Education and mentorship can change a student’s life for the better, which is why I believe that leadership is about serving others. Being raised in a family of three with my mother and two siblings, where I did not see many women of similar ethnic backgrounds in upper-level executive positions, inspired me to become a woman’s empowering agent. My greatest inspiration comes from influencing women’s empowerment in business and finance and encouraging young females from low socioeconomic backgrounds to rise in the corporate world and take over the lead executive’s seat. My personal experience influencing women’s empowerment started during my senior year when, as a CEO of our Virtual Enterprise firm, I led a 36-people staff firm for ten months. To ensure females could feel safe and powerful in the corporate world, I strived to be a social catalyst for change and influence female students to gain more confidence and speak up in all female organizations. Moreover, I provided mentorship to female members of our Virtual Enterprise firm in various sectors, including finance and marketing, to increase their competencies, help them become powerful presenters and salespeople, and assist them in overcoming the primary barriers to their empowerment in male-dominated organizations. As such, I ensured women could achieve their best potential in their careers by showing that female executives can transform an organization through competent, strong, and caring leadership. The experience in charge of a simulated organization that set out to instill confidence and teach presentation skills to its participants taught me that empowering women is about encouraging them to take action. I was able to observe how my team members, the majority of which I selected, grew more confident in presenting their ideas, pitching them, and acting aggressively when needed. Teaching those young women behind me, giving them the chance to learn from the same mentorship and excel in the workplace is the embodiment of women’s empowerment for me. Furthermore, as I continue working on my way towards an MBA, majoring in Finance at Baruch College, I want to be able to give back to the community by mentoring black and minority female students. Being able to use the connections and knowledge I gained will provide those less privileged with the opportunity to become better leaders in their workplaces and excel in the business world. By doing so, I would continue to carry the example set by Charlene K. Howard.

To me, a first generation student is someone who wears their hopes, dreams, and sacrifices of their parents on their sleeves everyday. As a Hispanic student from a single mother family with two younger siblings, going to college was something I thought was inevitable. My mother had a dream of me attending college that she was never able to achieve herself. Going to college is her dream coming true, as well as her sacrifices and long hours paying off. I feel as if I am living out her dreams, while making my own. My mother made many sacrifices to get me to this point in my life. And I have to make sure to make my mother proud, while representing the great institution I was accepted to. Having to go through the college process on your own is very stressful and intimidating, especially when you have no one to guide you through the financial and academic process. Yet, it gave me a strive for something greater and something more important than myself. To be the first one in my family to make it through college is not only my accomplishment, but my mother's. When I walk across that stage to get my degree, it won't just be me that gets their degree, it will be my mother too. Driven by my interest in numbers, I am pursuing my undergraduate studies in Finance at Baruch College while planning to continue on to an MBA. My ultimate aim is to secure a financially rewarding position so that I can be totally economically independent and free my mother from her financial burdens while serving as a role model for my two younger siblings. Looking even further ahead, my motivation is deeply personal. I think about the day my future children sit down to fill out their own college applications. When they reach the section asking for their parents' highest level of education, I want them to confidently select "Master’s Degree." I want to break the cycle of generational struggle and ensure that higher education becomes a standard expectation for the generations that follow me, not a rare exception. The receipt of the Marcia Bick Herman scholarship as a student in the tri-state area will ease the financial pressure on my family. It will enable me to pursue my studies in quantitative finance and leadership at Baruch with a clear mind, free from the constant stress of financial burdens. The award will motivate me to continue working hard to make my mother proud and provide a better life for my family. I am grateful for your consideration as I seek your support in this endeavor.

Growing up as a Hispanic child in East Elmhurst, Queens, I was surrounded by struggles but not by riches. My parents, a single mother and two younger siblings, used to sit at the dinner table as I proudly announced my plans. "I want to be famous. I want to have a high profile job, make tons of money, and change lives," I used to say with enthusiasm. "Be realistic," my surroundings would say. I was taught to have dreams, but the biggest challenge is to make it happen. The reality of hardship and living paycheck to paycheck does not permit you to think that you can purchase the entire store. Nevertheless, it can be possible if one has the right work ethic and strategy. Motivated students from underprivileged backgrounds should be awarded scholarships and grants for the reason that ambition is found in abundance, but opportunity lies in scarcity. Students are not robbed of their talents, but they are frequently deprived of the resources at their disposal, so a student who has fought to get an education despite the disadvantage standing in their way is one who has demonstrated resourcefulness and the ability to maximize the limited tools they have. I have worked tirelessly to overcome these obstacles by turning my interest in numbers into something greater. Instead of being limited by my circumstances, I have been able to direct my numerical talents into my studies, which has allowed me to gain acceptance into Baruch College to pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration, Concentration in Finance. My goal is to take my undergraduate studies seriously, participate in financial and leadership organizations, and eventually obtain my MBA. My main goal is to have a successful career in finance, and not only achieve personal success, but also to provide financial stability to my mother and take care of my family. But most importantly, I would like to show my siblings that with enough determination and effort, "big dreams" can become reality. The Marcia Bick Scholarship would help me greatly by reducing the college costs that my family has to pay. Receiving the Marcia Bick Scholarship would allow me to better pursue my finance career without having to stress about my family's financial situation. The Marcia Bick Scholarships represent the opportunity for me to continue to change my community for the better by being a successful business woman. East Elmhurst will always be a part of me, and I plan to continue to succeed.

As a child, I used to watch my mom sit at the dinner table trying to balance the budget of our home. Being a single parent of three kids, she did not rest even for one minute and made a lot of sacrifices just to provide us with everything that we needed. From her example, I learned the real value of hard work and the necessity to have a plan. That is why Joe Gilroy and his daily habit of an index card in the pocket to outline his work is very inspirational to me. Having ambition without a master plan is like having a dream that will never come true. My goal is to graduate from Baruch College with my bachelor's degree in accounting, get my MBA, and be successful in my chosen career path of financial planning. In the end, I want to achieve financial independence so that I can support my mother when she needs me to and be a living example to my two brothers and sisters. To execute this vision, I have broken my journey into three distinct phases: Phase 1: Academic & Professional Discipline: At Baruch College, my primary goal is to maintain a high standard of education due to the strict time management that will be required to pursue both my studies and career. Thus, I would like to keep a highly organized schedule according to which I would plan my daily activities and study time. In addition, I would like to get involved with various organizations within the Baruch community, such as the Baruch Accounting Society and the Association of Latino Professionals for America. Such extracurricular activities will allow me to gain knowledge, experience, and contacts so that I could find an internship in the accounting field as early as possible. Phase 2: Budgetary & Financial Strategy: To earn two degrees without incurring a large amount of debt, it is essential to have a strategic approach to funding. My budget strategy includes cutting costs on anything that is not crucial, such as food and clothing. I strive to maintain a high grade point average in order to receive merit-based scholarships for my undergraduate studies. In addition, I will be relying on financial aid and working part-time in order to fund my education. Therefore, I believe that the scholarship plays a significant role in my funding plan, as it will help me reduce the pressure of paying for my tuition and allow me to transition to my graduate studies smoothly. Phase 3: Contingency Planning & Long-Term Vision: Joe Gilroy knows that in real-life situations, operations don't always go as planned, so a good idea always has contingencies. I know if I have financial constraints, my contingency plan would be to go for an evening graduate program and work in the corporate field or take up corporate-sponsored tuition fee assistance to pursue my MBA. Being able to achieve financial stability doesn't just mean I can take care of myself, it also signifies that I can take care of my mother. It means I can give her a break after having to fend for us growing up since she has had to work countless hard hours in her life to see us through. It also means that I will show my two younger siblings that with a dream, discipline, and determination, anyone can achieve their dreams and lead a prosperous life. With my master plan in place, it's time to get down to work, one day, one step, and one index at a time.

From observing how my single mother juggled our family budget in Corona, Queens, came the very first economic lesson of my life. Managing finances as a single parent took a great deal of tenacity on her part, and it was during those days that I came to realize just how tough it could be to maneuver through the financial world when you have no prior education in it. As an East Elmhurst/Corona native, I have seen this financial vulnerability in many local business owners who have dedicated themselves to building successful ventures yet lack the knowledge needed for expansion. The reason why I am taking a path in accounting is because I know financial literacy is ultimate power. It was during my high school years that I developed my love for this area through being a CEO in our Virtual Enterprise firm. It is at this point that I discovered that numbers do not only represent facts; they represent the condition of the organization and where it stands and what it is capable of. It is at this point that I discovered that, despite being viewed as a purely technical task, accounting is actually the lifeblood of any organization. The accuracy of financial reports determines whether or not strategic planning is possible within an organization. Through this experience, I transformed my general love of the subject into a concrete goal, becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). An accounting degree from Pace University is going to change my life because it will help me overcome all the restrictions I have been living with all my life due to the system and cultural constraints. As a Latina who grew up in a very conservative and traditional family, I was always taught the social role of a submissive person rather than an influential one. Getting this degree will prove that a girl like me has every right to sit at the top management level. In addition, obtaining this degree will enable me to become financially independent and thus give me an opportunity to make a difference through creating a ripple effect. Not only will the significance of my education be felt in my personal corporate success, but I will also have an opportunity to show respect for my mother’s sacrifice and provide her with a safe future. As a holder of a degree in accounting, I will have the necessary knowledge to break down barriers between the corporate financial strategy and financial literacy of the community members. In conclusion, this career choice and this degree will impact my life in the way that it will allow me to be a strong voice in the business world. This will enable me to reach the point where I will demonstrate that leadership is measured in terms of capabilities, resilience, and determination. By providing me with all these resources to accomplish the stated aim, this scholarship will not only finance my education but will become an economic empowering agent.

Since becoming the CEO of my Virtual Enterprise company in high school, I have been faced with an entrepreneurial idea with a poorly structured financial approach. There was immense creativity within the group; however, we lacked a financial structure to move forward with our objectives. It has been my experience within this environment that taught me the importance of having a solid and structured foundation even if there is a brilliant idea behind the venture. This experience has been great and it ultimately became the inspiration for my educational goal to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Pace University along with my CPA license. As far as my educational goals for the next semester go, my primary focus will be immersing myself in the challenging accounting courses at Pace University while participating in professional associations such as the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) and the Association of Latino Professionals For America (ALPFA). Having been brought up under the extremely conservative and traditionally oriented influence of a Dominican family in Queens, I had always been trying to break free from the limiting social norms dictating a particular role of a Latina. During my studies in college, my main focus, my aim will be to continue the same level of academic success that helped me perform over 300 hours of community service in high school. I stand out as a perfect candidate for this scholarship program since I have the unique blend of qualities of being a leader, resilient, and having a vision regarding how I intend to put the education that I receive to good use. Coming from the environment of East Elmhurst and Corona in Queens, I have been a witness of how the lack of financial knowledge can deprive many intelligent and industrious people of their potential. My intent is not to study for this degree to ensure that I establish myself in the corporate world, but it is that I would want to serve as a financial counselor for minority-owned businesses. This scholarship will make it much easier for me to cover the costs of my tuition and textbooks, which means that I can focus completely on my academic pursuits, my leadership endeavors, and preparing for the CPA test. When you invest in my education, you do not simply help a student; you help a Latina woman who is committed to bringing diversity to the finance industry.

Whereas most people tend to perceive the profession of accounting as one that consists of stiff rules and numbers, I consider it an art form of storytelling. Having grown up in the vibrant and entrepreneurial neighborhoods of East Elmhurst and Corona in Queens, New York, I have witnessed the life blood of these neighborhoods through the family-owned businesses, street vendors, and immigrants chasing their dreams. The challenge that I have witnessed among these businesses is the failure of some bright and diligent individuals in understanding the cash flow and making sense out of their financial information. This realization was made through these vibrant streets where I understood that numbers are a universal language and the one that makes the difference between success and failure in business. The depth of my love for the discipline increased tremendously at high school level when I got the role of CEO of our Virtual Enterprise Company. The experience of heading the business made me come out of the academic teachings and directly face the real-world operations. Soon enough, it became clear to me that all big decisions from marketing drives to expansion of our virtual products relied totally on the correctness of our financial reports. While working along with the finance department of our firm, I found out how we need to move beyond just reading the numbers and look at the bigger picture. The balance sheet was not just an asset-liability statement, but a performance record of our past decisions and a guide to our future. Taking up this program at Pace University will be the next necessary step to achieving my goal of becoming a CPA. The financial world has traditionally been an industry with a lack of diversity among women in senior positions and even more so when it comes to Latinas. My plan is to change that by obtaining a degree in accounting. This profession interests me as it is a very active field which provides the chance to delve into other industries, resolve intricate financial issues, and promote business ethics. Ultimately, my career in the field of accounting will be all about making an impact. With a degree from Pace University under my belt, I plan on utilizing my knowledge to make connections between business financial strategy and community financial literacy. Whether I’m auditing a large company or offering assistance to minority-run small businesses to better understand their tax structure, my main objective will always be the same, translating numbers into winning strategies. The award I have been offered will give me the necessary funds to be able to concentrate on my academic studies and CPA exam prep.

Born and raised in the colorful, multicultural boroughs of East Elmhurst and Corona in Queens, my education began even before I stepped inside a classroom. Going through the public school system of New York City brought many new cultural experiences, however, the most valuable lessons came from my own home environment. Being brought up by a Dominican mother, I experienced the warmth of family bonds but also the strict division of genders imposed by traditional culture. Very early on, I became aware that there is an assigned social role, that of "lady," and that I was expected to conform to this script. Instead of allowing those rigid expectations to silence me, I took it upon myself to use those same constraints to write my own story. I looked outside the confines of my immediate surroundings and used modern technology and social media platforms to link up with global communities of women breaking through glass ceilings. Encouraged by the spirit shown by the women I encountered, I channeled my determination into education and leadership. In high school, I surpassed the expected silence set for me by becoming the CEO of the Virtual Enterprise company at my school while devoting more than 300 hours to community service. The motivation behind my aspirations is based on the fact that there are many inequalities prevailing in the society, which need to be addressed. Even though there is an increased number of women who are becoming part of the workforce, there still prevail inequalities in terms of pay scales and other biases. In the upcoming fall semester, I shall take one giant leap forward in my life by enrolling at Pace University as an accounting major. The value of this scholarship goes beyond helping me pay for college expenses; rather, it will be making an investment in a corporate leader of the future who will not limit herself within any script. With your assistance, I can acquire the necessary skills to succeed in the field of finance, show the world that there is a Latina from Queens sitting at the table of executives, and give hope to other girls.