Resilience is burnt into the skins of Salvadorans. I think of the widowed tortilleria worker who endured the intense heat and humidness of the stove for hours on end to support her seven children; the lone old lady riding a two-hour bus to San Salvador to get chemo; my grandma's next-door neighbor whose eleven-year-old son was murdered in a hit orchestrated by his dad: Despite going through hell on Earth, they sought daily to navigate with grace the world that had mistreated them so severely, approaching everyone with a radiant smile. If unimaginable suffering didn't stop them, why should my seemingly insignificant problems stop me? My life has not been easy, and I know life presents incessant challenges. My heritage is one rich in courage and resilience. When we were granted U.S. permanent residency in 2016, my dad and brother moved to the United States while my mom and I stayed in El Salvador. This two-year separation further alienated me from my family. I hoped my situation would improve when we joined them in the United States, but I soon realized that the conditions of my insecurities would follow me anywhere. I was immersed in a new country without friends, barely any family, and insecure in my English, feeling like more of an outcast. Attending a high school notorious for its homophobia and racism worsened it. By this point in my life, I had been conditioned to fear people. I thought most would be hostile to me, and many had been, but I refused to let that hold me back. Recognizing my unhappiness led to my realization that I could only be content if I learned to overcome my insecurities and find a way to enjoy my life despite the hardships. I thought about giving up multiple times, but I would not let the sacrifices of my parents go to waste. Thus, I applied to the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM), in hopes of starting over by redefining myself under my own terms. At NCSSM, I made it my mission to make the most out of all the opportunities available to me. I became Student Body President for the Durham Campus because I believed representation of those of us which society shames for our identity is crucial for progress as a whole. In that position, I was able to advocate in collaboration with my team within the University of North Carolina Association of Student Governments and the NCSSM Board of Trustees for changes that would benefit our community, such as the expansion of food aid programs at universities, and changes to address the fallout of Affirmative Action. I have also volunteered at the Latino Community Credit Union branch of Durham and El Centro Hispano to further my goal of helping my community. In my academic and extracurricular work, I seek to help those in similar situations to my past self that have caused me great pain and understand the history to achieve the same end. In December 2023, I was admitted to Harvard University to join their undergraduate class of 2028. A significant milestone in my life, I aim to use this opportunity to concentrate on a combination of Economics, Applied Math, and Anthropology. At Harvard, I hope to use the resources made available to me and other organizations to prepare myself to enter the business world, believing that transformative leadership within businesses and other organizations can best leverage their resources for the betterment of society: a society where I can better the conditions that caused suffering to me, my family, my community, and immigrants.