I was born in raised in southern California with my father being a 2nd generation Mexican. My abuelita came from Nayarit when she was 18. My abuelo came from Zacatecas at the age of 17. My abuelita wasn’t able to pursue a further education because of her struggles learning English, trying to make ends meet while raising 2 kids as a single mother. With the struggles my abuelita was facing, she didnt make is clear to my dad that he should aim to go to college or some other type of higher learning. He watched his mother struggle to raise 2 kids as a single mother, not being able to speak English very well. I had an interest in doing well in school since I was very young. I felt proud to be one of the best readers in my glass. I was naturally good with numbers, and I had a class nickname in 4th grade..."Sebastian Subtraction". I earned awards at school with little effort. There were many award ceremonies for my parents to attend and see the achievements I had earned. Not to mention quite a few Principal's Awards. In high school I pursued football as my extra-curricular. Many of my teachers recognized me as one of the few players on the football team achieving straight A's at times. I received an award at a Football banquet for good grades while participating in a time consuming extra circular commitment. With the success I have had in the classroom, I knew that a higher education was a no brainer. I wanted more than just a Bachelors. I needed at least a masters. I have tremendous support from my parents, who assured me that I can stay in college as long as I wanted, and they would always support me. I was especially motivated by seeing an issue with my father and his education. Good grades never came easy to him; in fact it was difficult for him not to fail classes. My father always struggled to find jobs and I saw my parents have financial problems because my father didn’t have the best paying job. This has helped shape my view on how important further education is I am hoping one day that I can help support my parents as they get older and maybe even buy them a house sometime in the future. I don’t want them to worry about me financially. I also have a sense of pride being the first in my family to aim for a master’s degree one day. It is difficult to be financially stable in today’s economy, so I must be successful. I must fulfill my dreams and won’t give up until I have done so.

My parents weren’t raised in Christian households but my mother insisted that taking our family to church is the right thing to do. She started going to church when she was pregnant with me because "she wanted to raise me right". I was dedicated to the Lord by my parents was I was 14 months old. They dressed me in an all-white outfit and even put a bonnet on me. For the rest of my childhood, I remember going to church and Sunday school, on most Sundays. I think we would have been there every Sunday if my father wasn’t trying to stay home and watch football. It was very important to my mother, but my father had not caught on just yet. When I was 8, my mom had twin girls. One of my twin sisters had a rare genetic disorder and it was devastating my family, and my mom was really depressed. My sister Brooklyn had so many health issues, was always sick and then started having seizures. It was a very scary time for me and my family. My mom started going to church more and more, and often a few times a week by herself. She was spending her daily time with God, and I would see her with her coffee and her bible early each day. She found a nearby prayer house that was open 6am to midnight and we would often go there as a family so my mom could pray and encourage us to pray with her. Through this sadness she leaned deeper into the Lord, and it was very encouraging for me to do the same. Little by little my father started to see the light. He had a turning point one day when we were visiting the prayer house on a Wednesday. He had just lost his job; my mother had also been fired. It was 2020 and things were hard. Then the sales fell from my father’s eyes. He stopped drinking and smoking and suddenly had a passion for Jesus and wasn’t terribly angry anymore. It was an amazing testimony to see how Jesus was changing his life around and he was a whole new man. He was growing spiritually and started doing volunteer work for the church. He encouraged us to serve with him at times. He joined a bible study group of men. When he decided to get baptized in 2023, I was baptized with him. I see the changes in my father, and he has done a 180. This shows me that everything is possible with God. I want to raise my children in the church one day when I have a family. I also believe that the love of the Lord has given me the motivation. I need to apply myself and be a person of integrity. I want to do right in the eyes of the Lord. I want to honor my mother and father by taking care of them if they need me one day. I would be so happy if I can financially support my parents to thank them for the way they raised me in the church

There are very practical lessons to be learned in chapter 2 of “Real insights: The no-nonsense guide to success as a real estate agent”. Not everything works out immediately in life. You may be a new hire and there is a learning curve until you catch on and understand your role better. You may be getting into fitness and get frustrated when you don’t see results in just a couple months. Starting a new business can be difficult as you are learning about marketing and brand exposure. The early years of you real estate career is about building experience and gaining a customer base that in the future leads to referrals from client’s family and friends. When you are taking on a new venture you should expect to put in maximum effort to have increased results. If you are planning on going into real estate, it would be wise to invest your time into knowing as much as you can about the housing market trends and do research on the housing market in the territory you are hoping to represent. These same lessons apply to many aspects in life as a kid and adult. It takes dedication, commitment and follow through. Real estate agents also face an income that may not be as consistent depending on the market and the clients you have coming your way. Is this instance an agent must be very dedicated to get over that hurdle, learn more, network and have the confidence to get through it. A valuable lesson to learn in any field and in family life. Learning the market and staying very current with housing trends and interest rates is the territory (literally) that comes with this career path. The same can be said for other careers. Going to business school doesn’t teach you everything you need to know as you grow. University education isn’t a one and done deal. It is necessary to grow with your field, see the trends and learn to adapt. This means hanging on through the highs and lows of a business in profitability and accepting that there are no promises of financial success consistently and expect to have troubled times and dry spells in increased revenue. Real estate will also inspire a person to become relatable, informative and able to answer questions accurately to timid first-time buyers. Being able to adequately support these clients is expected with this job. These skills that you learn as an agent is helpful for any aspect of your life. I have recently wanted to get into real estate while I work my way through college knowing that it would equip me with skills that would last a lifetime

Books are not just a source of knowledge, but a love, passion and hobby of mine. I read recently that “reading is just staring at a thin piece of wood, hallucinating for hours”. That makes me laugh because it is true! I really like keeping up with movies and new releases, but I don’t get as attached to those characters on the big screen. Reading about a character in a book allows a deeper connection, empathy and understanding of protagonists and antagonists. I’ve digested the waves of popular novels out there like Harry Potter, Hunger Games and Twilight, for fun and to see what the fuss was about. Those books lacked any subtlety, poetry and complexity. I have enjoyed classic American Literature such as Grapes of Wrath and The Great Gatsby. The Shipping News from Annie Proule piqued my interest and became a regular re-read for me in high school. With The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, C.S Lewis quickly became my favorite author. I am a huge fan of The Great Divorce and The Screwtape letters. I was very excited when I learned the C.S. Lewis is also a well know Christian author. The book that has shaped me the most over my life is The Bible. I was raised going to church and I remember the stories that were told to us in Sunday School from our Children's Bible. Even though the words taught to us on Sunday mornings didn’t mean much at the time, I later realized that throughout the years The Bible has shaped me into the person I am and the kind of person I aim to grow into. The Bible has been more than an influence on me, it is a text full of excitement, lessons, stories and history that is fascinating. Even the book of Leviticus, with hundreds of rules and laws, is inspiring and entertaining, and gives me insight into what is means to live by the Torah. The book of Proverbs is chapter after chapter of good, solid advice to live a good life, even applicable to people of all different beliefs. Psalms is a beautiful way to worship, admire and even lament with the Lord. Psalms taught me that even the most faithful have times of doubt but in the end their love for God didn’t waiver. The gospels of Jesus, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are historical and insightful to see how Jesus lived His life for His purpose. All words of that text are breathed by God and useful for teaching and correcting. This will always be the most read and most important book to me in my life.

My parents weren’t raised in Christian households but my mother insisted that taking our family to church is the right thing to do. She started going to church when she was pregnant with me because "she wanted to raise me right". I was dedicated to the Lord by my parents was I was 14 months old. They dressed me in an all-white outfit and even put a bonnet on me. For the rest of my childhood, I remember going to church and Sunday school, on most Sundays. I think we would have been there every Sunday if my father wasn’t trying to stay home and watch football. It was very important to my mother, but my father had not caught on just yet. When I was 8, my mom had twin girls. One of my twin sisters had a rare genetic disorder and it was devastating my family, and my mom was really depressed. My sister Brooklyn had so many health issues, was always sick and then started having seizures. It was a very scary time for me and my family. My mom started going to church more and more, and often a few times a week by herself. She was spending her daily time with God, and I would see her with her coffee and her bible early each day. She found a nearby prayer house that was open 6am to midnight and we would often go there as a family so my mom could pray and encourage us to pray with her. Through this sadness she leaned deeper into the Lord, and it was very encouraging for me to do the same. Little by little my father started to see the light. He had a turning point one day when we were visiting the prayer house on a Wednesday. He had just lost his job; my mother had also been fired. It was 2020 and things were hard. Then the sales fell from my father’s eyes. He stopped drinking and smoking and suddenly had a passion for Jesus and wasn’t terribly angry anymore. It was an amazing testimony to see how Jesus was changing his life around and he was a whole new man. He was growing spiritually and started doing volunteer work for the church. He encouraged us to serve with him at times. He joined a bible study group of men. When he decided to get baptized in 2023, I was baptized with him. I see the changes in my father, and he has done a 180. This shows me that everything is possible with God. I want to raise my children in the church one day when I have a family. I had an interest in doing well in school since I was very young. I felt proud to be one of the best readers in my glass. I was naturally good with numbers, and I had a class nickname in 4th grade..."Sebastian Subtraction". I earned awards at school with little effort. There were many award ceremonies for my parents to attend and see the achievements I had earned. Not to mention quite a few Principal's Awards. In high school I pursued football as my extra-curricular. Many of my teachers recognized me as one of the few players on the football team achieving straight A's at times. I received an award at a Football banquet for good grades while participating in a time consuming extra circular commitment. With the success I have had in the classroom, I knew that a higher education was a no brainer. I wanted more than just a Bachelors. I needed at least a masters. I have tremendous support from my parents, who assured me that I can stay in college as long as I wanted, and they would always support me. I was especially motivated by seeing an issue with my father and his education. Good grades never came easy to him, in fact it was difficult for him not to fail classes. My father always struggled to find jobs and I saw my parents have financial problems because my father didn’t have the best paying job. My mother was a "teacher’s pet" growing up and she was also able to perform well in schools. She had a zest for extra curriculars. I saw her yearbook from 9th and 10th grade where she was a part of over a dozen groups and clubs. She was also Student Body Vice President until tragedy struck. Her father, my grandpa, suddenly left her in a selfish way to take care of himself and his mental health. leaving my mother to rent a room from an acquaintance. She tried to finish her senior year of high school working a part time job and taking the bus for almost 3 hours a day. She was very depressed about the situation with her father. She had attended some college, but without the support of a parent of other adult, she was unable to continue any higher education. She encourages me to get a degree, also fulfilling something that she has been lacking all of these years. I am hoping one day that I can help support my parents as they get older and maybe even buy them a house sometime in the future. I don’t want them to worry about me financially. I also have a sense of pride being the first in my family to aim for a master’s degree one day. It is difficult to be financially stable in today’s economy, so I must be successful. I must fulfill my dreams and won’t give up until I have done so. I also believe that the love of the Lord has given me the motivation I need to apply myself and be a person of integrity. I want to do right in the eyes of the Lord. I want to honor my mother and father by taking care of them if they need me one day. I would be so happy if I can financially support my parents to thank them for the way they raised me in the church

My parents werent raised in Christian households but my mother insisted that taking our family to church is the right thing to do. She started going to church when she was preganant with me becasue "she wanted to raise me right". I was dedicated to the Lord by my parents was I was 14 months old. They dressed me in an all white outfit and even put a bonnet on me. For the rest of my childhood I remeber going to church and Sunday school, on most Sundays. I think we would have been there every Sunday if my father wasnt trying to stay home and watch football. It was very important to my mother but my father had not caught on just yet. When I was 8, my mom had twin girls. One of my twin sisters had a rare genetic disorder and it was devastating my family and my mom was really depressed. My sister Brooklyn had so many health issues, was always sick and then started having seizures. It was a very scary time for me and my family. My mom started going to church more and more, and often a few times a week by herself. She was spending her daily time with God, and I would see her with her coffee and her bible early each day. She found a nearby prayer house that was open 6am to midnight and we would often go there as a family so my mom could pray and encourage us to pray with her. Through this sadness she leaned deeper into the Lord and it was very encouraging for me to do the same. Little by little my father started to see the light. He had a turning point one day when we were visiting the prayer house on a Wednesday. He had just lost his job, my mother had also been fired. It was 2020 and things were hard. Then the sales fell from my fathers eyes. He stopped stopped drinking and smoking and suddenly had a passion for Jesus and wasnt terribly angry anymore. It was an amazing testimony to see how Jesus was changing his life around and he was a whole new man. He was growing spiritually and started doing volunteer work for the church. He encouraged us to serve with him at times. He joined a bible study group of men. When he decided to get baptized in 2023, I was baptized with him. I see the changes in my father and he has done a 180. This shows me that everything is possible with God. I want to raise my children in the church one day when I have a family. I had an interest in doing well in school since I was very young. I felt proud to be one of the best readers in my glass. I was naturally good with numbers, and I had a class nickname in 4th grade..."Sebastian Subtraction". I earned awards at school with little effort. There were many award ceremonies for my parents to attend and see the achievements I had earned. Not to mention quite a few Principal's Awards. In high school I pursued football as my extra-curricular. Many of my teachers recognized me as one of the few players on the football team achieving straight A's at times. I received an award at a Football banquet for good grades while participating in a time consuming extra circular commitment. I was especially motivated by seeing an issue with my father and his education. Good grades never came easy to him, in fact it was difficult for him not to fail classes. My father always struggled to find jobs and I saw my parents have financial problems because my father didn’t have the best paying job. I also believe that the love of the Lord has given me the motivation I need to apply myself and be a person of integrity. I want to do right in the eyes of the Lord. I want to honor my mother and father by taking care of them if they need me one day. I would be so happy if I can financially support my parents to thank them for the way they raised me in the church

My parents werent raised in Christian households but my mother insisted that taking our family to church is the right thing to do. She started going to church when she was preganant with me becasue "she wanted to raise me right". I was dedicated to the Lord by my parents was I was 14 months old. They dressed me in an all white outfit and even put a bonnet on me. For the rest of my childhood I remeber going to church and Sunday school, on most Sundays. I think we would have been there every Sunday if my father wasnt trying to stay home and watch football. It was very important to my mother but my father had not caught on just yet. When I was 8, my mom had twin girls. One of my twin sisters had a rare genetic disorder and it was devastating my family and my mom was really depressed. My sister Brooklyn had so many health issues, was always sick and then started having seizures. It was a very scary time for me and my family. My mom started going to church more and more, and often a few times a week by herself. She was spending her daily time with God, and I would see her with her coffee and her bible early each day. She found a nearby prayer house that was open 6am to midnight and we would often go there as a family so my mom could pray and encourage us to pray with her. Through this sadness she leaned deeper into the Lord and it was very encouraging for me to do the same. Little by little my father started to see the light. He had a turning point one day when we were visiting the prayer house on a Wednesday. He had just lost his job, my mother had also been fired. It was 2020 and things were hard. Then the sales fell from my fathers eyes. He stopped stopped drinking and smoking and suddenly had a passion for Jesus and wasnt terribly angry anymore. It was an amazing testimony to see how Jesus was changing his life around and he was a whole new man. He was growing spiritually and started doing volunteer work for the church. He encouraged us to serve with him at times. He joined a bible study group of men. When he decided to get baptized in 2023, I was baptized with him. I see the changes in my father and he has done a 180. This shows me that everything is possible with God. I want to raise my children in the church one day when I have a family. I had an interest in doing well in school since I was very young. I felt proud to be one of the best readers in my glass. I was naturally good with numbers, and I had a class nickname in 4th grade..."Sebastian Subtraction". I earned awards at school with little effort. There were many award ceremonies for my parents to attend and see the achievements I had earned. Not to mention quite a few Principal's Awards. In high school I pursued football as my extra-curricular. Many of my teachers recognized me as one of the few players on the football team achieving straight A's at times. I received an award at a Football banquet for good grades while participating in a time consuming extra circular commitment. With the success I have had in the classroom, I knew that a higher education was a no brainer. I wanted more than just a Bachelors. I needed at least a masters. I have tremendous support from my parents, who assured me that I can stay in college as long as I wanted, and they would always support me. I was especially motivated by seeing an issue with my father and his education. Good grades never came easy to him, in fact it was difficult for him not to fail classes. My father always struggled to find jobs and I saw my parents have financial problems because my father didn’t have the best paying job. My mother was a "teacher’s pet" growing up and she was also able to perform well in schools. She had a zest for extra curriculars. I saw her yearbook from 9th and 10th grade where she was a part of over a dozen groups and clubs. She was also Student Body Vice President until tragedy struck. Her father, my grandpa, suddenly left her in a selfish way to take care of himself and his mental health. leaving my mother to rent a room from an acquaintance. She tried to finish her senior year of high school working a part time job and taking the bus for almost 3 hours a day. She was very depressed about the situation with her father. She had attended some college, but without the support of a parent of other adult, she was unable to continue any higher education. She encourages me to get a degree, also fulfilling something that she has been lacking all of these years. I am hoping one day that I can help support my parents as they get older and maybe even buy them a house sometime in the future. I don’t want them to worry about me financially. I also have a sense of pride being the first in my family to aim for a master’s degree one day. It is difficult to be financially stable in today’s economy, so I must be successful. I must fulfill my dreams and won’t give up until I have done so. I also believe that the love of the Lord has given me the motivation I need to apply myself and be a person of integrity. I want to do right in the eyes of the Lord. I want to honor my mother and father by taking care of them if they need me one day. I would be so happy if I can financially support my parents to thank them for the way they raised me in the church

I had an interest in doing well in school since I was very young. I felt proud to be one of the best readers in my glass. I was naturally good with numbers, and I had a class nickname in 4th grade..."Sebastian Subtraction". I earned awards at school with little effort. There were many award ceremonies for my parents to attend and see the achievements I had earned. Not to mention quite a few Principal's Awards. In high school I pursued football as my extra-curricular. Many of my teachers recognized me as one of the few players on the football team achieving straight A's at times. I received an award at a Football banquet for good grades while participating in a time consuming extra circular commitment. With the success I have had in the classroom, I knew that a higher education was a no brainer. I wanted more than just a Bachelors. I needed at least a masters. I have tremendous support from my parents, who assured me that I can stay in college as long as I wanted, and they would always support me. I was especially motivated by seeing an issue with my father and his education. Good grades never came easy to him, in fact it was difficult for him not to fail classes. My father always struggled to find jobs and I saw my parents have financial problems because my father didn’t have the best paying job. My mother was a "teacher’s pet" growing up and she was also able to perform well in schools. She had a zest for extra curriculars. I saw her yearbook from 9th and 10th grade where she was a part of over a dozen groups and clubs. She was also Student Body Vice President until tragedy struck. Her father, my grandpa, suddenly left her in a selfish way to take care of himself and his mental health. leaving my mother to rent a room from an acquaintance. She tried to finish her senior year of high school working a part time job and taking the bus for almost 3 hours a day. She was very depressed about the situation with her father. She had attended some college, but without the support of a parent of other adult, she was unable to continue any higher education. She encourages me to get a degree, also fulfilling something that she has been lacking all of these years. I am hoping one day that I can help support my parents as they get older and maybe even buy them a house sometime in the future. I don’t want them to worry about me financially. I also have a sense of pride being the first in my family to aim for a master’s degree one day. It is difficult to be financially stable in today’s economy, so I must be successful. I must fulfill my dreams and won’t give up until I have done so.

I had an interest in doing well in school since I was very young. I felt proud to be one of the best readers in my glass. I was naturally good with numbers, and I had a class nickname in 4th grade..."Sebastian Subtraction". I earned awards at school with little effort. There were many award ceremonies for my parents to attend and see the achievements I had earned. Not to mention quite a few Principal's Awards. In high school I pursued football as my extra-curricular. Many of my teachers recognized me as one of the few players on the football team achieving straight A's at times. I received an award at a Football banquet for good grades while participating in a time consuming extra circular commitment. With the success I have had in the classroom, I knew that a higher education was a no brainer. I wanted more than just a Bachelors. I needed at least a masters. I have tremendous support from my parents, who assured me that I can stay in college as long as I wanted, and they would always support me. I was especially motivated by seeing an issue with my father and his education. Good grades never came easy to him, in fact it was difficult for him not to fail classes. He joined the Navy when he was 18 because he didn’t know what else to do. He traveled the world then was honorably discharged after 4 years. However, he didn’t know how to apply his operation specialist radar experience to the job market. My father always struggled to find jobs and I saw my parents have financial problems because my father didn’t have the best paying jobs. I have a lot of respect for my father and the way he had served in the military. When he was recruited in 1995, he was told that his kids would go to college for free in California. So, my struggling parents had never worried about how to pay for college. But it seems as though the Montgomery GI bill doesn’t apply, and I am not eligible for assistance under the post 9-11 education benefits. Now I find myself in a situation, transferring to Cal Poly Pomona with no tuition help. I am scrambling to apply for scholarships so that I can help my father out, just like he volunteered his time in the military. I wish I could be as brave as he was, being a US soldier.

I had an interest in doing well in school since I was very young. I felt proud to be one of the best readers in my glass. I was naturally good with numbers, and I had a class nickname in 4th grade..."Sebastian Subtraction". I earned awards at school with little effort. There were many award ceremonies for my parents to attend and see the achievements I had earned. Not to mention quite a few Principal's Awards. In high school I pursued football as my extra-curricular. Many of my teachers recognized me as one of the few players on the football team achieving straight A's at times. I received an award at a Football banquet for good grades while participating in a time consuming extra circular commitment. With the success I have had in the classroom, I knew that a higher education was a no brainer. I wanted more than just a Bachelors. I needed at least a masters. I have tremendous support from my parents, who assured me that I can stay in college as long as I wanted, and they would always support me. I was especially motivated by seeing an issue with my father and his education. Good grades never came easy to him, in fact it was difficult for him not to fail classes. My father always struggled to find jobs and I saw my parents have financial problems because my father didn’t have the best paying job. My mother was a "teacher’s pet" growing up and she was also able to perform well in schools. She had a zest for extra curriculars. I saw her yearbook from 9th and 10th grade where she was a part of over a dozen groups and clubs. She was also Student Body Vice President until tragedy struck. Her father, my grandpa, suddenly left her in a selfish way to take care of himself and his mental health. leaving my mother to rent a room from an acquaintance. She tried to finish her senior year of high school working a part time job and taking the bus for almost 3 hours a day. She was very depressed about the situation with her father. She had attended some college, but without the support of a parent of other adult, she was unable to continue any higher education. She encourages me to get a degree, also fulfilling something that she has been lacking all of these years. I am hoping one day that I can help support my parents as they get older and maybe even buy them a house sometime in the future. I don’t want them to worry about me financially. I also have a sense of pride being the first in my family to aim for a master’s degree one day. It is difficult to be financially stable in today’s economy, so I must be successful. I must fulfill my dreams and won’t give up until I have done so.

I had an interest in doing well in school since I was very young. I felt proud to be one of the best readers in my glass. I was naturally good with numbers, and I had a class nickname in 4th grade..."Sebastian Subtraction". I earned awards at school with little effort. There were many award ceremonies for my parents to attend and see the achievements I had earned. Not to mention quite a few Principal's Awards. In high school I pursued football as my extra-curricular. Many of my teachers recognized me as one of the few players on the football team achieving straight A's at times. I received an award at a Football banquet for good grades while participating in a time consuming extra circular commitment. With the success I have had in the classroom, I knew that a higher education was a no brainer. I wanted more than just a Bachelors. I needed at least a masters. I have tremendous support from my parents, who assured me that I can stay in college as long as I wanted, and they would always support me. I was especially motivated by seeing an issue with my father and his education. Good grades never came easy to him, in fact it was difficult for him not to fail classes. My father always struggled to find jobs and I saw my parents have financial problems because my father didn’t have the best paying job. My mother was a "teacher’s pet" growing up and she was also able to perform well in schools. She had a zest for extra curriculars. I saw her yearbook from 9th and 10th grade where she was a part of over a dozen groups and clubs. She was also Student Body Vice President until tragedy struck. Her father, my grandpa, suddenly left her in a selfish way to take care of himself and his mental health. leaving my mother to rent a room from an acquaintance. She tried to finish her senior year of high school working a part time job and taking the bus for almost 3 hours a day. She was very depressed about the situation with her father. She had attended some college, but without the support of a parent of other adult, she was unable to continue any higher education. She encourages me to get a degree, also fulfilling something that she has been lacking all of these years. I am hoping one day that I can help support my parents as they get older and maybe even buy them a house sometime in the future. I don’t want them to worry about me financially. I also have a sense of pride being the first in my family to aim for a master’s degree one day. It is difficult to be financially stable in today’s economy, so I must be successful. I must fulfill my dreams and won’t give up until I have done so.

I was born in raised in southern California with my father being a 2nd generation Mexican. My abuelita came from Nayarit when she was 18. My abuelo came from Zacatecas at the age of 17. My abuelita wasn’t able to pursue a further education because of her struggles learning English, trying to make ends meet while raising 2 kids as a single mother. I have younger sisters that are twins, and they are 12 years old. The younger twin, by 2 minutes, was diagnosed with a very rare genetic mutation about 6 years ago. She is 1 of 200 diagnosed in the world. It has been a challenge for the whole family to raise a non-verbal, seizure prone loved one. She is still in diapers and that is challenge for me being her older brother. I am her In Home Supportive Services caretaker and help my exhauster parents everyday. She has behavioral issues which has made me a patient person. I value my Christian values and God in my life is a priority I felt proud to be one of the best readers in my glass. I was naturally good with numbers, and I had a class nickname in 4th grade..."Sebastian Subtraction". There were many award ceremonies for my parents to attend and see the achievements I had earned. Not to mention quite a few Principal's Awards. In high school I pursued football as my extra-curricular. I received an award at a Football banquet for good grades while participating in a time consuming extra circular commitment. With the success I have had in the classroom, I knew that a higher education was a no brainer. I wanted more than just a Bachelors. I needed at least a masters. I have tremendous support from my parents, who assured me that I can stay in college as long as I wanted, and they would always support me. I am hoping one day that I can help support my parents as they get older and maybe even buy them a house sometime in the future. I don’t want them to worry about me financially. I also have a sense of pride being the first in my family to aim for a master’s degree one day. It is difficult to be financially stable in today’s economy, so I must be successful. I must fulfill my dreams and won’t give up until I have done so. Kind Regards, Sebastian Lara

I had an interest in doing well in school since I was very young. I felt proud to be one of the best readers in my glass. I was naturally good with numbers, and I had a class nickname in 4th grade..."Sebastian Subtraction". I earned awards at school with little effort. There were many award ceremonies for my parents to attend and see the achievements I had earned. Not to mention quite a few Principal's Awards. In high school I pursued football as my extra-curricular. Many of my teachers recognized me as one of the few players on the football team achieving straight A's at times. I received an award at a Football banquet for good grades while participating in a time consuming extra circular commitment. With the success I have had in the classroom, I knew that a higher education was a no brainer. I wanted more than just a Bachelors. I needed at least a masters. I have tremendous support from my parents, who assured me that I can stay in college as long as I wanted, and they would always support me. I was especially motivated by seeing an issue with my father and his education. Good grades never came easy to him, in fact it was difficult for him not to fail classes. He joined the Navy when he was 18 because he didn’t know what else to do. He traveled the world then was honorably discharged after 4 years. However, he didn’t know how to apply his operation specialist radar experience to the job market. My father always struggled to find jobs and I saw my parents have financial problems because my father didn’t have the best paying jobs. I have a lot of respect for my father and the way he had served in the military. When he was recruited in 1995, he was told that his kids would go to college for free in California. So, my struggling parents had never worried about how to pay for college. But it seems as though the Montgomery GI bill doesn’t apply, and I am not eligible for assistance under the post 9-11 education benefits. Now I find myself in a situation, transferring to Cal Poly Pomona with no tuition help. I am scrambling to apply for scholarships so that I can help my father out, just like he volunteered his time in the military. I wish I could be as brave as he was, being a US soldier.

I had an interest in doing well in school since I was very young. I felt proud to be one of the best readers in my glass. I was naturally good with numbers, and I had a class nickname in 4th grade..."Sebastian Subtraction". I earned awards at school with little effort. There were many award ceremonies for my parents to attend and see the achievements I had earned. Not to mention quite a few Principal's Awards. In high school I pursued football as my extra-curricular. Many of my teachers recognized me as one of the few players on the football team achieving straight A's at times. I received an award at a Football banquet for good grades while participating in a time consuming extra circular commitment. With the success I have had in the classroom, I knew that a higher education was a no brainer. I wanted more than just a Bachelors. I needed at least a masters. I have tremendous support from my parents, who assured me that I can stay in college as long as I wanted, and they would always support me. I was especially motivated by seeing an issue with my father and his education. Good grades never came easy to him, in fact it was difficult for him not to fail classes. My father always struggled to find jobs and I saw my parents have financial problems because my father didn’t have the best paying job. My mother was a "teacher’s pet" growing up and she was also able to perform well in schools. She had a zest for extra curriculars. I saw her yearbook from 9th and 10th grade where she was a part of over a dozen groups and clubs. She was also Student Body Vice President until tragedy struck. Her father, my grandpa, suddenly left her in a selfish way to take care of himself and his mental health. leaving my mother to rent a room from an acquaintance. She tried to finish her senior year of high school working a part time job and taking the bus for almost 3 hours a day. She was very depressed about the situation with her father. She had attended some college, but without the support of a parent of other adult, she was unable to continue any higher education. She encourages me to get a degree, also fulfilling something that she has been lacking all of these years. I am hoping one day that I can help support my parents as they get older and maybe even buy them a house sometime in the future. I don’t want them to worry about me financially. I also have a sense of pride being the first in my family to aim for a master’s degree one day. It is difficult to be financially stable in today’s economy, so I must be successful. I must fulfill my dreams and won’t give up until I have done so.

I was born in raised in southern California with my father being a 2nd generation Mexican. My abuelita came from Nayarit when she was 18. My abuelo came from Zacatecas at the age of 17. Since abuelita was sturggling to make ends meet as a single mother, she wasnt encouraging her children's school performance as much as she wished I am especially motivated by seeing an issue with my father and his education. Good grades never came easy to him, in fact it was difficult for him not to fail classes. My father always struggled to find jobs and I saw my parents have financial problems because my father didn’t have the best paying job. My mother was a "teacher’s pet" growing up and she was also able to perform well in schools. She had a zest for extra curriculars. I saw her yearbook from 9th and 10th grade where she was a part of over a dozen groups and clubs. She was also Student Body Vice President until tragedy struck. Her father, my grandpa, suddenly left her in a selfish way to take care of himself and his mental health. leaving my mother to rent a room from an acquaintance. She tried to finish her senior year of high school working a part time job and taking the bus for almost 3 hours a day. She was very depressed about the situation with her father. She had attended some college, but without the support of a parent of other adult, she was unable to continue any higher education. She encourages me to get a degree, also fulfilling something that she has been lacking all of these years. I have younger sisters that are twins, and they are 12 years old. The younger twin, by 2 minutes, was diagnosed with a very rare genetic mutation about 6 years ago. She is 1 of 200 diagnosed in the world. It has been a challenge for the whole family to raise a non-verbal, seizure prone loved one. She is still in diapers and that is challenge for me being her older brother. I am her In Home Supportive Services caretaker and help my exhauster parents everyday. She has behavioral issues which has made me a patient person. I value my Christian values and God in my life is a priority I felt proud to be one of the best readers in my glass. I was naturally good with numbers, and I had a class nickname in 4th grade..."Sebastian Subtraction". There were many award ceremonies for my parents to attend and see the achievements I had earned. Not to mention quite a few Principal's Awards. In high school I pursued football as my extra-curricular. I received an award at a Football banquet for good grades while participating in a time consuming extra circular commitment. I was especially motivated by seeing an issue with my father and his education. Good grades never came easy to him, in fact it was difficult for him not to fail classes. My father always struggled to find jobs and I saw my parents have financial problems because my father didn’t have the best paying job. With the success I have had in the classroom, I knew that a higher education was a no brainer. I wanted more than just a Bachelors. I needed at least a masters. I have tremendous support from my parents, who assured me that I can stay in college as long as I wanted, and they would always support me.

I had an interest in doing well in school since I was very young. I felt proud to be one of the best readers in my glass. I was naturally good with numbers, and I had a class nickname in 4th grade..."Sebastian Subtraction". I earned awards at school with little effort. There were many award ceremonies for my parents to attend and see the achievements I had earned. Not to mention quite a few Principal's Awards. In high school I pursued football as my extra-curricular. Many of my teachers recognized me as one of the few players on the football team achieving straight A's at times. I received an award at a Football banquet for good grades while participating in a time consuming extra circular commitment. With the success I have had in the classroom, I knew that a higher education was a no brainer. I wanted more than just a Bachelors. I needed at least a masters. I have tremendous support from my parents, who assured me that I can stay in college as long as I wanted, and they would always support me. Excuse I was especially motivated by seeing an issue with my father and his education. Good grades never came easy to him, in fact it was difficult for him not to fail classes. My father always struggled to find jobs and I saw my parents have financial problems because my father didn’t have the best paying job. My mother was a "teacher’s pet" growing up and she was also able to perform well in schools. She had a zest for extra curriculars. I saw her yearbook from 9th and 10th grade where she was a part of over a dozen groups and clubs. She was also Student Body Vice President until tragedy struck. Her father, my grandpa, suddenly left her in a selfish way to take care of himself and his mental health. leaving my mother to rent a room from an acquaintance. She tried to finish her senior year of high school working a part time job and taking the bus for almost 3 hours a day. She was very depressed about the situation with her father. She had attended some college, but without the support of a parent of other adult, she was unable to continue any higher education. She encourages me to get a degree, also fulfilling something that she has been lacking all of these years. I am hoping one day that I can help support my parents as they get older and maybe even buy them a house sometime in the future. I don’t want them to worry about me financially. I also have a sense of pride being the first in my family to aim for a master’s degree one day. It is difficult to be financially stable in today’s economy, so I must be successful. I must fulfill my dreams and won’t give up until I have done so.

I had an interest in doing well in school since I was very young. I felt proud to be one of the best readers in my class. I was naturally good with numbers, and I had a class nickname in 4th grade..."Sebastian Subtraction". I earned awards at school with little effort. There were many award ceremonies for my parents to attend and see the achievements I had earned. Not to mention quite a few Principal's Awards. In high school I pursued football as my extra-curricular. Many of my teachers recognized me as one of the few players on the football team achieving straight A's at times. I received an award at a football banquet for a high GPA grdes while participating in a time consuming extra circular commitment. With the success I have had in the classroom, I knew that a higher education was a no-brainer. I wanted more than just a Bachelors. I needed at least a masters, I know how demanding the job market is right now. I have no excuse, I have tremendous support from my parents. They assured me that I can stay in college as long as I wanted, and they would always support me. I was especially motivated by seeing an issue with my father and his education. Good grades never came easy to him, in fact it was difficult for him not to fail classes. My father always struggled to find jobs and I saw my parents have financial problems because my father didn’t have the best paying jobs. My mother was a "teacher’s pet" growing up and she was also able to perform well in school. She had a zest for extra curriculars. I saw her yearbook from 9th and 10th grade where she was a part of over a dozen groups and clubs. She was also Student Body Vice President until tragedy struck. Her father, my grandpa, suddenly left her in a selfish way to take care of himself and his mental health. leaving my mother to rent a room from an acquaintance. She tried to finish her senior year of high school working a part time job and taking the bus for almost 3 hours a day. She was very depressed about the situation with her father. She had attended some college, but without the support of a parent of other adult, she was unable to continue any higher education. She encourages me to get a degree, also fulfilling something that she has been lacking all of these years. I am hoping one day that I can help support my parents as they get older and maybe even buy them a house sometime in the future. I don’t want them to worry about me financially. I also have a sense of pride being the first in my family to aim for a master’s degree one day. It is difficult to be financially stable in today’s economy, so I must be successful. I must fulfill my dreams and won’t give up until I have done so.