My name is Natalya Hammond. I am Autistic, with just a few comorbidities... ADHD-inattentive type, SPD, OCD, GAD, Social Anxiety, ARFID... oh and I have a learning disability too, called Dyscalculia. This fall I am attending San Jose State University and am majoring in Information Science and Data Analytics. I plan to get my Bachelor of Science and stay on for my Masters in Library Science to obtain my career goals of becoming a Librarian Archivist. My pronouns are She/Her/Hers, and I’m panromantic-ace. I identify as queer. I’ve become proud of who I am and my parents have been highly supportive as ally’s and just amazing people. I have a PAN and ACE flag in my room. I’m comfortable in my own skin now. And with my awakening, I’ve come to rely on the LGBTQ+ community to always be there, no matter where I find myself. I have always identified as a good student. I love going to school; it’s actually my hyper-focus! When I was younger, I was the kid in school that got upset if I got a B instead of an A on my assignments or tests. I made the honor roll frequently and was in the GATE Program. With appropriate accommodations in place, I am able to be successful in keeping up with my lessons, notes, assignments, and tests. It levels the playing field for me and helps me to be present in my lectures using the services to aid in the rest. Then I can refer to the notes and the AI tech with Glean to help me with exam review and study. I now have the confidence to pursue my dream of becoming a Library Archivist. This would not have been possible without accommodations. I find self advocacy to be incredibly challenging. I have severe social anxiety which makes it so hard for me to have close relationships with others in the LGTBQ+ community and the disabled community. My family champions advocacy and my mother volunteers her knowledge to help other parents navigate the minefield of free and appropriate education (FAPE), and the rights of their students. After attending the California Youth Leadership Forum for Students with Disabilities (YLF) over the summer I learned how to advocate for my disability rights and how to help advocate for others too. Advocacy was a big learning path during the weeklong delegation. I am so happy my mother and father and now ME, advocate for my brother and I, and for all of the people in our communities that need a voice. My family's kindness, love and support has rubbed off on me. I do not know if my voice will be as loud but I know one day I will get there. Mom says it just may take longer for me.

My name is Natalya Hammond. I am Autistic, with just a few comorbidities... ADHD-inattentive type, SPD, OCD, GAD, Social Anxiety, ARFID... oh and I have a learning disability too, called Dyscalculia. This fall I am attending San Jose State University and am majoring in Information Science and Data Analytics. I plan to get my Bachelor of Science and stay on for my Masters in Library Science to obtain my career goals of becoming a Librarian Archivist. I have always identified as a good student. I love going to school; it’s actually my hyper-focus! When I was younger, I was the kid in school that got upset if I got a B instead of an A on my assignments or tests. I made the honor roll frequently and was in the GATE Program. However, in high school I began to struggle in math and saw my A’s drop; all the way down to a “D.” This performance was not normal for me. I worked with tutors. And we had several assessments done. I became stressed and depressed! That's when I was diagnosed with ADHD and autism spectrum disorder. I was also diagnosed with a learning disability in math called dyscalculia, which is like dyslexia. I struggle with key concepts like left vs. right, bigger vs. smaller, and I have a hard time with basic math problems like fractions and more complex math like algebra. Oddly though, I am great at geometry! Knowing that I was not stupid and that I had a legitimate disorder, or two, made me feel better. And I continue to thrive in school and at my job at the library with appropriate accommodations in place. With self advocacy, I now have appropriate accommodations in place, I am able to be successful in keeping up with my lessons, notes, assignments, and tests. It levels the playing field for me and helps me to be present in my lectures using the services to aid in the rest. Then I can refer to the notes and the AI tech with Glean to help me with exam review and study. I now have the confidence to pursue my dream of becoming a Library Archivist. This would not have been possible without accommodations. My family champions advocacy and my mother volunteers her knowledge to help other parents navigate the minefield of free and appropriate education (FAPE), and the rights of their students. After attending the California Youth Leadership Forum for Students with Disabilities (YLF) over the summer I learned how to advocate for my disability rights and how to help advocate for others too. Advocacy was a big learning path during the weeklong delegation. I am so happy my mother and father and now ME, advocate for my brother and I, and for all of the people in our community that need a voice. My family's kindness, love and support has rubbed off on me. I do not know if my voice will be as loud but I know one day I will get there. Mom says it just may take longer for me. I have always loved going to the library, for as long as I can remember. I became a Library Aide my junior year, and I just knew I wanted to work for Libraries as a professional. I am working at the Public Library now as a part time page. I am on my way to reaching my goals. And with your scholarship, that makes my goal much more obtainable. Thank you for your consideration.

My name is Natalya Hammond. I am Autistic, with just a few comorbidities... ADHD-inattentive type, SPD, OCD, GAD, Social Anxiety, ARFID... oh and I have a learning disability too, called Dyscalculia. This fall I am attending San Jose State University and am majoring in Information Science and Data Analytics. I plan to get my Bachelor of Science and stay on for my Masters in Library Science to obtain my career goals of becoming a Librarian Archivist. I have always identified as a good student. I love going to school; it’s actually my hyper-focus! When I was younger, I was the kid in school that got upset if I got a B instead of an A on my assignments or tests. I made the honor roll frequently and was in the GATE Program. However, in high school I began to struggle in math and saw my A’s drop; all the way down to a “D.” This performance was not normal for me. I worked with tutors. And we had several assessments done. I became stressed and depressed! That's when I was diagnosed with ADHD and autism spectrum disorder. I was also diagnosed with a learning disability in math called dyscalculia, which is like dyslexia. I struggle with key concepts like left vs. right, bigger vs. smaller, and I have a hard time with basic math problems like fractions and more complex math like algebra. Oddly though, I am great at geometry! Knowing that I was not stupid and that I had a legitimate disorder, or two, made me feel better. And I continue to thrive in school and at my job at the library with appropriate accommodations in place. With appropriate accommodations in place, I am able to be successful in keeping up with my lessons, notes, assignments, and tests. It levels the playing field for me and helps me to be present in my lectures using the services to aid in the rest. Then I can refer to the notes and the AI tech with Glean to help me with exam review and study. I now have the confidence to pursue my dream of becoming a Library Archivist. This would not have been possible without accommodations. My family champions advocacy and my mother volunteers her knowledge to help other parents navigate the minefield of free and appropriate education (FAPE), and the rights of their students. After attending the California Youth Leadership Forum for Students with Disabilities (YLF) over the summer I learned how to advocate for my disability rights and how to help advocate for others too. Advocacy was a big learning path during the weeklong delegation. I am so happy my mother and father and now ME, advocate for my brother and I, and for all of the people in our community that need a voice. My family's kindness, love and support has rubbed off on me. I do not know if my voice will be as loud but I know one day I will get there. Mom says it just may take longer for me. I have always loved going to the library, for as long as I can remember. I became a Library Aide my junior year, and I just knew I wanted to work for Libraries as a professional. I am working at the Public Library now as a part time page. I am on my way to reaching my goals. And with your scholarship, that makes my goal much more obtainable. Thank you for your consideration.

My name is Natalya Hammond and I am autistic with ADHD and a learning disability in math called Dyscalculia. I’m attending San Jose State University beginning Fall 2024. I began to struggle in math my freshman year. My parents voiced concerns, as this performance was not normal for me. My school continued to say I am passing so I’m fine. I wasn’t though. Unfortunately, I had to fail to get help. My mother started researching to see if my failing in math was due to a learning disability. It turns out I have Dyscalculia, which is like Dyslexia. I struggle with key concepts in math like left vs. right, bigger vs. smaller, and I have a hard time with basic math problems like fractions and more complex math like algebra. Oddly though, I am great at geometry! Mom had the school do assessment testing which confirmed her suspicions. I was granted an IEP and an aide for math and my grades started to come back up. I went from a D to a B in one year. I was diagnosed with ADHD and autism spectrum disorder when I was 16, late into my junior year. Knowing that I was not stupid and that I had a legitimate disorder, or two, made me feel better. And I continue to thrive in school and at my job at the library with appropriate accommodations in place. My mother and brother are also autistic, and with all three of us on the spectrum. I was even selected as a delegate to attend the California Youth Leadership Forum(YLF) for disabled students this summer. I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to meet with other students like me and learn from mentors and professionals in the Disabled Community. My family champions advocacy and my mother volunteers her knowledge to help other parents navigate the minefield of free and appropriate education (FAPE), and the rights of their students. She even launched a Facebook group to provide support to Disabled families going to Disneyland. I’m so happy my mother and father advocate for us and for all of the people in our community that need a voice. My family's kindness, love and support of me, my brother, and everyone has rubbed off on me. I don’t know if my voice will be as loud since I also suffer from social and generalized anxiety, but I know one day I’ll get there. Mom says it just may take longer for me. With the momentum of successes I’ve had, my parents encouraged me to apply to more than just one college. I ended up receiving a total of SIX acceptance invitations, including my first-choice school, San José State University (SJSU). SJSU has a new BS program in the School of Information called Information Science and Data Analytics. SJSU is the only school in California offering this specific program for an undergraduate major, and this will build a solid foundation for my Master of Library Science degree, which I intend to pursue immediately after receiving my BS degree. My career goal is to become a Librarian Archivist. I have always loved going to the library, for as long as I can remember. I became a Library Aide my junior year, and I just knew I wanted to work for Libraries as a professional. I am working at the Watsonville Public Library now as a part time page. I am on my way to reaching my goals. And with your scholarship, that makes my goal much more obtainable. Thank you for your consideration.

My name is Natalya Hammond. I am attending San Jose State University and my major is Information Science and Data Analytics. I plan to get my BS and stay on for my Masters in Library Science (MLIS) to obtain my career goals of becoming a Librarian Archivist. I have always identified as a good student. I love going to school. When I was younger, I was the kid in school that got upset if I got a B instead of an A on my assignments or tests. I made the honor roll frequently and was in the GATE Program. However, in high school I began to struggle in math and saw my A’s drop; all the way down to a “D.” This performance was not normal for me. I worked with tutors. And we had several assessments done. I was diagnosed with ADHD and autism spectrum disorder. I was also diagnosed with a learning disability in math called dyscalculia, which is like dyslexia. I struggle with key concepts like left vs. right, bigger vs. smaller, and I have a hard time with basic math problems like fractions and more complex math like algebra. Oddly though, I am great at geometry! Knowing that I was not stupid and that I had a legitimate disorder, or two, made me feel better. And I continue to thrive in school and at my job at the library with appropriate accommodations in place. I now have accommodations in place for me at SJSU through the AEC, Accessibility Education Center which include: e-text, natural reader, read and write, “notaker” and Glean. With these accommodations in place, I am able to be successful in keeping up with my lessons, notes, assignments, and tests. It levels the playing field for me and helps me to be present in my lectures using the services to aid in the rest. Then I can refer to the notes and the AI tech with Glean to help me with exam review and study. I now have the confidence to pursue my dream of becoming a Library Archivist. This would not have been possible without accommodations. My family champions advocacy and my mother volunteers her knowledge to help other parents navigate the minefield of free and appropriate education (FAPE), and the rights of their students. I am so happy my mother and father advocate for us and for all of the people in our community that need a voice. My family's kindness, love and support of me, my brother, and everyone has rubbed off on me. I do not know if my voice will be as loud since I also suffer from social and generalized anxiety, but I know one day I will get there. Mom says it just may take longer for me. I am studying Information Science and Data Analytics. SJSU is the only school in California offering this specific program for an undergraduate major, and this will build a solid foundation for my Master of Library Science degree, which I intend to pursue immediately after receiving my BS degree. I have always loved going to the library, for as long as I can remember. I became a Library Aide my junior year, and I just knew I wanted to work for Libraries as a professional. I am working at the Watsonville Public Library now as a part time page. I am on my way to reaching my goals. And with your scholarship, that makes my goal much more obtainable. Thank you for your consideration.

My name is Natalya Hammond. I am 17 years old and will be attending San Jose State University (SJSU) this fall. I am pursuing a STEM field in Library Sciences. When I was younger my mother took me to STEAM at the library where I learned about robotics, engineering, laser engraving, and coding projects. That introduction brought me to the GIRLS in Engineering through the UC Santa Cruz Baskin’s school of Engineering, which is a summer program in which I was a scholarship recipient for 2-years. This engaging program continued to nurture my love of STEM. I also learned what types of engineering I liked, as well as what I did not like. In my Junior year, I volunteered over 60 hours at the Outdoor Science School in the Santa Cruz Mountains as a Counselor. With the COVID Pandemic, I did not attend high school in person until halfway through my sophomore year. I began to struggle in math my freshman year and saw my A’s drop; all the way down to a “D.” My dream of a STEM career seemed impossible. I worked with tutors. My mother started researching to see if my failing in math was due to a learning disability. It turns out I have Dyscalculia, which is like Dyslexia. I struggle with key concepts like left vs. right, bigger vs. smaller, and I have difficulty with basic math problems like fractions and more complex math like algebra. Oddly though, I am great at geometry! Mom had the school do assessment testing which confirmed her suspicions. I received an IEP and an aide for math and my grades started to come back up. I went from a D to a B in one year. I was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder when I was 16 years old, late into my junior year. Along with ADHD. Knowing that I was not stupid and that I had a legitimate disorder or two made me feel better. And I continue to thrive with appropriate accommodations in place. Because of the help in therapy and in math at school, I was able to significantly bring my grades up. My senior year, I earned a 4.0. I even became a California Scholarship Federation Chapter Member this past semester and graduated with honors. Also, I was accepted to the California Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) 2024 for disabled students, to be a delegate and spend 1-week this July at CSU Sacramento. With this momentum of success, my parents encouraged me to apply to more than just one college. I was thrilled to receive three early acceptance letters and a total of six acceptance invitations, including my first-choice school, SJSU. SJSU has a new STEM program that is not math-based, in the School of Information called Information Science and Data Analytics. SJSU is the only school in California offering this specific program for an undergraduate major, and this will build a solid foundation for my Master of Library Science degree, which I intend to pursue immediately after receiving my BS degree. My career goal is to become a Librarian Archivist and do my part to use modern technology to preserve our history and precious documents and artifacts. I am working at my Public Library now, in my field of study. I am on my way to reaching my goals. And with your scholarship, that makes my goal much more obtainable. Thank you for your consideration.

My name is Natalya Hammond. I am pursuing a STEM field in Library Sciences. When I was younger my mother took me to STEAM at the library where I learned about robotics, engineering, laser engraving, and coding projects. That introduction brought me to the GIRLS in Engineering through the UC Santa Cruz Baskin’s school of Engineering, which is a summer program in which I was a scholarship recipient for 2-years. This engaging program continued to nurture my love of STEM. I also learned what types of engineering I liked, as well as what I did not like. In my Junior year, I volunteered over 60 hours at the Outdoor Science School in the Santa Cruz Mountains as a Counselor. With the COVID Pandemic, I did not attend high school in person until halfway through my sophomore year. I began to struggle in math my freshman year and saw my A’s drop; all the way down to a “D.” My dream of a STEM career seemed impossible. I worked with tutors. My mother started researching to see if my failing in math was due to a learning disability. It turns out I have Dyscalculia, which is like Dyslexia. I struggle with key concepts like left vs. right, bigger vs. smaller, and I have difficulty with basic math problems like fractions and more complex math like algebra. Oddly though, I am great at geometry! Mom had the school do assessment testing which confirmed her suspicions. I received an IEP and an aide for math and my grades started to come back up. I went from a D to a B in one year. I was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder when I was 16 years old, late into my junior year. Along with ADHD. Knowing that I was not stupid and that I had a legitimate disorder or two made me feel better. And I continue to thrive with appropriate accommodations in place. Because of the help in therapy and in math at school, I was able to significantly bring my grades up. My senior year, I earned a 4.0. I even became a California Scholarship Federation Chapter Member this past semester and graduated with honors. Also, I was accepted to the California Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) 2024 for disabled students, to be a delegate and spend 1-week this July at CSU Sacramento. With this momentum of success, my parents encouraged me to apply to more than just one college. I was thrilled to receive three early acceptance letters and a total of six acceptance invitations, including my first-choice school, San Jose State University (SJSU). SJSU has a new STEM program that is not math-based, in the School of Information called Information Science and Data Analytics. SJSU is the only school in California offering this specific program for an undergraduate major, and this will build a solid foundation for my Master of Library Science degree, which I intend to pursue immediately after receiving my BS degree. My career goal is to become a Librarian Archivist and do my part to use modern technology to preserve our history and precious documents and artifacts. I am working at my Public Library now, in my field of study. I am on my way to reaching my goals. I am 17 years old and will be attending SJSU this fall. And with your scholarship, that makes my goal much more obtainable. Thank you for your consideration.

In 2014, we moved across the country carrying what we could in our two vehicles and a small pod. My dad had accepted a new position at a casino outside of Yosemite. He also learned that the job was no longer available upon arriving in California, because there was an altercation that closed that casino. All job offers were rescinded. My mom had planned to look for work after we settled into our new life near that casino and now my parents had to pivot and do so rather quickly. My Grandparents had a tiny home in Watsonville, CA, in a Senior neighborhood. We moved in with them. We were basically refugees. My parents set up medical care through Medi-cal. They enrolled me into a public school that had a 95% Hispanic migrant student population, and we received free/reduced school lunches. We also received WIC. We slept on air mattresses and the 4 of us shared a small single room for just over a year before my parents had enough saved to rent our own home in a subsidized housing neighborhood. But as is all too common here in Santa Cruz County, that home was sold, and we had to move again. We ended up renting a larger home, but the only way the rent could be made was by having another household join us. My Grandparents were in need of more focused elder care, so they moved in with us and now the 6 of us share a home. My mom worked temp-jobs, and my dad worked in sales. We soon discovered my brother is autistic and my dad decided to start a business selling hot dogs, and mom was offered a permanent position after years of temping, as a secretary at a Credit Union. My parents have had their share of financial struggles. My brother is autistic, my Grandfather has had a couple of strokes, my Grandma has cancer, lung disease and is legally blind, and with rising medical costs, home rental fees, and a lot of students loans, food insecurity, high interest rates, and basically cost of living being out of control in Santa Cruz county, managing finances is a challenge, and often we have to do with less. My dream is to become a Librarian Archivist. To do this, I must pursue a post-secondary degree and a master’s degree. My dream is a costly one. I could take out loans and figure it out later, but that seems unwise. It will be difficult to achieve my goals if I am also saddled with student debt for the rest of my adult life. So, I work hard. I study hard. I try to find appropriate accommodations for my disabilities. I research grants and scholarships. It is not easy. But no one said achieving my dream would be easy. I have a part time job working at my city's public library as a page. I am working in my field of study. I will work while I go to college. I will save and pay my own way. This means it is going to take me longer to achieve my goals, but that is okay. It helps me build character while I work on my transition to adulthood. I am razor focused and I know with these added supports, I am going to be a huge success. Maybe one day I will also be able to give back to those that have helped me along my path. I want to thank you all for your consideration.

My name is Natalya Hammond, and I am a senior at Aptos High School, in Aptos, CA. I’ve been accepted to SJSU in the major of Information Science with Data Analytics. My goals are to become a librarian archivist once I complete my master’s in library science. I want to share some of my interests with you in hopes you will get a nice snapshot of who I am. I am a great student. I like to collect a variety of things. I like to play sim games. Libraries are the best! I also love to build Lego sets. My whole family does, and my house is filled to the brim with our builds. I like cottage-core, sweaters, Winnie the Pooh, bees, and the rain. I like several different animals like cats, frogs, moths, cows, snakes, and I really like mushrooms too. I like to collect trinkets and save them in the bottles and boxes I have. Recently I befriended a cat in our neighborhood. She is a stray cat. Mom says she is feral, but she is really calm and gentle around us. I was worried she was not getting food, so one day I offered her some tuna fish. And she has been coming around daily ever since. I like to bake when I have the motivation. My parents call me the Midnight Baker because that’s usually when motivation strikes. I enjoy libraries. I also love marine biology. When I was talking with Temple Grandin at a book signing event, she was encouraging me to consider keeping marine bio but as a minor so I could take all the fun classes and not worry about the math obstacles. I am considering it. I have natural curly hair, and I really love it. I have a large sweater collection because every day is sweater weather for me. I collect statement earrings and often I just make my own. I am very good at color coordination, and I can make pajamas look “put together” like a cute outfit. Accessories are very helpful to finish the look. I read a lot of fanfictions. I prefer soft things for clothing and other things in general. I have a bunch of stuffed animals too. This summer I will be a delegate at the California Youth Leadership Forum for disabled students being held at CSU Sacramento for 1-week in July. This was a competitive application, and I am thrilled that I will be participating and representing my town. I have always loved going to the library, for as long as I can remember. I became a Library Aide my junior year, and I just knew I wanted to work for Libraries as a professional. I am working at the Watsonville Public Library now as a part time page. I am on my way to reaching my goals. And with your scholarship, that makes my goal much more obtainable. Thank you for your consideration.

In 2014, we moved across the country carrying what we could in our two vehicles and a small pod. My dad had accepted a new position at a casino outside of Yosemite. He also learned that the job was no longer available upon arriving in California, because there was an altercation that closed that casino. All job offers were rescinded. My mom had planned to look for work after we settled into our new life near that casino and now my parents had to pivot and do so rather quickly. My Grandparents had a tiny home in Watsonville, CA, in a Senior neighborhood. We moved in with them. We were basically refugees. My parents set up medical care through Medi-cal. They enrolled me into a public school that had a 95% Hispanic migrant student population, and we received free/reduced school lunches. We also received WIC. We slept on air mattresses and the 4 of us shared a small single room for just over a year before my parents had enough saved to rent our own home in a subsidized housing neighborhood. But as is all too common here in Santa Cruz County, that home was sold, and we had to move again. We ended up renting a larger home, but the only way the rent could be made was by having another household join us. My Grandparents were in need of more focused elder care, so they moved in with us and now the 6 of us share a home. My mom worked temp-jobs, and my dad worked in sales. We soon discovered my brother is autistic and my dad decided to start a business selling hot dogs, and mom was offered a permanent position after years of temping, as a secretary at a Credit Union. My parents have had their share of financial struggles. My brother is autistic, my Grandfather has had a couple of strokes, my Grandma has cancer, lung disease and is legally blind, and with rising medical costs, home rental fees, and a lot of students loans, food insecurity, high interest rates, and basically cost of living being out of control in Santa Cruz county, managing finances is a challenge, and often we have to do with less. My dream is to become a Librarian Archivist. To do this, I must pursue a post-secondary degree and a master’s degree. My dream is a costly one. I could take out loans and figure it out later, but that seems unwise. It will be difficult to achieve my goals if I am also saddled with student debt for the rest of my adult life. So, I work hard. I study hard. I try to find appropriate accommodations for my disabilities. I research grants and scholarships. It is not easy. But no one said achieving my dream would be easy. I have a part time job working at my city's public library as a page. I am working in my field of study. I will work while I go to college. I will save and pay my own way. This means it is going to take me longer to achieve my goals, but that is okay. It helps me build character while I work on my transition to adulthood. I am razor focused and I know with these added supports, I am going to be a huge success. Maybe one day I will also be able to give back to those that have helped me along my path. I want to thank you all for your consideration.

When I turned 16, I qualified for a work-study program offered through the school's special-ed department. They assisted me with how to interview, how to dress and how to read a paycheck, among other helpful tools and skills. For the work study they asked me where I would like to work, and I said the Watsonville Library, since I enjoyed being the school's library TA so much. The city library had not yet been involved with this program, so they reached out and the library was thrilled to have me. I was brought in as a Page, to shelve returned books. Occasionally I help patrons find books to borrow and direct them to the different areas throughout the library. Now in my Senior year, I have completed my work-study. The library liked my performance and work ethic and hired me once I completed my 300 hours. Libraries have always been a big part of my life. My parents would often take me to the library. We would check out loads of books, participate in craft activities and other library events. I learned that the library was more than just books; it was a community, and one I belonged in. When I started considering majors in college, Library Science rose to the top of my list. Through my research, I have discovered that there is a need for information science, research, and data analytic skills in almost every company. My goals include obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Information Science and Data Analytics, and eventually earning my master’s in library sciences, which will aid in my career goals of working within libraries or museums. Starting with this undergraduate program will help me make my dream of working in and with libraries come true. After college and once I am working in my field, I have a goal to launch a mobile library in underserved communities, by converting buses to bring the library to underserved areas in our community. The Mobile library branch could meet these migrant farmers in the fields where they work, in the parking lots of the grocery stores they shop at, or even visit the schools and churches in the areas. The bus would be able to check out and check in books. There would be a bilingual librarian available to assist and make recommendations for books and services. The Library Bus would have a large portion of Spanish titles available to borrow. And the bus could be set up with wireless internet and have a computer station available to use. This goes beyond the bookmobile concept. Bringing library services to these underserved areas would change my community in a positive way. We would be enhancing the library community hub by making it even more accessible. Having this service be mobile helps expand access without another brick-and-mortar location. And there could be a rotation of staff to man it and drive it. This would bring Jobs to the community and access to Library services.

My name is Natalya Hammond, and I am a senior at Aptos High School in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District. I have always identified as a good student. I love going to school. When I was younger, I was the kid in school that got upset if I got a B instead of an A on my assignments or tests. I made the honor roll frequently and joined the GATE Program in third grade and remained through eighth grade. In 5th grade I was mercilessly bullied. In 6th and 7th, I explored cutting to see if I could just feel anything. Some days I just wanted to go to sleep and not wake up. My parents took immediate action once they realized the severity of my downward spiral. But it took my deep depression to manifest to get help. My family was so focused at the time in getting my brother’s autism diagnosed and supported. I fell through a crack. My grades slipped. I stopped caring. I did not even think I would be going to college in the fall. I honestly was considering taking a year off, or just going to the local community college. My parents, once realizing my struggle, took immediate action. They sought our therapists to help me. I went through several before finding my current therapist. They also worked to get my deficits supported at school. With the COVID Pandemic, I finished eighth grade at home and did not attend high school in person until halfway through my sophomore year. I began to struggle in math my freshman year and saw my A’s drop; all the way down to a “D.” My parents voiced concerns, as this performance was not normal for me. I joined ACCESS at school and worked with tutors. ACCESS is my high school's College and Career Center. The school continued to say I am passing so I am fine. I was not fine though. Unfortunately, I had to fail to get help. This is a failure of the system, and lack of funding in my low-income community. My mother started researching to see if my failing in math was due to a learning disability. It turns out I have Dyscalculia, which is like Dyslexia. I struggle with key concepts like left vs. right, bigger vs. smaller, and I have a hard time with basic math problems like fractions and more complex math like algebra. Oddly though, I am great at geometry! Mom had the school do assessment testing which confirmed her suspicions. I was granted an IEP and an aide for math and my grades started to come back up. I went from a D to a B in one year. I was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder when I was 16, late into my junior year. Along with ADHD, OCD, SPD, GAD/Social Anxiety, and deep depressive disorder. I began to see several specialists. My parents took NAMI courses. They checked in often; still do. I still have to report on a scale of 1-10, how I am feeling. I started therapies, different medications, and treatments to help me help myself. Knowing that I was not stupid and that I had a legitimate disorder or two made me feel better. And I continue to thrive with appropriate accommodations in place. With both my brother and I on the autism spectrum, the therapies that come are costly. Having scholarships and grants will help me pay for school and avoid large student loans. Because of the help in therapy and in math at school, I was able to significantly bring my grades up. My 1st semester, in my senior year, I earned a 4.0. Combined and weighted, my GPA is now just under 3.50. I expect it to be at least a 3.6 when I graduate this June. I even became a California Scholarship Federation Chapter Member this past semester and will graduate with honors. I was even nominated to apply for and accepted to the California Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) 2024 for disabled students, to be a delegate and spend 1-week in July at CSU Sacramento. This was a competitive application, and I am thrilled that I will be participating and representing Watsonville this summer in Sacramento. With this momentum of success, my parents encouraged me to apply to more than just one college. I was thrilled to receive three early acceptance letters and a total of six acceptance invitations, including my first-choice school, San José State University (SJSU). SJSU has a new program in the School of Information called Information Science and Data Analytics. SJSU is the only school in California offering this specific program for an undergraduate major, and this will build a solid foundation for my Master of Library Science degree, which I intend to pursue immediately after receiving my BS degree. My career goal is to become a Librarian Archivist. I have always loved going to the library, for as long as I can remember. I became a Library Aide my junior year, and I just knew I wanted to work for Libraries as a professional. I am working at the Watsonville Public Library now as a part time page. I am on my way to reaching my goals. And with your scholarship, that makes my goal much more obtainable. Thank you for your consideration.

In 2014, we moved across the country carrying what we could in our two vehicles and a small pod. My dad had accepted a new position at a casino outside of Yosemite. He also learned that the job was no longer available upon arriving in California, because there was an altercation that closed that casino. All job offers were rescinded. My mom had planned to look for work after we settled into our new life near that casino and now my parents had to pivot and do so rather quickly. My Grandparents had a tiny home in Watsonville, CA, in a Senior neighborhood. We moved in with them. We were basically refugees. My parents set up medical care through Medi-cal. They enrolled me into a public school that had a 95% Hispanic migrant student population, and we received free/reduced school lunches. We also received WIC. We slept on air mattresses and the 4 of us shared a small single room for just over a year before my parents had enough saved to rent our own home in a subsidized housing neighborhood. But as is all too common here in Santa Cruz County, that home was sold, and we had to move again. We ended up renting a larger home, but the only way the rent could be made was by having another household join us. My Grandparents were in need of more focused elder care, so they moved in with us and now the 6 of us share a home. My mom worked temp-jobs, and my dad worked in sales. We soon discovered my brother is autistic and my dad decided to start a business selling hot dogs, and mom was offered a permanent position after years of temping, as a secretary at a Credit Union. My parents have had their share of financial struggles. My brother is autistic, my Grandfather has had a couple of strokes, my Grandma has cancer, lung disease and is legally blind, and with rising medical costs, home rental fees, and a lot of students loans, food insecurity, high interest rates, and basically cost of living being out of control in Santa Cruz county, managing finances is a challenge, and often we have to do with less. My dream is to become a Librarian Archivist. To do this, I must pursue a post-secondary degree and a master’s degree. My dream is a costly one. I could take out loans and figure it out later, but that seems unwise. It will be difficult to achieve my goals if I am also saddled with student debt for the rest of my adult life. So, I work hard. I study hard. I try to find appropriate accommodations for my disabilities. I research grants and scholarships. It is not easy. But no one said achieving my dream would be easy. I have a part time job working at my city's public library as a page. I am working in my field of study. I will work while I go to college. I will save and pay my own way. This means it is going to take me longer to achieve my goals, but that is okay. It helps me build character while I work on my transition to adulthood. I am razor focused and I know with these added supports, I am going to be a huge success. Maybe one day I will also be able to give back to those that have helped me along my path. I want to thank you all for your consideration.

When I turned 16, I qualified for a work-study program offered through the school's special-ed department. They assisted me with how to interview, how to dress and how to read a paycheck, among other helpful tools and skills. For the work study they asked me where I would like to work, and I said the Watsonville Library, since I enjoyed being the school's library TA so much. The city library had not yet been involved with this program, so they reached out and the library was thrilled to have me. I was brought in as a Page, to shelve returned books. Occasionally I help patrons find books to borrow and direct them to the different areas throughout the library. Now in my Senior year, I have completed my work-study. The library liked my performance and work ethic and hired me once I completed my 300 hours. Libraries have always been a big part of my life. My parents would often take me to the library. We would check out loads of books, participate in craft activities and other library events. I learned that the library was more than just books; it was a community, and one I belonged in. When I started considering majors in college, Library Science rose to the top of my list. Through my research, I have discovered that there is a need for information science, research, and data analytic skills in almost every company. My goals include obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Information Science and Data Analytics, and eventually earning my master’s in library sciences, which will aid in my career goals of working within libraries or museums. Starting with this undergraduate program will help me make my dream of working in and with libraries come true. After college and once I am working in my field, I have a goal to launch a mobile library in underserved communities, by converting buses to bring the library to underserved areas in our community. The Mobile library branch could meet these migrant farmers in the fields where they work, in the parking lots of the grocery stores they shop at, or even visit the schools and churches in the areas. The bus would be able to check out and check in books. There would be a bilingual librarian available to assist and make recommendations for books and services. The Library Bus would have a large portion of Spanish titles available to borrow. And the bus could be set up with wireless internet and have a computer station available to use. This goes beyond the bookmobile concept. Bringing library services to these underserved areas would change my community in a positive way. We would be enhancing the library community hub by making it even more accessible. Having this service be mobile helps expand access without another brick-and-mortar location. And there could be a rotation of staff to man it and drive it. This would bring Jobs to the community and access to Library services.

I'm a shy introverted queer teen getting ready to graduate and move to college. My parents don’t have enough money saved to support my college dreams. To make my dreams and goals come true, I must get grants and scholarships to avoid student loans and incur debt. Add in staggering rising costs for therapy and services of support for my little brother (autistic) and myself (also neuro-diverse), means we are tapped dry. My shyness, and social anxiety along with my ADHD and being Autistic does tie my hands behind my back, so to speak. Therapies are expensive! If money was no object, I’ll be attending SJSU in the fall, living on campus in the LGBTQ+ community called the Rainbow Village in Joe West Hall. My major is a BS in Information Sciences and Data Analytics. Then I'll be pursuing my master’s in library sciences. My career goal is to become a Librarian Archivist. This field is highly relevant in my ability to continue to be engaged with my community, and provide a record of where we were, where we are and where we’re going. I am a great student with a solid record of academic success. It's true my ability to be out there is a challenge with my introverted-ness. I'm not a stereotype. I hope that's okay. I adore my LGBTQ+ community. I do very much want to find MY person, beyond the people in my friend group. Being queer, asexual, pan- romantic makes it a challenge. I'm still looking and know just by being involved, well... you just never know. I have the grades, the recommendations, the support of my family, friends, and teachers. Even my co-workers. I very much would like to be considered for this award. I have big dreams and this scholarship will help make those dreams come true. Since my freshman year, I have found my people! My closest friends are all LGBTQ+. My pronouns are She/Her/Hers, and I’m panromantic, ace. I identify as queer. I’ve become proud of who I am and my parents have been highly supportive as ally’s and just amazing people. I have a PAN and ACE flag in my room. I’m comfortable in my own skin now. And with my awakening, I’ve come to rely on the LGBTQ+ community to always be there, no matter where I find myself. There is a community here at home. There is a community at my college, and I’ll be living with them in the Rainbow Village at SJSU in the dorm. Instant friends! –insert jazz hands–, assuming I can obtain the financing to go. My level of involvement has evolved just as I have. I’m aware of the injustices that are happening in other parts of the USA and globally. I wasn’t before. Now I know it’s important to be loud and proud and speak my truth. I pre-registered to vote, and this upcoming election will be my first time. I know now that my vote does matter and plan to advocate all along the way. I went to the Pride Parade and festival this past weekend, even though scary threats were made to blow us all up. I refused to let fear mandate my actions. I went, I engaged and I was so proud of all of us there. It was a loving and supportive vibe. It’s important to document everything. And to be a voice, a safe haven, and to be my unique brilliant wonderful queer self.

My name is Natalya Hammond and I am autistic with ADHD and a learning disability in math called Dyscalculia. I’m attending San Jose State University beginning Fall 2024. I began to struggle in math my freshman year. My parents voiced concerns, as this performance was not normal for me. My school continued to say I am passing so I’m fine. I wasn’t though. Unfortunately, I had to fail to get help. My mother started researching to see if my failing in math was due to a learning disability. It turns out I have Dyscalculia, which is like Dyslexia. I struggle with key concepts in math like left vs. right, bigger vs. smaller, and I have a hard time with basic math problems like fractions and more complex math like algebra. Oddly though, I am great at geometry! Mom had the school do assessment testing which confirmed her suspicions. I was granted an IEP and an aide for math and my grades started to come back up. I went from a D to a B in one year. I was diagnosed with ADHD and autism spectrum disorder when I was 16, late into my junior year. Knowing that I was not stupid and that I had a legitimate disorder, or two, made me feel better. And I continue to thrive in school and at my job at the library with appropriate accommodations in place. My mother and brother are also autistic, and with all three of us on the spectrum. I was even selected as a delegate to attend the California Youth Leadership Forum(YLF) for disabled students this summer. I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to meet with other students like me and learn from mentors and professionals in the Disabled Community. My family champions advocacy and my mother volunteers her knowledge to help other parents navigate the minefield of free and appropriate education (FAPE), and the rights of their students. She even launched a Facebook group to provide support to Disabled families going to Disneyland. I’m so happy my mother and father advocate for us and for all of the people in our community that need a voice. My family's kindness, love and support of me, my brother, and everyone has rubbed off on me. I don’t know if my voice will be as loud since I also suffer from social and generalized anxiety, but I know one day I’ll get there. Mom says it just may take longer for me. With the momentum of successes I’ve had, my parents encouraged me to apply to more than just one college. I ended up receiving a total of SIX acceptance invitations, including my first-choice school, San José State University (SJSU). SJSU has a new BS program in the School of Information called Information Science and Data Analytics. SJSU is the only school in California offering this specific program for an undergraduate major, and this will build a solid foundation for my Master of Library Science degree, which I intend to pursue immediately after receiving my BS degree. My career goal is to become a Librarian Archivist. I have always loved going to the library, for as long as I can remember. I became a Library Aide my junior year, and I just knew I wanted to work for Libraries as a professional. I am working at the Watsonville Public Library now as a part time page. I am on my way to reaching my goals. And with your scholarship, that makes my goal much more obtainable. Thank you for your consideration.

My name is Natalya Hammond, and I am a Senior at Aptos High School. I am Autistic, and have a learning disability in math called Dyscalculia. From early on, my parents instilled in me the importance of community and helping, such as delivering food to seniors on Christmas morning. In my county, food insecurity is scary and stressful and many in our community are finding themselves in this situation, where getting food, even just the basics, like bread, milk or a stick of butter is difficult. I took on a leadership role by facilitating a food and funds collection at my school to help those that needed the food and allowed them to get it with their dignity intact. I was even awarded the Outstanding Community Spirit Award from Second Harvest. In my Junior year, I volunteered my time, 60 hours give or take, to be a counselor at the Santa Cruz County Outdoor Science School. I oversaw a cabin of middle school girls and aided in the facilitation of a variety of learning and bonding activities with the students. My family participates in the Christmas Project in Watsonville. This non-profit provides toys, gifts, and food to needy children and adults mainly in the migrant labor camps throughout Santa Cruz County. The families make their Christmas wish requests which are fulfilled by members in the community. My family donates time to gift wrap the items on these wish lists and deliver to the families. I was accepted into ACCESS in 9th grade and was offered many opportunities and access to college and career development throughout my 4-years in the program. I am a California Scholarship Federation Member in the Aptos High Chapter, and I am a delegate for the California Youth Leadership Forum for Students with Disabilities. I am a Lab Technician for the Marine Biology/Science department, and I am in my 2nd year as a teaching assistant (TA) for my school's library. My experience as a Library TA emboldened me to seek out a position with the public library in my town. I enrolled in the Transitional Partnership Program (TPP) through the Department of Rehabilitation when I turned 16 shortly after being diagnosed as autistic, high functioning. The mission of the TPP is to assist students with an IEP/504 plan to transition from school to employment. I was exposed to job exploration counseling, work-based learning experiences, post-secondary counseling, workplace readiness training, and self-advocacy training. Due to my continued interest in working at the public library, TPP worked with the Watsonville public library to create a position for me which would become my first real world job experience. Through that posting, my workplace readiness training was turned into a permanent position as a Page with the City of Watsonville, Main Library. My interest in the library is the reason I am majoring in Library Sciences. My passion in this field and my joy of learning are the driving forces that will ensure I will be a tremendous success.

I am going to college. This has always been my path and my parents have continued to tell me there is always a path, it may be different than initially planned, but a path is always there. I have always identified as a good student. I loved going to school. I was the kid in school that got upset if I got a B instead of an A on assignments and tests. I made AR Reader and the honor roll frequently and joined the GATE Program in 3rd grade and remained through 8th grade. With the COVID Pandemic, I finished 8th grade at home and didn’t attend high school in person until halfway through my sophomore year. I began to struggle in math my freshman year and saw my A’s drop all the way down to a “D.” My parents voiced concerns, as this was not normal for me. I joined ACCESS at school and worked with tutors. The school continued to say I’m passing so I’m fine. I wasn’t though and had to fail to get help. My mother started researching to see if my failing in math was due to a learning disability. It turns out I have Dyscalculia, which is similar to Dyslexia, except it’s in math. I was given an IEP and an aide for math and my grades started to come back up. I went from a D to a B in one year. I was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder when I was 16, late into my junior year. Knowing that I wasn’t stupid and that I had a legitimate disorder or two actually made me feel better. And I continue to thrive with appropriate accommodations in place. My brother is also autistic, and with both of us on the autism spectrum, it comes with lots of costly therapies. Having scholarships and grants will help me pay for school, avoid large student loans while achieveing my goals! I had a 3.10 at the end of my junior year because I had help in math and was able to bring my grade up. My 1st semester, in my senior year, I earned a 4.0. Combined and weighted, my GPA is now just under 3.50. I expect it to be at least a 3.6 when I graduate this June. I even became a California Scholarship Federation Chapter Member this past semester and will graduate with honors. With this momentum of successes, my parents encouraged me to apply to the schools listed on my attached application. I was thrilled to receive 3 early acceptance letters and a total of 6 acceptance invitations, including my first-choice school, San José State University (SJSU). SJSU has a new program in the School of Information called Information Science and Data Analytics (https://ischool.sjsu.edu/bachelor-science-information-science-and-data-analytics). SJSU is the only school in California offering this specific program for an undergraduate major, and this will build a strong foundation for my Master of Library Science degree, which I intend to pursue immediately after receiving my BS degree. My career goal is to become a Librarian Archivist. I’ve always loved going to the library, for as long as I can remember. I became a Library Aide my junior year, and I just knew I wanted to work for Libraries as a professional. I am working at the Watsonville Public Library now as a part time page. I’m on my way to reaching my goals. And with your scholarship, that makes my goal much more obtainable. Thank you for your consideration.

I am AuDHD; both ADHD inattentive, and autistic. I’m brilliant, and have my share of comorbidities. I call them hiccups. I need fidgets, which took time to sort out what would work and what didn’t. I love going to school. When I was younger, I was the kid in school that got upset if I got a B instead of an A. I even skipped the 4th grade. I made the honor roll frequently and was in the GATE Program. Mom figured my ADHD-hyperfocus was doing well in school, and didn’t see a need then to get a formal diagnosis. With the COVID Pandemic, I finished eighth grade at home and did not attend high school in person until halfway through 10th grade. Struggles in math began my freshman year and I saw my A’s drop; all the way down to a “D.” My parents voiced concerns, as this was not normal for me. The school continued to say I am passing so I’m fine. Honestly? That’s so frustrating. I know I wasn’t fine. I needed help and support. At the very least a 504 plan. Unfortunately, I had to fail to get help. My mother started researching to see if my failing in math was due to a learning disability. It turns out I also have Dyscalculia, which is like Dyslexia. I struggle with key concepts like left vs. right, bigger vs. smaller, and I have a hard time with basic math problems like fractions and more complex math like algebra. Oddly though, I am great at geometry! Mom had the school do assessment testing which confirmed her suspicions. I was granted an IEP and an aide for math and my grades started to come back up. I went from a D to a B in one year. I was officially diagnosed with ADHD and autism spectrum disorder when I was 16, late into my junior year. Knowing that I was not stupid and that I had a legitimate reason made me feel better. I continue to thrive in school and at my job at the library with appropriate accommodations in place. My mother and brother are also ADHD and autistic; “AuDHD”, and with all three of us being this way, it comes with lots of costly fidgets and therapies. I had a 3.10 at the end of 11th-grade because of the help in math and was able to significantly bring my grade up. My 1st semester, in my senior year, I earned a 4.0. Combined and weighted, my GPA is now just under 3.50. I expect it to be at least a 3.6 when I graduate this June. I was even accepted as a delegate to the California Youth Leadership Forum for Disabled Students and will spend 1-week this July at CSU-Sacramento. I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to meet with other students like me, and learn from mentors and professionals in the Disabled Community. SJSU has a new STEM program called Information Science and Data Analytics. This specific undergraduate program ties into the Master of Library Science degree, which I intend to pursue immediately after receiving my BS degree. My career goal is to become a Librarian Archivist. I have always loved going to the library, for as long as I can remember. I became a Library Aide my junior year, and I just knew I wanted to work for Libraries as a professional. I am working at the Watsonville Public Library. I am on my way to reaching my goals, and will sparkle, succeed and SHINE BRIGHT.

In 2014, we moved across the country carrying what we could in our two vehicles and a small pod. My dad had accepted a new position at a casino outside of Yosemite. He also learned that the job was no longer available upon arriving in California, because there was an altercation that closed that casino. All job offers were rescinded. My mom had planned to look for work after we settled into our new life near that casino and now my parents had to pivot and do so rather quickly. My Grandparents had a tiny home in Watsonville, CA, in a Senior neighborhood. We moved in with them. We were basically refugees. My parents set up medical care through Medi-cal. They enrolled me into a public school that had a 95% Hispanic migrant student population, and we received free/reduced school lunches. We also received WIC. We slept on air mattresses and the 4 of us shared a small single room for just over a year before my parents had enough saved to rent our own home in a subsidized housing neighborhood. But as is all too common here in Santa Cruz County, that home was sold, and we had to move again. We ended up renting a larger home, but the only way the rent could be made was by having another household join us. My Grandparents were in need of more focused elder care, so they moved in with us and now the 6 of us share a home. My mom worked temp-jobs, and my dad worked in sales. We soon discovered my brother was autistic and my dad decided to start a business selling hot dogs, and mom was offered a permanent position after years of temping, as a secretary at a Credit Union. About 10-months into my dad's new business venture, COVID hit and the lockdown put him out of business. My mom was an essential worker, so she continued to work during the pandemic and my father took on the role of caregiver. My parents have had their share of financial struggles. My brother is autistic; so am I. My Grandfather has had a couple of strokes, my Grandma has cancer, lung disease and is legally blind, and with rising medical costs, home rental fees, and a lot of students loans, food insecurity, high interest rates, and basically cost of living being out of control in Santa Cruz county, managing finances is a challenge, and often we have to do with less. My dream is to become a Librarian Archivist. To do this, I have to pursue a post secondary degree and a masters degree. My dream is a costly one. I could take out loans and figure it out later, but that seems unwise. I work hard. I study hard. I try to find appropriate accommodations for my disabilities. I research grants and scholarships. It’s not easy. But no one said achieving the “American Dream” would be easy. I have a part time job working at my city's public library as a page. I’m working in my field of study. I will work while I go to college. I will save and pay my own way. This means it’s going to take me longer to achieve my goals, but that’s okay. It helps me build character or “embody grit”, while I work on my transition to adulthood. I’m razor focused and I know with these added supports, I’m going to be a huge success. One day I’ll give back to my community just as others have helped me along my path.

My name is Natalya Hammond, and I am pursuing a STEM degree in Information Science and Data Analytics as well as a Masters in Library Sciences. I am graduating 1 year early from High School, and I am a female student who happens to also be pursuing a career in STEM. I like to bake when I have the motivation. My parents call me the Midnight Baker because that’s usually when motivation strikes. I enjoy libraries. I also love marine biology. I have natural curly hair, and I really love it. I have a large sweater collection because every day is sweater weather for me. I collect statement earrings and often I just make my own jewelry. I enjoy reading fanfiction. I’m going to San Jose State University (SJSU). It is the only University in California offering a BS in Information Science and Data Analytics, and the program will build a strong foundation for my Master of Library Science degree, which I intend to pursue immediately after receiving my BS degree. My career goal is to become a Librarian Archivist. I've had many interests throughout my K-12 education including engineering, culinary arts, marine biology and library science. This year I am a Lab Tech for the Science Department at my High School. I also became a Library Teacher Assistant (TA) in my Junior year and liked it so much I signed up for a second year. My experience as a Library TA emboldened me to seek out a position with the public library in my town. I enrolled in the Transitional Partnership Program (TPP) through the Department of Rehabilitation when I turned 16 shortly after being diagnosed as autistic, high functioning. The mission of the TPP is to assist students with an IEP/504 plan to transition from school to employment. I was exposed to job exploration counseling, work-based learning experiences, post-secondary counseling, workplace readiness training, and self-advocacy training. Due to my continued interest in working at the public library, TPP worked with the Watsonville public library to create a position for me which would become my first real world job experience. Through that posting, my workplace readiness training was turned into a permanent position as a Page with the City of Watsonville, Main Library. Libraries have always been a big part of my life. My parents would often take me to the library. We would check out loads of books, participate in craft activities and other library events. I learned that the library was more than just books; it was a community, and one I felt I belonged in. When I started considering majors in college, Library Science rose to the top of my list. Through my research, I've discovered that there is a need for information science, research and data analytic skills in almost every company. My goals include obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Information Science and Data Analytics, and eventually earning my Masters in Library Sciences, which will aid in my career goals of working within libraries or museums. Starting with this undergraduate STEM program will help me make my dream of working in and with libraries come true. My interest and now work experience at the library is the reason I am majoring in Library Sciences. My passion in this field and my joy of learning are the driving forces that will ensure I will be a tremendous success.

I lost my great grandma Lil shortly after my family relocated from Vermont to California 9-years ago. She was an amazing, supportive, smart and sassy lady. She was born in 1925 and while her family was mostly slaughtered in the Holocaust, her father had moved to Paris, then to Quebec before moving down to New York where he started a Tailor business and sent for the rest of his family to join him in Brooklyn. My great grandma was the baby of her family, born in the USA and in the 40’s my great grandpa Nat (I’m named after him), fought in the war and helped liberate the surviving jews in the concentration camps. Grandma Lil was brilliant. She understood the importance of education. She made sure her boys all had excellent opportunities to thrive and become highly successful men. My Papa, her oldest son, skipped 2-grades in High School and started college at the age of 16 as a Chemistry Major at Brooklyn Polytechnic. Her second son, my Uncle Bobby was a gifted artist and fashion designer, who did fashion and costume designs for HBO, Apple, Coca Cola and Pepsi advertising campaigns. He also worked on costumes in the TV and Film industry. Her third son, my Uncle Marc had a career in computers and a second career in Real Estate. And her youngest son, my Uncle Gene, had a career in TV and Film as well, and often worked with the television crews at major sporting events around the country. She instilled in me the importance of education. She taught me how to think outside of the box and how every day there’s a lesson just waiting to be discovered. When I turned 16, it was discovered that I have a learning disability in Math called dyscalculia. I was also late diagnosed as autistic. I was struggling with my grades in Math. I’m usually a straight A student so seeing my grades diminish depressed me and made me stop trying in my studies. But I heard my grandma in my head encouraging me to find a path and that there is always a path. I asked for help and guidance. I was given an IEP. I was given accommodations and with all of this, I thrived. My grade went from an F to B in Math. I was resilient in pushing through the hard. I wanted my 4.0 GPA back, and am thrilled to share that I did it! I used this momentum of success to drive me to apply to seven colleges. I was accepted into six! I accepted San Jose State University (SJSU) and will study to achieve my BS in Information Science and Data Analytics. I want to become an archivist so I can preserve the stories and documents of our past. To save and learn and continue to learn from our past to help us avoid history repeating when it was bad, and reminds us of when it was good and how it can be good again. I miss my Grandma Lil. She was amazing. It’s my honor to continue to share her stories and to preserve her memory. And one day, I’ll be able to share my story to the next generation.

My name is Natalya (Naftalah Loya bat Tamara Sara) Hammond, and I am pursuing a STEM degree in Information Science and Data Analytics as well as a Masters in Library Sciences. I am graduating 1 year early from High School, and I am a Jewish student who happens to also be pursuing a career in STEM. San Jose State University (SJSU) is the only University in California offering this specific program for an undergraduate major, and this will build a strong foundation for my Master of Library Science degree, which I intend to pursue immediately after receiving my BS degree. My career goal is to become a Librarian Archivist. I've had many interests throughout my K-12 education including engineering, culinary arts, marine biology and library science. This year I am a Lab Tech for the Science Department at my High School. I also became a Library Teacher Assistant (TA) in my Junior year and liked it so much I signed up for a second year. My experience as a Library TA emboldened me to seek out a position with the public library in my town. I enrolled in the Transitional Partnership Program (TPP) through the Department of Rehabilitation when I turned 16 shortly after being diagnosed as autistic, high functioning. The mission of the TPP is to assist students with an IEP/504 plan to transition from school to employment. I was exposed to job exploration counseling, work-based learning experiences, post-secondary counseling, workplace readiness training, and self-advocacy training. Due to my continued interest in working at the public library, TPP worked with the Watsonville public library to create a position for me which would become my first real world job experience. Through that posting, my workplace readiness training was turned into a permanent position as a Page with the City of Watsonville, Main Library. Libraries have always been a big part of my life. My parents would often take me to the library. We would check out loads of books, participate in craft activities and other library events. I learned that the library was more than just books; it was a community, and one I felt I belonged in. When I started considering majors in college, Library Science rose to the top of my list. Through my research, I've discovered that there is a need for information science, research and data analytic skills in almost every company. My goals include obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Information Science and Data Analytics, and eventually earning my Masters in Library Sciences, which will aid in my career goals of working within libraries or museums. Starting with this undergraduate STEM program will help me make my dream of working in and with libraries come true. My interest and now work experience at the library is the reason I am majoring in Library Sciences. My passion in this field and my joy of learning are the driving forces that will ensure I will be a tremendous success.

I have always identified as a good student. I love going to school. When I was younger, I was the kid in school that got upset if I got a B instead of an A. I skipped the 4th grade. I made the honor roll frequently and was in the GATE Program. With the COVID Pandemic, I finished eighth grade at home and did not attend high school in person until halfway through my sophomore year. I began to struggle in math my freshman year and saw my A’s drop; all the way down to a “D.” My parents voiced concerns, as this performance was not normal for me. The school continued to say I’m passing so I’m fine. Unfortunately, I had to fail to get help. My mother started researching to see if my failing in math was due to a learning disability. It turns out I have Dyscalculia, which is like Dyslexia. I struggle with key concepts like left vs. right, bigger vs. smaller, and I have a hard time with basic math problems like fractions and more complex math like algebra. Oddly though, I am great at geometry! I was granted an IEP and an aide for math and my grades started to come back up. I went from a D to a B in one year. I was also diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder when I was 16, late into my junior year. And even so, I continue to thrive in school and at my job at the library, now with appropriate accommodations in place. I had a 3.10 at the end of my junior year due to the help in math. I have maintained my 4.0 GPA throughout my senior year and will be graduating with honors. I was invited to attend the California Youth Leadership Forum for Disabled Students (YLF) 2024 to be a delegate this summer. I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to meet with other students like me and learn from mentors and professionals in the Disabled Community. My family champions advocacy. My mother volunteers her knowledge to help other parents navigate the minefield of free and appropriate education, and the rights of their students. I’m so happy my parents advocate for us and for all of the people in our ASD-community that need a voice. My family's kindness, love and support of me, my brother, and everyone has rubbed off on me. I don’t know if my voice will be as loud since I also suffer from social and generalized anxiety, but I know one day I’ll get there. Mom says it just may take longer for me. With the momentum of successes I’ve had, my parents encouraged me to apply to more than just one college. I ended up receiving a total of SIX acceptance invitations, including my first-choice school, San José State University (SJSU). SJSU has a new program in the School of Information called: Information Science and Data Analytics. SJSU is the only school in California offering this specific program for an undergraduate major, and this will build a solid foundation for my Master of Library Science degree, which I intend to pursue immediately after receiving my BS degree. My career goal is to become a Librarian Archivist. I have always loved going to the library, for as long as I can remember. I became a Library Aide my junior year, and I just knew I wanted to work for Libraries as a professional. I am working at the Watsonville Public Library now as a part time page. I am on my way to reaching my goals.