed me to keep trying, and reminded me that success comes from effort, not intelligence. Her belief in me sparked a transformation. She introduced me to the area of computer science. In the beginning, it was very difficult, I didn’t understand everything about coding, it was like another world, but I am still persistent and continue my journey of learning. Time passed, and my coding skill was showing an improvement with the most basic languages: HTML and CSS. Later, I began learning JavaScript, which taught me how to make webpages interactive for the user. In the summer of 2024, she encouraged me to go to the summer program Teens Exploring Technology (TXT), where I could learn more about coding and leadership. At TXT, I met with other young people like me, who didn’t know about coding. The program showed us how technology companies work, how the teams work and the functions of each team member with their nominated role: Scrum, Product Manager, UX/UI Designer and Developer. After the program, my passion for computer science increased to the point that currently I am pursuing a Computer Science major, which is something that before I saw impossible during the worst moments in my life. But thanks to the encouragement of my cousin and my passion for technology, I see myself as someone that can help people through cybersecurity and make the digital world a safe place for everyone.

One of the sciences that I am interested is Computer Science, to be more specific: being a Software Engineer. For a few reasons: Like to transform the lines of text into web pages, applications and even work in A.I, this would help me to get a good job in a big tech company, where I could learn even more about coding. Some adversities that I overcame in my life to want to learn more about coding were from the start, when my cousin showed me the world of programming and the magnificent things that I can create by using it. By learning the basic languages from coding and improving them, to later change to another more advanced and most used language JavaScript, where I even learn more about how to make the websites more interactive and dynamic. In the beginning, it was very difficult, I didn’t understand everything about coding, it was like another world, but I am still persistent and continue my journey of learning. After a while, I enrolled in the summer program Teens Exploring Technology (TXT), where I could learn more about coding and leadership. The program shows us how the Technology Companies works, how the teams works and the functions of each team member with their nominated role: Scrum, Product Manager, UX/UI Designer and Developer. After a few weeks of learning and field trips to a few companies like SnapChat and Riot Games. A competition started, was about making an Application that could resolve a problem in our community. There were like 9 teams, each one with 4 members. In my team I was assigned as a developer, the one who is responsible to code the app by following the instructions and suggestions of the Scrum master and UX Designer. When I started to code, It was very different to where I used to be, because instead of using JavaScript we were using a framework from it, called React Native. But this instead of making me feel discouraged, it gives me more encouragement to continue. It was very exciting doing something that was new to me. We worked on our app for 8 weeks, until the demo day, where each team presented their applications to a group of judges, and explained why they should invest in their applications. After that, even If we didn’t win, I was very grateful for gaining all the knowledge about the tech industry, how the team works, and learning more about frameworks. The impact that I want to make by using code is making an application called RISE. The goal of this application is to assist families at risk of deportation. I built it using React Native (a JavaScript framework) for the front end and MongoDB for the backend. The app offers essential resources like legal aid contacts, emergency numbers, power of attorney documents, and consulate contacts. Also, it’s bilingual (English and Spanish) with plans to add more languages soon. My goal is to launch RISE as an open-source tool in 2025, so others can contribute and help expand its reach to more communities across the U.S. Looking ahead, I want to use my education and coding skills to keep developing tech solutions that make a difference. Whether it’s helping families navigate immigration challenges or tackling other social issues, I’m committed to creating tools that empower people and build stronger, more inclusive communities. This scholarship would help me to continue in my studies and make my dreams real to help the people in my community.

For much of my life, I believed being autistic was something I needed to hide in order to survive. I was diagnosed with autism at the age of five, when it was still referred to as Asperger’s in Mexico. Growing up, I struggled with communication, social interaction, and understanding unspoken expectations. I interpreted language literally, which made sarcasm, vague instructions, and social cues difficult to navigate. These challenges often left me feeling confused, isolated, and misunderstood. In school, I didn’t learn the same way as my peers. Instead of receiving support, I was often labeled as disruptive or incapable. No one explained how I learned best or helped me develop strategies to succeed. To avoid being judged, I learned to mask and I understood lessons, copying others’ behavior, and saying “yes” even when I was lost. Over time, this made me ashamed of my autism and afraid to ask for help. My perspective changed when I moved to the United States and began living with my cousin. She believed in me when I struggled to believe in myself. She taught me how to break down lessons into manageable steps, regulate my emotions, and advocate for my needs. Most importantly, she helped me understand that success isn’t about natural talent, it’s about persistence and effort. With her support, I began unlearning years of masking and started asking for help without fear. As I gained confidence, my academic performance improved. I became more disciplined, flexible, and persistent. I discovered computer science and realized that technology gave me a way to think clearly and solve problems in a structured, logical way. Coding became more than a skill, it became a tool for empowerment. I stopped hiding who I was, earned straight A’s, and began building projects that could help others. My experiences as an autistic individual motivated me to give back to underserved communities. I am currently part of Teens Xploring Technology, where I serve as the developer on a team building an application designed to support our local community. I am also active in the Autism Society of Ventura County, where I connect with other autistic individuals and participate in advocacy and fundraising events, including running a 10K for autism awareness. Navigating life with autism also taught me the importance of health and self-education. In 2022, I weighed 215 pounds. Through research on how nutrition affects the brain—especially for neurodivergent individuals, I changed my habits, improved my mental clarity, and lost 70 pounds. This experience showed me how access to accurate information can dramatically change quality of life. In college, I plan to major in computer science and pursue a career as a software engineer. My goal is to use my education to build accessible, science-based tools that support neurodivergent and underserved communities. One project I hope to create is an application that helps autistic individuals understand how nutrition and environmental factors affect mood, focus, and energy through personalized tracking and research-backed insights. Living with autism has shaped how I think, learn, and persevere. It has taught me empathy, resilience, and problem-solving, qualities I will carry into my education and career. I no longer see my neurodiversity as a limitation, but as a strength I can use to uplift others who have been overlooked or misunderstood.

My passion for programming began when I was a High School Freshman, my cousin who is very into computer science and programming, she decided to show me and teach me about programming. For me this was something incredible to see how I can transform lines of text into a website or even an application. In the beginning, it was very difficult, I didn’t understand everything about coding, it was like another world, but I am still persistent and continue my journey of learning. Time passed, and my coding skill was showing an improvement with the most basic languages: HTML and CSS. I was very proud, but my cousin showed me another language that was like the organs for the websites: JavaScript. I started to get more into it. By watching courses on YouTube and Udemy about how to make games with JavaScript, learning about Document Object Model (DOM). After that, I created a GitHub Account where I could submit all the projects that I made by following the courses. After a few years, my cousin encouraged me to enroll in the summer program Teens Exploring Technology (TXT), where I could learn more about coding and leadership. When I started meeting other young people like me, who didn’t know about coding. The program shows us how technology companies work, how the teams work and the functions of each team member with their nominated role: Scrum, Product Manager, UX/UI Designer and Developer. After a few weeks of learning and field trips to a few companies like SnapChat and Riot Games. A competition started, was about making an Application that could resolve a problem in our community. There were like 9 teams, each one with 4 members. In my team I was assigned as a developer, the one who is responsible to code the app by following the instructions and suggestions of the Scrum master and UX Designer. When I started to code, It was very different to where I used to be, because instead of using JavaScript we were using a framework from it, called React Native. But instead of making me feel discouraged, it encouraged me even more to continue. It was very exciting doing something that was new to me. We worked on our app for 8 weeks, until the demo day, where each team presented their applications to a group of judges, and explained why they should invest in their applications. After that, even If we didn’t win, I was very grateful for gaining all the knowledge about the tech industry, how the team works, and learning more about frameworks. This gave me more motivation to learn other languages besides JavaScript. I started learning python and Artificial Intelligence with the purpose to work in a chatbot. Learning more about backend like MongoDB and Express.JS, I thank my cousin for all this knowledge, journey, experiences that I have about Programming. This motivates me to become a software engineer, and work in a big tech company to improve, repair and create applications and websites. Being a software engineer would make me also a problem solver, who not just writes code, I also would be able to understand the code and be able to explain it to anyone.

I was born in the United States, and when I was one year old, my father passed away. My mother was unable to care for me due to the difficult circumstances, so she took me to Mexico with my grandma, who became my caregiver. A few years ago, when I was 15 years old, my grandmother, who was the only one who was taking care and supporting me, passed away, which made me feel lost and lonely. After my last year of middle school, I wasn't able to enroll in High school because I didn't know how to enroll myself. I lost my freshman year in Mexico, and isolated myself online, developing poor hygiene habits and unhealthy online relationships. Then my cousin visited me from the US and was shocked by seeing my life situation. She brought me back with her to give me a second chance to rebuild my life. This was a new phase of my life: I was in a new country, school system, and a language that I barely spoke, even though I was a US Citizen. This was very overwhelming for me, it made me feel like a failure without thinking in college as something possible. My cousin didn’t let me give up, and she supported me by breaking down schoolwork in ways that I could understand, pushing me up to keep trying and showing me that success comes from effort, not intelligence. Her belief helped me transform my life by working hard, learning new skills and developing a healthy lifestyle. Education has already changed my life, and I want to use it to make a difference in the lives of others.

One of the most defining experiences in my life was returning to the United States as a teenager after growing up in Mexico. I was born in the U.S., but after my father passed away when I was just a year old, my mother took me to Mexico. Eventually, she could no longer care for me, so my grandmother raised me with love and stability. When I was 15, she passed away. I was devastated and completely lost. I isolated myself, neglected my hygiene and health, and turned to unhealthy internet friendships in search of validation. I became pre-diabetic, unmotivated, and disconnected from any sense of future. Then my cousin visited from the U.S. and was shocked by what she saw. She brought me back with her to give me a second chance. Adjusting to a new country, school system, and language was overwhelming. Even though I was a U.S. citizen, I barely spoke English. I had never earned anything above a D grade. I felt like a failure. I didn’t see college in my future. In fact, I couldn’t see a future for myself at all. But my cousin saw something in me. She didn’t let me give up. She broke down schoolwork in ways I could understand, pushed me to keep trying, and reminded me that success comes from effort, not intelligence. Her belief in me sparked a transformation. I began taking care of myself. I lost over 70 pounds, reversed my pre-diabetes, and even started running marathons. I went from barely passing to becoming a straight-A student, not because I suddenly became smarter, but because I decided I was worth fighting for. I learned discipline, resilience, and self-respect. Being autistic added another layer to my struggles. Many people around me misunderstood what autism is. I wish more people understood that autism is not mental retardation. We simply need a different kind of support, something that is not always available. Most people assumed I was limited, even if they didn’t say it out loud. For a long time, I believed them. But my experience taught me the opposite. I am capable. I am focused, driven, and thoughtful. I process the world differently, but that difference is a strength, not a flaw. I now understand the phrase “it takes a village.” My mother couldn’t take care of me, but my family and family friends always looked out for me. My grandmother raised me with love and stability, and when she passed away, my cousin took me under her wing and helped guide me onto the right track. Their constant presence and encouragement showed me the strength of a united community. Because I was embraced by the village, my path was one of growth and not self-destruction. This experience taught me that community is not just a safety net, but a powerful force that shapes who we become. I learned to value connection, to lean on others without shame, and to give back the same support I received, which has deeply influenced how I see myself, the world, and my role within it. Today, I serve in my church’s high school ministry, co-founded the gaming club, and participate in community service. I am part of Teens Exploring Technology, Student Council, and the Computer Science Virtual Academy at LAUSD. I plan to study software engineering and become a mentor to students like me, first-generation, autistic, and underestimated, because I know what it’s like to be counted out, and I want to be part of someone else’s village.

I would like to be and work as a software engineer, by working in a big company to working on applications or websites that can help people in their daily lives, as for working on problem resolving to fix other problems that my community could have, and learning how the algorithm works to improve more applications. My passion for coding started when in 2022, my cousin introduced me to programming. At first, it felt impossible, I couldn’t wrap my head around the concepts. But I stayed curious, kept going, and eventually, things started to click. This past summer, my cousin encouraged me to join Teens Exploring Technology (TXT), an 8-week leadership and coding program. In TXT, we worked in teams of four, with roles like developer, project manager, UX designer, and scrum master. I was the developer on my team, and we built an app using JavaScript. On the final day, we even pitched our app to potential investors. It was such an eye-opening experience, and it sparked an even deeper interest in building real-world applications. I especially want to develop an application that would help a lot of families that are at risk of deportation. The application will use react native (which is a framework for a coding language called: JavaScript) as a front end, mongo D.B for the backend as a database. The application offers essential resources like legal aid contacts, emergency numbers, power of attorney documents, and consulate contacts. Plus, it’s bilingual (English and Spanish) with plans to add more languages soon to be more accessible for more people whose English is their second language. My goal is to launch RISE as an open-source tool in 2025, so others can contribute and help expand its reach to more communities across the U.S. Looking ahead, I want to use my education and coding skills to keep developing tech solutions that make a difference. Whether it’s helping families navigate immigration challenges or tackling other social issues, I’m committed to creating tools that would help a lot of people and making safe and inclusive communities for anyone who needs the help and this could impact my community. The best part is that the application would be open-source which means that anyone can help and contribute to add more things that can help the people or fix some stuff in the code. Many families would receive the help that they need.