Growing up, I have witnessed firsthand the sacrifices and resilience that define my family. My parents have always worked tirelessly to provide for me and create opportunities they never had themselves. Their example is the reason I am committed to pursuing higher education, even without financial support from my family. My father was a jockey at Golden Gate Fields, a career that required discipline, courage, and constant dedication. While his work brought him success, it also came with serious risks. Over the years, he suffered multiple life-threatening injuries while racing. One of the most difficult moments for our family came in 2022, when he experienced another major accident shortly after recovering from a previous injury. At that point, he was performing at the peak of his career, making the setback even more difficult to accept. After multiple surgeries and a long recovery process, he is thankfully doing better today. However, he remains temporarily disabled and is restricted by doctors from working and from many physical activities he once depended on. Because of this, my mother has carried the financial responsibility of our household through her work cleaning houses. She often takes on entire homes by herself for modest pay, working long hours and pushing through exhaustion to make sure our family can stay afloat. Watching both of my parents go through these struggles has shown me what true perseverance looks like and has made me more aware of the reality of financial responsibility at home. These circumstances have shaped my sense of responsibility, independence, and maturity. I understand the financial strain my family is under, and because of that, I have made it my goal to pursue college without placing that burden on them. The last thing I want is to ask my parents for money for my education after everything they have already sacrificed for me. Instead, I am determined to take ownership of my future by applying for scholarships and other opportunities that will allow me to fund my college education on my own. At the same time, my parents have always encouraged me to pursue higher education and believed in my ability to succeed. Their sacrifices, work ethic, and resilience have shaped my mindset and pushed me to stay focused on my goals, even when challenges arise. This background has shaped my future goals by teaching me that success is not simply about personal achievement, but about honoring the sacrifices of those who made that success possible. My parents’ resilience has inspired me to become a goal-driven person with a strong desire to give back. By earning my degree, I hope not only to build a successful future for myself, but to one day provide my family with the stability and support they have spent their lives working to give me.

My family’s story begins in Mexico, where my parents were raised before coming to the United States to build a better life for our family. They came here carrying more than just hopes for themselves. They carried the responsibility of creating opportunities for their children that they never had. Everything my family has today comes from years of sacrifice, discipline, and hard work from both of my parents. For as long as I can remember, my dad has woken up at 5:00 every morning to go to work. It has been part of my life for as long as I can remember, almost like the sound of his alarm became part of our family routine. My mom has also worked tirelessly, cleaning houses and taking on entire homes by herself. Watching both of them work every single day, no matter how tired they were, taught me what commitment really looks like. One moment that captures the heart of my family’s story happened during my first communion. It was an important religious ceremony for me and for my family, since my parents raised me with strong Catholic values and taught me the importance of faith. I remember being excited to have both of my parents there. But that day, my dad had to work. I remember talking to him on the phone before the ceremony. He apologized and told me he was sorry he could not be there. I cried because, as a child, I could not understand why he could not just take the day off. To me, it felt simple: if it mattered, why not just come? It took years for me to truly understand what that moment meant. My dad was not choosing work over me. He was choosing responsibility for our family. He was showing me, through his actions, what sacrifice really looks like. He could have stayed home, and I know he wanted to, but he understood that providing for our family came first. That moment became one of the clearest lessons of my life about work ethic, discipline, and love shown through action rather than words. Today, I see that every early morning, every missed event, and every exhausting workday helped build the life my siblings and I have now. Because of my parents’ sacrifices, we have stability, opportunities, and a home they worked hard to buy for us. Their consistency turned their goals into reality. Their example has shaped how I view education. I see college not just as my next step, but as a responsibility to honor everything they worked for. As I enter UC Berkeley to study civil engineering, I carry their sacrifices with me. Their journey has taught me that success is built through persistence and calculated effort. My goal is to use my education to build a future where I can give back to my family, support my community, and create opportunities for others just as my parents created them for me. Everything I accomplish will be rooted in the lessons they taught me: work hard, stay consistent, and never lose sight of why you started.

One of my heroes in science and engineering is José M. Hernández. What stands out to me about him isn’t just what he accomplished, but how he got there. He grew up in a family of migrant farmworkers and spent part of his childhood working in the fields. Because of that, his education wasn’t always consistent, and he had to deal with challenges that a lot of people don’t think about. Even with all that, he stayed focused on school and eventually earned a degree in engineering. That alone takes a lot of discipline and determination, and it’s something I really respect. Now that I’m starting to seriously think about going into engineering myself, his story hits differently. Before, it was just a cool success story, but now I actually see someone ahead of me in a field I want to be part of. It makes everything feel more real. It shows me that someone who didn’t start with a lot of advantages can still make it far. I’m at the point where I’m trying to figure out my future, and seeing someone like Hernández makes me feel like it’s actually possible if I stay focused and put in the work. What inspires me the most is that he didn’t stop after becoming an engineer. He followed what he really wanted, which was to become an astronaut. That’s a huge goal, and it didn’t happen easily. He applied to NASA multiple times and got rejected again and again. Most people would have given up at that point, but he didn’t. He stayed patient, kept improving himself, and kept applying. Eventually, he was selected and became an astronaut, making history. That part of his story really sticks with me because it shows that success isn’t always immediate. Sometimes you have to keep going even when things don’t work out at first. To me, Hernández is an example of following your heart and committing fully to what you love. He didn’t limit himself to one path or let rejection stop him. He started in engineering, built his skills, and then chased an even bigger dream. That shows me that it’s okay to have big goals, even if they seem unrealistic at first. If you really want something and you’re willing to put in the effort and stay dedicated, you can get there. Overall, José M. Hernández inspires me not just because of his achievements, but because of what he represents. As I start my own path toward engineering, I see him as proof that where you come from doesn’t define where you can go. His journey motivates me to stay disciplined, keep pushing through challenges, and go after what I actually want in life, not just what feels safe or easy.