The hardest lesson I had to learn was how precious life is. I learned this lesson the hard way around a year ago. I moved to Fullerton in August of 2021. I had been enrolled in California State University, Fullerton for a year, but due to COVID-19, I could not make the move down here until last year. I was so excited. I could not wait to leave my small town home in Northern California and explore a whole new area. Things took a turn for the worst an early September night though. I was working a late shift at my job and I felt uneasy. I was nervous to stay that late as I did not know the area well and how to get home safely in the dark. I got off work and began my drive home. I was driving down a dimly lit road when I heard a loud bang and a crash of glass breaking. I immediately thought that I had ran over glass. Looking back through my side mirror, I discovered someone just shot a bullet into my car and it went through my window right behind my head. I never believed the whole saying of "time stopped" until I felt it. I felt like I was stuck on that road forever. In my panic, my GPS turned off and I was absolutely lost. I had never felt this helpless. I don't remember much about the drive back to my dorms. It was full of screaming, sweating, sobbing, and confusion. I don't know if I ever stopped. I could have ran stop lights, stop signs, I would never be able to remember, I just wanted to be home. I never saw the car. Police say it was a drive by gang initiation where new gang members are told to shoot the next person they see. Those next weeks were trivial to my growth from this event. This was something that I would never wish on anybody else, but it is important to digest and analyze what can be taken away from a tragic incident. I was lucky to be alive, let alone uninjured. I realized that we do not own our life. We are truly not in control of when we live and when we die. It is a hard pill to swallow, but it was necessary in order for myself to work through this event. I have been able to value my relationships more and really practice my passions. I call more, I reach out more, I focus on experiences instead of materialistic things. My relationships are more true and stronger than ever. They would have never been like this if I did not go through something like this. I do not know when my life is going to be over. I need to live everyday like it is truly my last, because it very well could be.

I started to take child and adolescent studies classes in college as unmotivated students, I found a new passion for school. Growing up, I loved working with children. I became a babysitter for family and friends at the mature age of 9 years old, I spent every week volunteering at my church’s children’s ministry class, and from the ages of 15-18 I was a volleyball coach for children from the ages of 7-11. Along with that I co-directed a child’s vacation bible school summer camp for 150 children and led a volleyball summer camp for the ages of 8-15. I loved watching children grow into their skills and to see the joy on their face as they were content with what they were doing. I left everyday feeling like I did something good, that I could be more than a successful student. I could be a leader that people looked forward to seeing and growing with. I found my worth. These classes helped me relive these memories and become inspired to change my major. Throughout my higher education schooling, I completely forgot about how much these events shaped me as a person. Being reminded of how fulfilling my work with children made me very excited about my future career in this field. I would love to become an elementary school teacher. My main goal as a teacher is to become an educator that sees beyond the student. Teachers that saw me as a developing human being and treated me with kindness while getting to know me are the teachers that kept me motivated to learn and to be successful. I was not just another number or an uninteresting test score, I was a person that they wanted to see succeed. I would also love working with this age because of the pure excitement they have to learn. They are motivated by their passions and are willing to explore new ways of thinking and developing. I have a lot of volunteer experience with this age group however I would love to get a job as a teacher's aid or in an after school program. I feel as though this would be a great way to make my way into the field and gain experience as a college student. I am very inspired by this field and I look forward to the knowledge I will gain throughout my student and teaching career.

An event that occurred in the last year redefined my outlook on life. Last year, I moved to Fullerton from a small town in Northern California eight hours away. Adjusting from the move was hard, however little did I know, something was about to make my life a lot harder. I was on my way home from work when I heard a loud bang and the crash of glass way too close for comfort. I had thought I ran over glass and I popped my tire. Looking in my mirror to see if there was glass behind me, my stomach dropped. There was a bullet hole through my window right behind my head. I wish I could recount every detail that took place after that event, but my brain has blocked it out. I felt my steering wheel cover become soaked with sweat, and I instantly could not recognize where I was at. I felt truly hopeless for the first time in my life. I next remember screaming crying to my dad on the phone, scaring him to pieces worried for life. Next I was back at my residence parking lot pushing the emergency button while on the phone with 911. CSI, PD, and UPD came to the scene, took their pictures, took my statement, took their evidence, and told me to get some sleep. I was in complete shock. Life just went on. I had found out that I was 0.2 of a second away from being shot in the neck or the head. I was so grateful to be okay, but I was so confused the purpose of this event. I believe everything happens for a reason, but this one was hard to agree with. I couldn't sleep for month, I had nightmares of being shot and no one finding me, I couldn't drive around after the sun went down, let alone drive one the street it happened. After a couple months of feeling disconnected with myself, avoiding processing it, I decided I had to take control of my life. This happened for a reason, I needed to realize how precious life is. Life is a blessing, living in California is a blessing, having the opportunity to go to school is a major blessing, being able to have food and a home is a blessing. I was taking it all for granted. Realizing these facts turned my outlook around. I began a path to practicing sincere gratitude and positivity. I joined my church's worship team, a way to follow my passions and impact the community. I like to share my story and discuss with others different things they think I can take away from it. I don't want this situation to define me. I want to repurpose it, not sulk in it. I am still working through this event, and I learn more about myself through it as time passes. It is important that we learn from every experiences we go through, especially when life takes a turn. There is beauty and lessons in every event we go through. We have to grow through life, not just go through it. Life is short, precious, and fragile. Reminding myself of the things in my life I should be grateful for keeps me motived on my journey of growth; a path that was reignited by this event from last year.

There's not much standing in the way of my future career besides myself. I am a third year at California State University, Fullerton and have loved having the opportunity to be in college. I am gaining a bachelor's degree in Child and Adolescent Studies with a concentration in Elementary School Setting. I am so glad and blessed to be in this university and I look forward to getting my degree and working with children. My dream career is a an educator that work with special needs children. This career is my dream because I would love the opportunity to work with this community. There is so many things that these students can teach me, but honestly, they would be fulfilling my life by the lesson they give me. My step brother has special needs and growing closer to him over the years has led me to discover my passion. He has taught me so much by his perspective of the world and I would love to learn more about it for the rest of my life. It is imperative that we are always learning. Everything we know about life was passed down. Someone had to teach someone else for the topic to become general knowledge. Going through the end of my high school career online and going half of my higher education career online has been a set back. The first two years of my college education, I did not take it seriously. It was hard to find passion for school that wasn't required by law in my dark small bedroom. I dreamed of college being an escape, a place I could finally go to start a new life. Going from that dream to waking up on my first day of college in the same bed I had slept in for the past 10 years deeply unmotivated me. I failed two classes and ended up on academic probation. I was so deeply ashamed of this that I convinced myself I did not belong here, obviously I was not cut out for it. After meeting with a multitude of different advisors, I felt a light switch turn on. College is only the experience you make it. I picked my head up and started to take my education seriously again. I got 4 A's my next semester and I have been staying diligent in my studies to never end up in that place again. We are our own biggest enemy. Realizing the biggest challenge we face is ourself is extremely freeing. I look forward to challenging myself further and making college the most rewarding experience so I can achieve my dream career.

There was a time that I didn't know I was Central American. I thought I was Mexican. Growing up and being called Mexican by the kids on the playground, I assumed they were right. I remember driving two hours down to San Francisco to my Abuela's house, a cozy two story on the south city hills. I told her that I was Mexican and she bursted into laughter, that laughter that filled the room with robust joy and passion for what was about to come out of her mouth next. She explained that I was both Guatemalan and El Salvadoran. Now there was nothing wrong with being Mexican, it was just that I did not know who I truly was. Being Mexican is something to be proud of, and Im proud to be confused as Mexican. I was also just so thrilled to unlock a secret I did not know about myself. We spent the night talking about her immigration to the states, why she left, what she misses, and how difficult it was for her to make a life here. She told me about how her mother taught her to make pupusas, and how her grandma taught her to make tamales and quesadilla. I was in awe of the culture I encompassed that I didn't know I had. I learned about how if I went to college, I would be a first generation college student. I was so excited to share with her the colleges I was applying to, and where I would hope I would go. We planned a trip to El Salvador for after I graduated. In October of my Junior year in high school, a routine surgery went wrong, and she was taken. I was distraught, and fell into a deep sadness that consumed me for months. It felt like a switch of a hat that I decided to change my perspective around. I have come to college for her now. To become educated, an opportunity she never had. I want to make her proud. Every late night, paper, assignment, is worth it because I know she's still with me. I want to become a teacher so I can be an educator and inspiration for young scholars. I want to complete her life purpose, as it was taken away from her. Being a first generation Central American student is something I am so proud of, and it is because of her.

I didn't know I was Central American. I thought I was Mexican. Growing up and being called Mexican by the kids on the playground, I assumed they were right. I remember driving two hours down to San Francisco to my Abuela's house, a cozy two story on the south city hills. I told her that I was Mexican and she bursted into laughter, that laughter that filled the room with robust joy and passion for what was about to come out of her mouth next. She explained that I was both Guatemalan and El Salvadoran. Now there was nothing wrong with being Mexican, it was just that I did not know who I truly was. Being Mexican is something to be proud of, and Im proud to be confused as Mexican. I was also just so thrilled to unlock a secret I did not know about myself. We spent the night talking about her immigration to the states, why she left, what she misses, and how difficult it was for her to make a life here. She told me about how her mother taught her to make pupusas, and how her grandma taught her to make tamales and quesadilla. I was in awe of the culture I encompassed that I didn't know I had. I learned about how if I went to college, I would be a first generation college student. I was so excited to share with her the colleges I was applying to, and where I would hope I would go. We planned a trip to El Salvador for after I graduated. In October of my Junior year in high school, a routine surgery went wrong, and she was taken. I was distraught, and fell into a deep sadness that consumed me for months. It felt like a switch of a hat that I decided to change my perspective around. I have come to college for her now. To become educated, an opportunity she never had. I want to make her proud. Every late night, paper, assignment, is worth it because I know she's still with me. I want to become a teacher so I can be an educator and inspiration for young scholars. I want to complete her life purpose, as it was taken away from her. Being a first generation Central American student is something I am so proud of, and it is because of her.