There are many ways people try to reason the inexplicable. Some call it luck, some call it fate, some call it the universe. The way I have always interpreted this is through my Catholic faith and through God. Looking back at my life, there are too many moments that I struggle to comprehend otherwise. Honestly, it started before I was born. My mom went through two miscarriages and it was her faith that kept her strong through these dark moments. She never lost her faith and she was eventually blessed with twins, me and my brother. Growing up, her story has always reminded me that my life is something I never want to take for granted and that God had a purpose for me. Whenever we have gone through hardships, such as losing loved ones, moving to a new country, struggling financially, or anything that life has thrown at us, my mom always says, "God only puts these challenges in front of his strongest soldiers." Even when I'm tired of fighting, I remind myself that things happen for a reason. This has not only made me strong of character, but it has also lead me to trust God's plan for me. Once the bigger picture is revealed, it is clear to me what God was preparing me for and that he will always have good plans for me. Any disappointments or struggles I face, I look at as a learning moment. So, my faith has never made life easy, but it has given me peace and refuge during uncertainty. It is also through my personal faith and being raised Catholic that I have been able to grow fundamental values like empathy, humility, and honesty. Even when I don't have much, I try to help others as much as I can, such as helping cook students' meals at a church weekly and donating things and clothes I no longer use, as my mom taught me to do growing up. I think overall my faith has made me a well-rounded person and has given me a long-term goal of using what I have to give back. In regard to my career, I think my faith will be a guiding force for not only the decisions I make, but what kind of professional I become. I want to be known for my integrity, honesty, and the impact I make on those around me. The older I get, the more I realize that age comes with new experiences and that everyone is battling different struggles, so my faith will always be something that I can rely on to guide me and console me in what awaits me in the future. I don't know exactly where life will take me, but my faith has taught me that I don't have to know every step ahead. Through it, I have more confidence to work hard because that will be rewarded in time, and to trust God's plan because you only get one chance in life and I want to use it well. And faith will always be a big part of my career as I plan to join the Peace Corps or any world organization that dedicates itself to helping others after I retire.

My dad was born in a small village in Peru. With an alcoholic father and a mother and siblings who died due to a lack of medical access, he had to strive for a way out while also taking care of his younger siblings. He went to a rural school where there was a single teacher for 5 grade levels. Eventually, he was able to move to the capital and he went to a public school where he had to adapt to a new culture and people that made fun of his background. My dad worked during the nights and took jobs so that he could have something to eat. It was survival. His hard work paid off when he got admitted into the best engineering school in Peru. Pushing himself through the rigorous courses, he finally graduated. He single-handedly broke the cycle of poverty he was born into and he helped his family out of it too. That is my dad's story. This story not only shaped him, but it shaped me. I grew up with education being the number one priority in my life. With my dad being living proof of what education was capable of, my parents made a tough decision: for me and my brother to have an American education. When I was about 10 years old, we moved to the United States. This change was hard for me because then I felt as if I was leaving my whole life behind. Eventually, I was able to see why my parents sacrificed everything. Their sacrifice has taught me how different love can look because their decision was completely selfless and tough. It is bittersweet how parents give their children the things they couldn't have. With everything I had been given, I decided to make the most out of it and focus on school, combatting my own challenges and adversities. To this day, my parents are doing absolutely everything to keep me in school and their work ethic has taught me how to be strong against all obstacles and how to persevere. They have also taught me the importance of building relationships with others and building a community. Perhaps the most important lesson is how sacred family is and how we will do anything for one another. We have faced many challenges as a family, but we are still here and we keep on fighting. My parents ask a single thing of me: to ensure that the future generations of our family will not experience poverty the way my dad did. I, however, have bigger goals. I want to ensure everyone does not experience extreme poverty like my dad did. This has always been one of my life goals, and I hope to make progress toward it during college as I strongly believe that I can create social change by furthering my education.