My name is Nicole Gil, I am a first-generation international student from Mexico pursuing my bachelor's degree in Retail and Consumer Science at the University of Arizona. A way I developed my goal of helping others whilst developing my skills is when I implemented a program named “Global Ambassadors” at my previous college. I identified the issue from a mixture of personal and external experiences from other international students from various backgrounds. My idea began to form one day when I was chatting with other fellow international students. Later, giving it more thought and analyzing what was discussed I saw how we were all different but suffered from almost the same situations, thus I took it upon myself to implement an idea to help this issue. The development process of my program started with a small survey. After gathering data I proceeded to implement my statistical, research, and organizational skills to find out ways in which I could find a solution to aid the issue found. After doing some work the idea for the program and how it would work began to take shape. I began to set a small presentation to support my claims and present them to an advisor from the Center for International Education. Once the program idea was approved I began working with a designated program advisor who offered me the title of Program Student Leader as I was the one student taking initiative to make this program happen. Given this, I began applying the knowledge I gained from previous courses such as writing and business law to create a more solid written foundation for the program. This way, bringing to life the Global Ambassadors program, a program created to help new international students (mentees) enhance their experience as students at the college with the help of designated mentors (local or international students that have attended the college for at least one semester and are currently enrolled in the present semester) to guide and aid mentees through the hardships they might encounter and providing a more favorable experience for them. After the program was approved, the program organization team and I began to use valuable networking skills to promote the program and recruit student volunteers for mentor roles for the program. Once mentors were recruited we began to pair them with the mentees to find the best matches and make everyone's experience a favorable one. To quantify the data throughout the semester we asked the mentors to update a logbook from the times they have gone out or spent time with their mentees, asking the mentors to provide a brief report of the activities done and the date of said activities. The results from the first semester alone displayed a favorable outcome. The data illustrates that those international students who participated in the program were satisfied with the program and highly satisfied with their experience as new international students so far, some of them stating how grateful they are for the opportunity to be a part of the program, some indicating how much their mentors have helped them and improved their expectations from this experience. The results of these data lead to the renewal of the program for an indefinite period. Ultimately, I knew it was not about me but about helping others through my experience. I am satisfied seeing others like me succeed without struggling as much, seeing them have a better experience than the one I initially had, and most importantly gaining the opportunity to guide people into creating a formidable experience for others.

My name is Nicole Gil Lopez, I am majoring in Business Administration at Pima Community College and plan to transfer to a 4-year University to get my degree in Corporate Finance with a minor in Logistics and Strategy of Transportation, and I am an international student from Mexico holding a 3.9 GPA. As a college Junior, I am the President of the Pima Business Club, Co-President of the Association for International Students, and I am the former Secretary of the Pima Business Club and Phi Theta Kappa’s Alpha Beta Chi chapter at PCC. I plan events for the clubs, participate in partnerships, do networking, and also volunteer at events hosted by my college to support other students and the community. In addition to that, I generally take 12+ credits per semester as it is a requirement for me as an international student. I enjoy developing new skills, enhancing the ones I already possess, and being able to help others in the process. However, in all honesty, sometimes it is very overwhelming to balance my schoolwork and extracurricular activities, but I have learned to find a balance between the two. Taking upon a number of activities has taught me about time management, organization, using resources available to me, and most importantly asking for help. Time management came from setting designated times to study between classes, meetings, planning, homework, and studying to get everything done well and on time. With organization I learned to use physical and digital agendas along with planners to set reminders for my deadlines or events. I began using the resources provided at the school, like the study spaces, library, advising, and counseling. Asking for help, however, probably is the biggest lesson I have learned, because it reminds me that I am not alone, that I have the support of my family, professors, school faculty, advisors, mentors, friends, and classmates, but most importantly, that there is nothing wrong in asking for help. Asking for help does not make me weaker, dumber, or less of a student, but someone that is trying to accomplish something. Nevertheless, there is one more valuable lesson that I learned which has made a significant impact when it comes to me balancing everything out. Said lesson is the ability to say “no.” Saying no can save you a lot as it keeps you from putting more on your plate than what you can actually handle. Not a lot of people are able to say no, or do not feel comfortable with it as was my case, but with proper reassurance and support, one comes to terms with saying no. Using “no” from time to time is not wrong or selfish, it is a way of selfcare, a way to avoid overwhelming oneself. So, by enhancing and working with the skills and techniques I mentioned I have been able to balance my schoolwork with all my extracurricular activities without getting as overwhelmed, having stress meltdowns, or any stress related issues. Learning these new skills has been life changing for me as it has helped me grow as a person and continue to be successful through my college career. Thank you.

My name is Nicole Gil, I am an international student from Mexico currently pursuing my education at Pima Community College in Arizona. I decided to take a chance and study in the United States to broaden my future laboral opportunities for when I go back to Mexico. Originally I came to pursue my education to get better opportunities, but I also came because of the systematic and social insecurity Mexico is facing right now. Sadly I had to move to another country to accomplish my degree and take the advantage of it to create a career for myself there, where laboral competition is huge. But my goal right now is to work hard and prepare myself as best as I can to hunt down and conquer my goals of being a sucesful businesswomen and be able to support my family and give us a better life in the future. In Mexico I had the advantage of growing up as a privileged child. I attended private catholic schools most of my life thanks to my parents' sacrifices. I remember they would be working all day just to give me the opportunities they did not have, which inspired me to become the best, encouraged me to be the best of my class. But they not only taught me educationally but morally too, they gave me great values to become a good and down to earth person too. Sadly, over there being the best does not matter, which is why I am doing everything I can to become the best here at school and become even better there. As for right now I have accomplished a cumulative GPA of 4.0, I have acquired the position of secretary for the official officer team of Phi Theta Kappa’s Alpha Beta Chi chapter of Pima Community College whilst taking 16 credits per semester, and volunteer to as many events as I can. I am a dedicated student who also looks for ways of giving back to the community, helping them as they have helped me to become better. All I want is to be able to finish my studies and support my family and community as they have supported me through my life. Thank you.

Honoring my family, from Mexico to the United States. My name is Nicole, I am a mexican woman enrolled as an international student, currently attending Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona. I enrolled as an international student because I do not have a U.S. citizenship or permanent residence. What brings me to the U.S. is to broaden my educational opportunities despite the challenges of paying my higher priced tuition as an international student so I can continue to strive and accomplish greatness for me and my family. My grandparents are the ones that inspired me to continue my education. Back in Mexico, my maternal grandfather moved from a small village to the city because he did not want to become a farmer as all of his family did, he wanted an education, so my grandfather moved by himself at the age of 14 to the city and got a job to work for his education. He worked until he became a great and respected accountant in the city. My maternal grandmother raised me for the majority of my life, after my grandfathers passing my mom had to work double shifts so we could have food, a nice home, and give me the best education I could get, so my grandmother would be the one taking care of me. She taught me to always give my best and always work for what I want. My paternal grandparents were both nurses, the most loving and compassionate people there was, during their lifetimes they always made sure I was alright and always tried to help me in any way they could. I remember, back in the fifth grade, I would spend my afternoons taking care of my grandmother, she was very fragile and could barely move since she had cancer and diabetes, so I had became her personal nurse, and even then she would always try to help me economically for school or groceries with her pension money, or tried to motivate me to do my schoolwork. She knew I was and still am a brilliant person, but by that time I had lost any motivation, so she would always offer to help me with my homework and cheer on me during the time I was doing it. She saw potential in me even when I did not. She inspired me to get the best grades I could, so I worked and studied a lot to during that years last school month to get first place in the Honors Roll, which was supposed to be a Mother’s Day surprise to her, and when I accomplished that I was so excited to show her that she was right, but that day she passed before I could tell her, so that day i made a promise to her, to always do my best to get the best opportunities I could. Now that most of my grandparents have passed away I want to continue with their hardworking legacies, because I know they only would want for me to continue my education and become successful at my career of choice. They started from zero and became great, so I am pursuing my education to honor them, the family that never gave up on me or my education no matter the circumstances, to accomplish all of my dreams and become successful to help others as they always did. I am accomplishing greatness for them, because they taught me I can do that and more.