Growing up with a single mother and being an immigrant in a vast world beyond my understanding, I understood one thing from a young age: financial hardships. I watched my mother work day and night, week after week, pushing herself to the point where her health condition became irreparable. To me, this was the reality of things: families working paycheck to paycheck, taking any opportunity to survive. But the reality wasn't like this for everyone. This realization encouraged me to pursue a degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in finance, as I eventually want to help people just like me make stronger financial decisions, opening more doors for future generations, just as my mom opened the door to mine by migrating so that I have a better future. My ambitions of giving back began at a young age, but my actions began at College Corps, where I have completed 450 hours of community service, in which I contributed to climate action, food insecurity, and K-12 support. These experiences have built me while also allowing me to make a positive change. My commitment to service extends beyond volunteering, as I also serve as a student leader through my role as ASU Treasurer, where I work to support student organizations and help minorities be represented on campus. One of the initiatives I am most proud of was a leadership workshop I organized called “How to Tie a Tie.” While on the surface it may seem simple, the event represented something deeper to me. Many minorities, including myself, have not been raised around professional environments, but rather hardworking and honest environments. What I wanted this workshop to provide was confidence for students from all kinds of backgrounds, confidence in interviews and presentations, as I know we all aspire to have professional careers and enter spaces that reflect such. Through this workshop, I wanted students to understand that they belong in those spaces and that success is possible regardless of their background. Thanks to securing donations for new ties, I managed to help students who are just like me to take their first step toward a confident professional career while also making them aware of the resources and support available to students who strive for success. With my major, I hope to motivate and support underserved communities. I grew up understanding that money is important and that not everyone is equal in a system where low-income families are left behind, which causes an unbreakable cycle of poverty. This is what I strive to break. I want to help families with knowledge, as I understand that the lack of it creates barriers and difficulties that impede stability. Although this may appear as a small contribution, I believe it to be very impactful as it will create the foundation of a lasting change. My long-term goal is to have a business where I can serve the underserved communities while also helping those individuals improve their financial literacy. I want to create opportunities that I wish I had for those who are limited by financial hardships. To me, scholarships such as Hacia Delante give opportunities that prove you're not alone, which is what I aspire to do with my career. Whether this is through financial education, community service or student leadership, I hope to empower communities and individuals to keep moving forward and continue fighting so that these circumstances that limit us don’t define our future.