My favorite movie of all time is Shrek. It was my family's most-watched movie. It's my favorite film because it is more than pop culture references and crude humor; it's a journey of self-love and growth through the people closest to you rather than adapting and relying on what the dominant hegemony has to say. Shrek builds on interpersonal relationships and the value of oneself as a person rather than the ability to follow orders and be perfect. Where Disney created the ideal happily ever after Shrek created a realistic take on happily ever after. Happiness doesn't rely on dresses, princes, or beauty; it relies on relationships with other people and yourself. Fiona was scared and lived in fear of what society would say because she was an Ogre. Shrek created a barrier between his world and everyone else where he could be himself even though he knew that no matter how hard he tried he would only be an Ogre. He hid away. Farquad sought out perfection. He wants Duloc to be perfect, he wants a happily ever after that would gain the approval of society and give him the power to make everything perfect. Shrek is a fantastic film not just because of the amazing soundtrack, jokes, or talking animals. It's a pop-culture classic because of the relatability of each character's plight, seeking approval or love from a society that can be incredibly hypercritical. It's my favorite film because it showed me that I am what matters, the people closest to me matter. The dominant hegemony that is found in our everyday 21st century American life will never find "perfection". It doesn't exist, and it's due to Shrek that I am able to understand that a "perfect" life doesn't have to be my life, and that's ok.

Jesus is a symbol. While mass media depicts Jesus as the face of religion I see him as a symbol of peace, kindness, and hope. My journey to fully trust God and Jesus was not easy. I believed in science, looking at things logically and religion, in my eyes, was as fictional and superstitious as voodoo or psychics. It wasn't until my grandmother gave me her precious rosary that I started to understand. She used to carry the rosary all the time, whenever something good happened she had it in her hand, when she needed hope she prayed when she saw images of a broken world she prayed in silence some more. I inherited the rosary after her death, it made me feel closer to her and inherently God. I held the rosary and prayed, I went to church and took the words of the pastor to heart. It was a slow change, subtle enough that I hadn't reacted to being asked to read the Bible. I prayed and began to place my life entirely in His hands. Believing in God, in Jesus, and the Virgin Mary as not just faces on postcards or candles, but as people who love and want me gave me a newfound lightness. I was once tense, incredibly nihilistic, and didn't see any good in the world. How could I? My world seemed to be on fire, a pile of silent chaos. At home, I was the family scapegoat. If anything went wrong(which it did) it was deemed to be because of my breathing, posture, or tone of voice. While my life wasn't a living nightmare it wasn't a dream. As time passed on I found that the one place I felt at peace, was in church. Inside I felt at peace, warmth, and kindness from all around me. Jesus changed me because he made me a kinder person. Once I trusted Him I felt weightless, the world was kinder, my personal life became softer and I just felt like I was out from a hole I never knew I was in. I still keep my grandmother's rosary with me all the time, and pray for those who need it, and hope that my small kindnesses could bring someone closer to God.

My journey of self-love and acceptance has led me to question my beliefs and relationships with family. I’ve been a raised Catholic since I was a week old. My parents always believed that religion would solve every problem, it was another much larger familia. But as I got older and my parents started to be more vocal about their beliefs in same-sex marriage or saying that everyone who “thought” they were LGBTQ+ was just seeking attention or needed to go to an asylum. I was 14 when I fully understood why I stuttered when some girls talked to me when I would blush at the slightest attention from some of the strongest women on the basketball team. When I was both a social and blushing mess around so many people that I couldn't;t comfortably function, fearful that anyone would find out. I hid it from peers all the time, I didn't tell my friends I liked women until I asked one out in college. She told me she wasn’t interested, but I felt right. I felt right being me. I started to feel like me, like the me who really was. The feeling of acceptance made me more confident, more sure of myself. By self-acceptance, I became more comfortable with relationships. Not having any secrets with the people I love has made me feel closer to people. It’s given me a place to feel safe. My journey has made me a fuller me. The real me, and not the one who would pretend to fit in.

I was 14 when I fully understood why I stuttered when some girls talked to me, when I would blush at the slightest attention from some of the strongest women on the basketball team. It was a confusing time, high school when I was scared of being me. When I was both a social and blushing mess around so many people that I couldn't;t comfortably function, fearful that anyone would find out. When I only told people half of my crushes because the other half wasn't an "appropriate" option. I hid it from peers all the time, I didn't tell my friends I liked women until I asked one out in college. She said no, but I felt right. I felt right being me. I struggled as a teen and plan on making a difference in the LGBTQ+ awareness because there's such a broad spectrum that it's wild that I only knew that there were gays and lesbians and that's it. The LGBTQ+ community is so vast and so many people that I know who identify as ace, bi, demi, trans share that they didn't know they had a community, they didn't know that people could be LGBTQ+ without being gay or lesbian. I plan on being an English teacher, I plan on bringing awareness to the vastness of the LGBTQ+ community by teaching it, by helping students embrace their truth. By teaching the basics of the LGBTQ+ I hope that people will view it positively and learn that they're not alone. I'm bisexual, and I love who I am, but I want everyone to love themselves too.

My grandfather was born to a poor background as a farm worker's son, one of 7 children. He walked 4 miles to get to school, studied hard, and got an incredible life in Atlixco, Puebla, where he began his own family. My father crossed the border, barely an adult with hope and determination to work hard and make a life for himself. He did so again, and again, and again to provide for his family and search for a better life than of a humble butcher. They both persevered in fear, in a place they didn't know, and pushed forward. My parents kept my siblings and me safe, protected, and that to get anything you need to put in the work. My family is a great example of this, my father worked hard for decades to get to where he is, my sister has made her dreams come true and begins her studies at a top college. By their examples I have learned that to dream of something is only half of what's needed to succeed. To succeed you need to look at the world around you, look for opportunities, and strive to the best of your abilities to make a wish come true. My family's story has influenced so much of who I am it seems impossible to see how much we've come. Seeing my family's evolution inspires hope in me that with hard work, grasping at every opportunity, I can succeed as an educator. As a future educator, I strive to become like my parents, inspirational, workers, and a member of wherever my future leads me. I want to help students, immigrants, and all people gain that equality through language. Education has been instilled as one of the most important equalizers known to man. No one can take away education, no one can take away what you learn and know, no one can take away your education no matter how hard they try. But that also means that no one can give you the drive to work hard. My family's story is one of many immigrants stories, it isn't anything special, but it emphasizes the work it takes to make it in the United States of America. Where nothing comes from staying seated, where your surroundings impact beliefs, and the surest way to make it is work. Their story has shaped my beliefs that anyone can be anything, the world will place obstacles, but regardless of hard work, and determination will help in achieving dreams. This shapes my career goals because I know how hard it can be for immigrants to learn English, it took work for me to learn, it took my mother years, and my father decades, but persistence, dedication, and hard work has made everything possible. My family's story keeps me hopeful for a better tomorrow due to a hard-earned fantastic today.