Acting allows me to take a brief refuge in the world of the script before me. It is the only setting in which I feel safe to fail miserably - the one thing that never disappoints me and provides me with opportunities to create, learn, ponder, explore, and question. I view the arts - the process of storytelling - as vital to our contemporary world. These creative avenues allow me personally to feel comfortable within myself and embody my life's purpose. The truth of the matter is that I am extremely inquisitive, driven, loyal, and value my education more than I could ever sufficiently express. I approach all opportunities in life as a chance to grow. I seek out challenges in my personal, educational, and professional settings with a yearning to solve problems in the most inventive, effective manner possible. I revel in conversations with both opposing and like-minded individuals, for I view these opportunities as chances in which we can both learn from one another while thinking critically and creatively; these such experiences allow me as an actor to better understand more and more stories, scripts, people, and characters. Simply put, I am a proud Mexican daughter of immigrants, an actor, a writer, a debater, a travel enthusiast, and an aspiring activist. As a Mexican American and low-income student, I have been taught to value my education as well as the principles of hard work, creative problem solving, and perseverance in the face of adversity. For the three years, I have held two part-time jobs simultaneously in addition to being a full-time student. I pay for my college expenses, assist my family monetarily with our monthly bills, food/groceries, and pet care costs. I am also an amateur entrepreneur and sell upcycled household items and clothing in my free time. All of this, I do in an effort to fund my ambitions and aspirations. Approximately 1% of Latinas in the country have obtained a PhD; the statistics for Latina collegiate professors and Latinas in leading positions in the media and performing arts are nearly the same. It has been my dream to pursue a doctorate in Literature or Theatre Studies one day, to be a collegiate professor, and work in both local government and the Hollywood industry since I was extremely young. This pathway is ambitious and, unfortunately, rather expensive. Therefore, this scholarship would assist me immensely in paying for my higher educational pursuits - particularly my tuition for a four-year university. If fortunate enough to receive this scholarship, I would be inexplicably grateful. These funds would partially lessen my family’s emotional distress and financial strain resulting from the cost of college, going directly towards my continuing school journey and life-long dreams.

Having a liberal arts education has been one of the greatest gifts in my life - as a student, as a theatre-maker, a critical thinker, and a compassionate human. I am a proud double major in English and Theatre Arts - the two fields that have saved my life time and time again. As someone who struggles with the stigmas and symptoms of both Bipolar Disorder and Autism, having a creative outlet in both writing and acting have been the greatest sources of joy and liberation. I am a proud Liberal Arts College student at Pomona College in Claremont, California. Since my first day of orientation, the potential and honor of a liberal arts education have been of extreme presence in my mind. The opportunities I have each semester - with each class - to gain insight from so many differing minds, majors, and perspectives are astounding. These personalities, worldviews, and ideologies have shaped my own outlook and approach to my craft. That said, the benefits of liberal arts major to a student pursing a career in theatre are genuinely prolific and immeasurable. The liberal arts environment is one of immense exploration, discourse, research, and rigorous work. It teaches us as students to take responsibility for our education and professional as well personal development in this ever-changing world. I have been incredibly fortunate to meet a great deal many of fellow liberal arts majors, spanning from political science, history, psychology, and anthropology. I have been even more fortune to take classes in each of these respective fields as well. The concepts, students, and instructors I have encountered throughout this process have provided me with such a vast, rich understanding this world; and of my own part in it as well as how I am to shape it moving forward. Pursuing a career in theatre is pursing a career in being human - in presenting the human condition to an audience in the hopes that it can resonate, inspire, and inform them. A liberal arts education provides us as theatre-makers with vital skills in developing our voice, searching for truth, understanding the nuance of history, finding reason and empathy, diving deeper into the human mind, and so much more. Being a liberal arts major is more than a degree pathway. It is a means of becoming a wiser, more informed, more empathetic, more creative, more resourceful, and more open-minded person in a world that would rather us be complacent. Being a liberal arts major and theatre-maker fit so beautifully together. They inform one another while feeding one's intellect and strengthening us as members of humanity beyond words.

The turbulence of the plane ride awakens my spirit and ignites a feeling deep in my heart that I have never felt. I have just touched down in London, England. My study abroad semester is at last upon me. Years of dreaming, pinning, working two jobs at a time, saving, and contemplating have all led to this moment. The journey before me is one that, though I did not know it at the time, would change my life dramatically - for the better. Taylor Swift has always been a part of my life. Her songs have quite literally been in the background of most moments closest to my heart. 'New Romantics' (Taylor's Version) is especially important to me - even more so during and after my time in London. For most of my childhood, I was the victim of severe verbal bullying; during high school, I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder; throughout college, I have battled periods of immense self-doubt and disorders eating habits. As a result, the lyrics "I could build a castle out of all the bricks they threw at me" and "Baby, life is just a classroom" have been far more than phrases in a pop song; they are mantras I repeat mentally when in need of hope and motivation. These lyrics took on an even stronger, more literal meaning during my time abroad. With each day that passed, my "castles" were the memories and connections I made; the bricks - obstacles, insults, and tragedies - thrown at me laying the foundations of my drive and dedication to soak up each and every moment. I realized with each passing day and new experience that doing the activities important/meaningful to me and embarking on the adventures that none other than myself longed for was absolutely crucial to my growth as a human, an individual, and overall recovery from the past. Being both a student and foreigner, the city of London quickly became my favorite "classroom." It fascinated and excited me to learn the tube system, walk from museum to museum, watch performances on the West End and Shakespeare's Globe, explore landmarks, and stroll aimlessly along the River Thames. Each of these adventures served no other purposes than to enjoy an afternoon, to experience moments of utter contentment, to further myself as an English Major and theatre actor, and gain insight into the myriad of cultures and overall pace of this remarkable sprawling city. The connection between 'New Romantics' (Taylor's Version) and my time in London is unequivocal - unbreakable. Listening to this song now that I am home not only transports me back to my newfound favorite city across the pond, but it reminds of the strength and utter joy I discovered after years of uncertainty, sorrow, and self-deprecation. Everyday might still be a battle. Life is not without its challenges. And as much as I wish I could say that a semester abroad solved all of my problems, it is simply not true. What I know for certain is that I sing my "anthem" "proudly" and will continue building "castles" out of all my "tears of mascara" and "bricks" thrown my way.

“These are the best of times! These are the greatest years of your life.” You worry they might be right That your best is nothing but strife You wonder what will appear, You look at yourself in the mirror; You see- Not the light You hold in your eyes- But the grief In which your wrinkles and red cheeks lie They never told you That the best would be unbearable And that everything we once knew Would one day escape the truth “These are the best times you’ll ever have. Oh, what I would give to be in your place.” Tell me, why is that? All I can feel are these years holding my heart in a deceitful embrace. Tell me, can you see? I am drowning in the waters that were sent to make me clean.