"You're the best hope for the future." This quote was what my pre-calculus teacher would always tell my class. Every day walking into his class, Mr. Flores would remind us everyday that we were capable, that I was capable. He is not just a math teacher-- he is a motivator. He would always make my day with his humor, his anecdotes, words of wisdom, and valuable advice. His character would brighten up the classroom and take the dread out of school. He was engaging and humorous--and those qualities make a student want to learn and go to school. Those qualities in a teacher make school valuable rather than dreadful. In class, he would build confidence in his students by saying, "You are a genius--a genius!", "You're amazing!", and his well-known quote, "Did I forget to tell you, you are the best hope for the future?". A lot of the teachers show apathy towards their students to some extent but Mr. Flores did not. Most teachers refrain from compliments and confidence building but Mr. Flores would find a way to incorporate that in his lectures and lessons. He never failed to remind me or my classmates of our capability and potential. Many teachers wouldn't take the time to uplift their students, which made me feel inferior and incapable. The work I would put into my schoolwork would go underappreciated or overlooked. This almost made me apathetic towards school. Thank goodness for Mr. Flores, and his class, as it saved me from being an apathetic student. If it weren't for him, my potential would have gone to waste. I need to better myself and my life so being apathetic is not an option, which is why Mr. Flores was such a positive impact because he saved me from disregarding school. His positivity influenced my positive outlook on higher education and inspired me. Those times where I would question college after class-- he was there. He was there to enlighten me on the benefits of higher education. He would evaluate the pros and cons. At times I was skeptical because of the cost of college and the amount of time it would take. He soon made me realize that a college education is an investment towards my future. From him, I learned that college can open doors and pathways to greater success. I always knew I wanted to go to college, but was skeptical at times and Mr. Flores would always reassure me that it was worth it. He would reassure me that I was worth it. I was worth a higher education because I am "the best hope for the future". Those few words were always so valuable to me because students need that reassurance--I needed that reassurance. With that reassurance, I decided that I will go to college no matter the cost. I need to invest in myself. I need to better my life and my family's life. In a world and environment where apathy is present, Mr. Flores radiates positivity. "You're the best hope for the future", those few words were so powerful and valuable. One's intelligence can only take them as far as they are willing to support themselves, if they are apathetic it can set them back. I am intelligent, and I am glad he saw that in me, told me, and reminded me. Students need encouragement, guidance, and positivity so they can gain the motivation to pursue higher education or better themselves--and he provided all those things. I hope every student can have Mr. Flores as a teacher so they can realize they are worth it too.

I am pursuing a degree in sociology due to the fact that it opens a window of knowledge and from that window, one can gain a new perspective on the world and functions of society. As a high school student, I have also been enrolled in my local community college. I decided to take an introduction to sociology course one summer and ended up declaring it my major. My interest in sociology only grew further when I took a Critical Thinking and Social Problems course. That course opened my mind, heart, and eyes. Learning societal functions and the problems within will help one try to solve the problem instead of just observing the problem. With a degree in sociology, one can get jobs that benefit society. Some careers include family social workers, child protection services agent, a sociologist...and much more. Learning about society-- and learning it to help people in the future is a huge goal of mine. I am committed to getting a master's degree in sociology so that I can become a community college professor and teach others of this intriguing topic as well. Not only will I teach but I will serve as guidance to students pursuing higher education. In my sociology classes I have learned that minorities like African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans/Alaskan Natives has very few college level degrees earned. There are many minorities in poverty, in poor health conditions, and in desperate need of a way out of the cycle of poverty. With that, I will be an advocste for minority success. I will not only teach as a professor but inspire, encourage, and support students of color and all races. The topic of sociology not only opened my eyes to the world around me, it has made me want to look for solutions and break boundaries. My degree of choice provides a broader perspective. That broader perspective is beneficial when examining the world around me. This scholarship will help fund my goal and commitment. I am commited to pursuing a higher education and a degree in sociology. This scholarship will fund my education as well as other college students. This scholarship is the push I need to succeed. With this push I will propel myself to the finish line and will give out scholarships of my own to low income college students. This scholarship is not only an investment towards my education, but other's as well. This scholarship will help fund my educational goals so that one day, once I have my established career and a steady income, I will gladly be able to help others pursue higher education not only as a professor, but as a scholarship donor too. I am fully committed-- and all I need is a little push.

I practice bravery and live boldly by pursuing my interests without a second thought. My freshman year of high school I became very involved in extracurriculars. I spontaneously joined the girls tennis team. Then I spontaneously joined marching band after having a lot on my plate. This was odd because in middle school, I was not involved at all. When I got to high school, I had to get out of my comfort zone and be bold. Spontaneous even. From these spontaneous decisions I was able to explore my interests and have a motivation for doing well in school. My freshman year I was involved in pep band, marching band, symphonic band, FFA, and tennis. By being bold I was able to find enjoyment in these things. If I was never bold, my high school career would have been dull. In addition, I still continue to be bold. I spontaneously applied to be a link crew leader and found that I enjoyed it too. Through it I get to make a positive impact on my high school campus. I am bold by signing up for college courses and AP classes at the same time. I am bold by getting a head start on my career. I believe one has to be bold in order to get where they want to be. I live life boldly by jumping into the unknown and not knowing the outcome. In life one will not always have the answers to everything or know how things will work out, so one should live boldly in the mean time when they are in the process of getting answers. Being bold could be a way to succeed and maybe even an opportunity to flourish.

Education is an incredibly significant aspect of my life. As a person of color, it was devastating to learn that people of color in the United States of America have large portions of their populations in poverty and few earn postsecondary degrees. From this, my perspective on education changed. I learned that higher education often is not attainable for everyone. Since I can attain a postsecondary, I know I have to make the most of it and break records and boundaries. I want to increase the amount of Hispanics earning degrees. I want to get an education so that I can make enough money to support and assist minority students in their educational journeys. I want to give out scholarships in the future, and believe that education and knowledge is a form of empowerment and everyone deserves that no matter the person's ethnicity. Instead of education and learning being a passion, my perspective has changed and it is now a mission of mine to obtain a degree and empower. By no means will it be an easy mission, I have costs of my own, but making it work is key. I will not just earn a degree for myself, I will earn a master's degree and it shall be a victory for all minorities. It will show that minorities and people of color can earn postsecondary degrees and they can increase the amount educated individuals. This fact greatly changed my perspective on education. The success of one person of color can be the success of all people of color. Earning a degree as a minority can be considered as success for all minorites because more people deserve to obtain their desired degrees. A perspective change of mine is, being educated is not just a passion of mine, but a mission.

Through tough times, I often think of the future ahead of me. During tough times I focus on my goals to get me through difficulty. My goals keep me motivated and encouraged enough to get through it. This has taught me how dedicated I am towards my goals. My dedication serves as an inspiration and a light at the end of the tunnel. One of these goals is getting into university. I so desperately long for a higher education and when times get tough, I work harder on my school work. I do whatever it takes to reach my goal. Additionally, I take on hobbies important to me and that will benefit my goal as well. School and learning motivate me as well as bike riding and playing my instruments. I grow through these hobbies, and growth is important to reach my goals. Playing my instrument transfers me to a place of full expression- while bike riding transfers me to a place of tranquility. Learning makes me feel incredibly empowered. These are things I work on in order to reach my goals and reflecting on my goals get me through difficult and dreadful times. Higher education and knowledge are of great importance to me, thus the goal of getting into a university and recieveing a higher education keeps me optimistic and motivated.