As a first- generation student athlete, i have been able to face many adversities, and most importantly conquer adversities. I have never looked at myself and had negative thoughts for being a minority or being first-generation. On the other hand i feel empowered, i feel like i have a duty to motivate my peers around me. Whether that is through friendship,sports or through christ. Growing up as a first-generation student, i was raised to respect people the way i wanted to be treated and to go after my dreams. I am so lucky to be able to say that my parents always supported me through whichever venture i wanted to pursue. Last year i started one of my childhood dreams, which was to play collegiate soccer. Being the first person in my family to go to college was a big culture shock, i did not know what to expect, and because of that i struggled at first. Luckily i had many mentors to follow and look up to. This summer i also became a member of the US Army in the reserve component, because i wanted to serve my community while going to school. Because of all the challenges i faced i feel as if i have became resilient and have a clearer vision in my goals. I plan on persuing my bachelors degree in business with a concentration in computer science. All in all, i feel blessed and a huge sense of pride to look back at my roots and to make my family proud as a first generation student in college. This scholarship will relieve me a lot of worries and doubts as my out of pocket cost would be roughly 15,000 and I would love to graduate with the least amount of student loans possible. I appreciate you, and thank you for taking the time to read my essay.