What does it mean to dream before the limits set before you?? For me as a first-generation Hispanic student, ambition means pushing past barriers,seizing opportunities, and proving that where my people come from doesn't define where you can go. Growing up in a Hispanic household, I watched my mother working tirelessly to create a better future for our family. In our culture, hard work and sacrifice are not jut values but necessitates for survival. My mothers resilience became my motivation, teaching me that success is not just about personal achievement but about uplifting those around me. Her sacrifices instilled in me a drive to pursue higher education knowing that each step I take is one step closer to breaking barriers, not just for myself but for those who will follow. I am determined to break barriers in the Management field by opening doors that have never been opened before. As a first-generation student, one of my biggest challenges has been navigating the college system without prior guidance. Unlike many of my peers I didn't grow up knowing about financial aid or scholarships. The process of understanding tuition costs and finding resources felt overwhelming at times. There was no road-map laid out for me -I had to create my own. Despite these challenges, I took the initiative to seek out resources, ask questions, and educate myself about the opportunities available. I learned to advocate myself, ask questions, and be resourceful and embrace every chance to grow. This experience has not only made me more independent but has also strengthened my resilience and determination to succeed. Overcoming these barriers has fueled my ambition even further. My Hispanic identity has played a key role in shaping my goals. In my community, i have seen many struggle with acne, (myself included), yet fe have access to professional skincare guidance. I want to change that. My ultimate goal is to become a spa owner, not just provide high-quality services, but to create a space where Hispanics struggling with acne can find real solutions and where young girls can learn about skincare early on building confidence in themselves. Just as I had to navigate college resources on my own, I want to ensure the the next generation doesn't have to face the same struggle alone. I aspire to guide students like me first-generation, ambitious, and full of potential so they can access the support they need to achieve their dreams. This scholarship would greatly help ease my financial burden, allowing me to continue my education and work toward my goals. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to participate in this scholarship and for the chance to share my story. Whether through business or mentorship, I want my success to open doors for others, proving that no obstacle is too great to overcome.

My name is Paola , and I am currently an undergraduate student at South Texas College, pursuing a certificate in Business Management. As a full-time student, I am fully committed to my education, but financial challenges have made it difficult to complete my studies. Unfortunately, the financial aid I receive through FAFSA is not enough to cover my educational expenses. This scholarship would help ease my financial burden and allow me to focus entirely on my academic and career goals. My long-term aspiration is to own a beauty salon where women can not only enhance their appearance but also learn to love and take care of their skin. I believe beauty is more than just external—it is about self-care and confidence. My goal is to create a space where women feel empowered and valued, providing them with the knowledge and resources they need to embrace their natural beauty. While I am dedicated to my future, my journey has not been easy. For the first 15 years of my life, I lived with my biological father, believing that I was in a normal, loving environment. However, I later realized that I had been emotionally manipulated, brainwashed, and subjected to inappropriate behavior that no child should ever endure. Coming to terms with this truth was one of the most painful and confusing moments of my life. I felt lost, scared, and betrayed. Healing was not immediate, but I chose to take control of my life. I sought counseling to help me set healthy boundaries and process my emotions. Most importantly, I turned to my faith. Praying and trusting in God gave me the strength to move forward, to forgive, and to heal from the pain of my past. Through faith and perseverance, I overcame this emotional weakness and became stronger than I ever imagined. Today, I stand as a survivor, not a victim. I am determined to use my experiences as fuel to create a better future for myself and to inspire others who may be struggling. This scholarship would not only alleviate my financial stress but also bring me closer to my dream of becoming a business owner, where I can uplift and support women in their journey to self-confidence and self-love. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to share my story and for the chance to be considered for this scholarship. Education is my path forward, and with the right support, I am confident that I will achieve my dreams.

I always imagined a blender as a blended family mixing all the different flavors (attitudes/personalities) of our blended family would clash together. It felt like we kept on struggling to blend the first year of being in a blended family, but while all the flavors were clashing we were resolving conflict and learning how to adapt to this new family we are now. Throughout the years of being a blended family I have learned patience, with each other, the patience to adapt to the new rules we had. I learned that with time it helps you grow and adapt and learn. That's how we blended with time, we all wanted it to adapt quick but it didn't happen that fast. Coming to a blended family my mindest changed automatically in the 2 years we have been together. I grew mentally and learned new skills as a big sister aswell. I have learned how to be a leader with my siblings and learned allot of skills that I was lacking when I was living with my past guardian that never showed me anything. I learned how a family really is supposed to be. My plans and goals were impacted I got the support I needed to reach my full potential. My family supported me through my trade school studys and helped me to achieve my goals. They have always guided me to do the right things, not the wrong things. I learned how to put my faith in God throughout everything that I am going through. That changed my plans to start a podcast that's has taught me to really practice my communicating skills and project skills. I am going to enter in buisness and I can't wait to use my skills to speak with clients, and learn how start a buisness. I can't wait to start this new journey in my life where I will be learning new skills that I have always been looking for. This talent and new skills that I will be learning are going to impact so many people for good. I want to help people to be able to feel confident in there bare skin. To help them find God and see how amazing he is, to save the people who have been lost in sin. My singing talent will bring people to christ and help them worship God and thank him for everything he has done. My skills will be used to give back love to the people who need it.

I am a girl from the town McAllen, since I was a little girl I knew there is something big out there for me. I always had a open mind that possibilities are everywhere for the one who is detirnened. Growing up I started to struggle with bad acne. It caused me to become insecure of my self apperance and want to hide my face, I would feel ashamed of my face because of how red it got. I started getting into the world of skincare, slowly I started looking for sololutions to help my skin. While that was happening I started getting intrested in the jobs that offer skincare advice and help with the skin. This experience I had with Acne opened my eyes to see that other people might feel the same way I did or worse. I helped my skin by my extensive research and passion that I grew. I realized I want to help people with there skin problems, I am going to become and esthetician. I am going to impact people's lives by there appearance. Acne is one of the top insecurities women and men get, it lowers there self esteem and can cause depression. I want to help them mentally and physically battle Acne and gain back there beautifully confidence. I want to help the young teens that were like me scavenger hunting for the best treatment and product for acne, and help them knowing that I also had acne. I want to help them achieve there goal by helping there skin with the right products.I plan on giving classes for young teens to help inform them better about acne what are the causes ,how to prevent acne,and what can help. I will learn more extensively the root cause of acne and why it happens, I am going to become a master esthetician on acne. I am going to bring back that confidence and self esteem back. to these beautifully people who have been waiting for this moment. these people will not get bullied or made fun of the way I did, it really brings your self esteem down. I am going to make a difference in the world by helping people and not taking advantage of there situation. I am passionately help cure acne, and the mental drain that comes along with it. Many women and men will be impacted by this career. I can't wait to help all these people achieving healthy skin.