Anyone who knows me knows that I am always honest with myself and others. That being said I don’t believe I have the talent/skill … yet. However, I do have discipline, passion, and determination for whatever I put my mind to. My current liking is for languages. Many countries, predominantly European and Asian, have students learn a foreign language as a requirement. They enforce this and as a result, their students grow up being trilingual and polyglots! I was amazed by this discovery and decided I wanted to do the same, or at least try. I grew up speaking Spanish at home and English at school. I then learned Italian in middle and high school. To some, this was an accomplishment, but I knew I could learn more. I am currently self-teaching Korean and ASL. Although my progress is slow because I am also a full-time student and have a part-time job, progress is progress. I simply love the idea of speaking many languages and communicating with someone with a different culture, belief system, and completely different lifestyle. You can learn so much from one conversation with a person who lives across an ocean. You get a different perspective and you become open-minded. Federico Fellini once said that a different language is a different vision of life. We can't fully understand one another if we don't put ourselves in their perspective and what better way to do that than through learning their language? If we all learn a different language, we can open our worlds to more ideas, people, skills, and so much more. We can connect our worlds, open our hearts, and become empathetic. Although some people love this idea, others find it hard to come out of their comfort zone. I see this happening here in the United States. The United States is a country filled with so many cultures, languages, and people. Due to the diversity, the United States doesn't have a national language. To many individuals living in the US, their home country lies somewhere else. Another reason why I wanted to learn another language is to make others feel at home and comfortable by tearing down that language barrier. I grew up having to translate for my parents because they lacked English skills or because they didn’t feel confident in their skills. And I remember telling my younger self that I wanted to become a translator when I'm older so I can help other people in need. An example of this is our Brazilian neighbors who speak Portuguese. My aunt, who is also my neighbor, took it upon herself to learn Portuguese so she could not only help her a bit but also make a new friend. This action probably made that neighbor feel loved! A person who she just met started learning a language for her! It brings me so much joy thinking about this. My aunt is undoubtedly on the track to becoming a global citizen. That being said, if we all choose a language and maybe just learn basic phrases, we can build a more empathetic and understanding global community. We can show others we care about them and we want to understand them through their mother tongue. In the next few years, I would like to refine my Italian skills and learn Korean to communicate with my community and start a chain reaction fueled with kindness and empathy. Although I may not have a grand talent, sometimes taking action is all that is needed to initiate this chain reaction, like a trigger.

Born in Mexico, raised in New York, and currently studying in Waterbury, Connecticut, I have certainly had to cross many bridges to get to where I am today. Starting from the beginning, I was brought to the US at the ripe age of three. That being said, I am undocumented. My citizenship was not an issue growing up (that I know of). I went to school like everyone else. It started to become an issue when I began applying to universities. It was then that I realized things were going to get complicated because I didn't have a 9-digit number. Nonetheless, since I am an immigrant, I am also a first-gen student. Not only do I not have the guidance and connections but I also do not have federal aid and my opportunities are limited. This is what motivated me during college application season and through my entire senior year. And due to my hard work, I graduated as Salutatorian which granted me a Presidential Scholarship at UConn. I was beyond grateful and full of joy but it was unfortunately not enough for an undocumented student with no federal or family help. There would still be other fees, textbooks, and parking permits that needed to be paid. My choice of campus has saved me some money, but without financial aid and a job, getting a higher education has become the toughest challenge I have faced. I would like to pursue a career in the medical field. At the moment I am thinking of dietetics. Given my circumstances, I am not sure I can afford this career. However, I don't want my future to be determined by my current financial situation. I won’t allow money to be the factor that doesn’t allow me to reach my goals. With that being said, my family has influenced me throughout my journey. They have made many sacrifices to give me the life I have today. Even though it isn’t the most perfect one, it is way more than they ever got. Being Hispanic/Latina means a lot to me. It is my identity. Being Hispanic and an immigrant has made me value the things I have much more. It has given me a pair of glasses. What I mean by this is that I can see when someone doesn't appreciate what they have, even if it is basic human things such as food or a social security number. It has made me a very hard worker that takes advantage of any opportunity thrown my way. I don’t have the privilege many might have to take a break. I was taught to always keep going and never look back. Although I do look back sometimes to see how far my family has come. From not knowing English in an English-speaking country, to buying our own house and living rather comfortably. My Hispanic family has shaped me into who I am today. My successes could not have been done if I wasn't raised the way I was raised. This is why during my speech at graduation, I knew I had to thank my family for everything they’ve done. I owe it to them.