As my mom came home from her third job at the end of the day, I always noticed how strained she was. I thought to myself, this is what life is and we just have to get through it. See, life did not get easier when my younger brothers got diagnosed with Dushane muscular dystrophy at such an early age. My mom and I worked hard struggling to keep up with their disease and the roller coaster of life we were on. We have been a low-income family my whole life despite the long hours my mom worked. Growing older as the eldest daughter, I knew I had to do something so life would not be such a drag for my family. My education represents a gateway to a brighter future not only for myself but for my family and community. School has always been full of curiosity and frankly, it was my gateway to escape the hardships happening in my life. Although I was not always involved in school events or joining club sports, being in school gave me hope. It made me think of all the possibilities life gives you if you just work hard enough. As a first-generation Chicana, I am determined to break barriers and start new traditions, the day I graduate high school and start college is the day my journey will start. In school I had always enjoyed doing arts and crafts and was told I was a very creative student. With not many resources, I hefty relied on YouTube such as the “do it yourself” (DIY) tutorials, in which my creativity skyrocketed. For instance, painting the front of my notebooks and even my backpacks, I always found a way to make my belongings look like the brand name items that we couldn’t afford. When the world was quarantined during my freshman year, I realized how much I noticed the smallest details and wondered how I can benefit from it in my future. I eventually fell in love with the idea of studying to have a career in urban planning or interior design. Simple things such as going out to a restaurant for my birthday was not so simple for my family. Though things are advancing for people to get around with disabilities, there still is a lack of accessibility. The average person wouldn’t notice there isn’t a ramp in front of a store or there isn’t one single table in the restaurant that can sit a power wheelchair. I hope to make a difference in many families day to day life, just how I had wished it was done for my family growing up. Being the first person in my family to graduate high school and attend a four-year college will be one of my first greatest accomplishments. It represents hope, progress, and fulfilling my moms dream of her only daughter making it out the barrio. I have grown a strong sense of awareness especially of the challenges faced by my family. My responsibility as the eldest sibling cultivated resilience within me, teaching me invaluable lessons in empathy and patience for my younger brothers. My vision of having a successful career and financial freedom for me and my family will be because of the dedication to my education that I have withheld all these years.