I'd say the book that has had the most impact on me was 'The Minority Report' by Philip K. Dick. I would even say it's the most inspiring book I've read because of how much of an impact it's made throughout our modern society. There was a movie made about the book and I've noticed that Captain America: The Winter Soldier's main plot derived from it. The book's main plot point revolves about the idea of determined thoughts versus free will, as well as how much freedom one's willing to give up in exchange for their safety. In the book, there's a new approach that essentially stops all crime from ever happening by using three triplets that can see into the future, which allows them to see people's future actions. There's a constant struggle to the question about the unknown sacrifices we've made , as well as exchanged, in order to be kept safe. There's an illusion that their society is completely safe although they have to give up their privacy to be kept in that bubble of safety. These subject matters have been recurring themes in American literature as they've taken inspiration from past and present society in the U.S.A. I saw this book as inspiring, because it had opened up my perspective about our current state security and noticed the paranoia that stems within our laws. It's interesting to see that many people have had the same concerns throughout history. It's a thought provoking book that has made me think about not only state paranoia and what they've done to get a handle on situations, but also the idea of something being predetermined or not- if one's background and history affects their actions and to what extent.

As a first generation student, it was difficult in prioritizing anything personal outside of my academics. It was definitely a challenge when my mental health began declining and I didn't really seek any help because I was a little embarrassed and also thought I could just power through it, as I didn't want any of my family members to see me struggling with something that wasn't strictly school related. Not only did I start doing worse in my classes, but I was also struggling even more with mental health issues that later affected my overall health. My family had made so many sacrifices for me to go to university and have given me resources that they never had and I felt guilty that I was I beginning to fall behind in my academics and isolating myself. I did not initially seek any help, because I thought it would negatively affect my grades, which ended up being true but because it went untreated. I was too shy to mention anything relating about my personal problems that it affected my personal life and academics. After I saw how much my untreated mental health issues had affected me, I decided to get some help. I realized how isolating myself was not only negatively affecting my mental health, but also shutting out relationships, whether it was friends or family members, I was keeping them in the dark and it strained some relationships. I've been working on my communication skills so that I could talk my issues out at the very least and that has fortified some relationships. It's gotten me closer to friends that I was already close to, but by speaking out on issues that I've had about my mental health has sparked conversations with my friends about their mental issues. I have a younger brother and wanted to be a role model and show that we should be able to speak about issues that are damaging to us. I wouldn't like my little brother or best friends to keep any negative thoughts to themselves, especially if I know talking things out would alleviate some pressure. My experience with mental health has completely changed my perspective of the world. I've learned to see my issues for what they are and to not downplay them. It was difficult to get past the guilt from needing extra help, as being a first generation student is already hard enough. Although, my communication skills have definitely improved for the better and I've been able to use them effectively not only in regards to speaking out about my current mental health issues, but for my academics as well. It was a long journey, but since being more vocal about my needs, it's been easier to deal with, rather than keeping everything to myself and suffering in silence.

I am a first generation student that has been continuously trying to make my family proud. I immigrated from Mexico when I was about six years old and ever since then, I had felt like I was falling behind every other student. I've always loved learning new things even when it was difficult due to the language barrier, but I persisted and made sure to excel in my academics. I'm trying to further my education as much as possible in hopes on doing my masters in Germany. I'd say that's my ultimate academic goal as of right now. I want to move to Germany in the future to have a career in Marketing or International Relations. I've always tried to help my community as best as I could by volunteering. I volunteered all throughout middle school to after I graduated high school. I love getting to know more about my community through local festivals and beach clean ups. I was able to learn about the history of my city and network with the older members of my community. I want to give back as much as possible by sharing the resources that I've gained in college with them. I would give the money to my mom, since she's the one that took out a loan for me. I told her my plan on taking a loan out since I had to pay my tuition immediately and the financial aid didn't cover it and the next day she took one out so it wouldn't affect my credit score. I would love to save a portion of it to be able to buy my supplies and textbooks for the next semester. I'd be a lot less stressed knowing that my mom and I won't be affected by the oncoming dread of paying my loan off.

In our time of social media influence, I think many younger people always dream about what they would do if they had suddenly become famous. If over night I had become a highly influential figure, I’d make a stand for more accessible transportation around lower income parts of cities. There are many cities with buses and trains, but they always seem to stop right before the ‘bad parts of town’ or come with less frequency. It’s not coincidence since many tax payers don’t want to include those from a lower socioeconomic within their resources, which is ironic since those are the people who need the transportation the most. I remember when my mom couldn’t pick me up right away, there was always an option of taking the bus, but the bus route to my house was almost nonexistent. I had to take three different buses and then walk for about five blocks before I was able to reach my house. It also adds to the dangers that women face in cities, because since the ride back to my house was so complex and time consuming, I had to spend almost three hours out on the streets. It makes my possibility of getting assaulted or stalked higher and overall makes traveling back to my house a lot more dangerous. I would definitely advocate for a better transportation system that included the lower income neighborhoods as well. Just because people don’t have as much money as others doesn’t mean they should be ignored from the community.

The thing I love most about myself is my laugh, but my real and unconfined laugh. It’s a loud, piercing noise but it comes from real joy. I like how distinct it is and at first I was self conscious, because people around me would always stop and stare like they couldn’t believe that a person was laughing. There have been a few comparisons as to what my laugh sounds like. The two the I get the most is a hyena and the joker. Two things that most people don’t want to be compared to. There have been so many micro internet trends that expose everyone’s little mannerisms and quirks, which they then compare and contrast to others’. It makes people self conscious about something that they probably would not have thought about in the first place. There was a trend where creators would show how they looked like talking from the side, which led many to record themselves and see how they looked like. We’re all different and there’s bound to be many differences, but with the internet and social media many insecurities have risen. I only become self conscious of my laugh after people pointed out what they think it sounds like, whether it was made with a malicious intent or not, it made me think about why I laugh the way I do. Over the years, my laugh has become a defining factor of my personality, because it shows how much I love a certain joke and reflects that immediate joy or amusement.

To me, being truly independent is similar to being able to buy cake from the grocery store without a reason to celebrate. Not special occasion, but buying and eating store bought chocolate cake ? That almost feels illegal, but freeing. Being independent is a luxury that not many, especially women of color, have. Having an intricate personality is only part of it and I believe that the main ingredient is luck. Some women are forced to stay with their families and to worry about others, anyone but themselves. I was lucky enough to be raised in a more progressive Mexican household, where my grandmother and mother always looked for the best opportunities for them and they were able to teach me to not let anyone hold me back. My family has always had my best interest and had done their best to teach me how to make decisions that would better my life, but only for the present, but the future as well. I take their wisdom now know that being independent is to be able to make your own decisions without having to compromise your belief system or integrity. It can be seen as selfish at times, but that’s part of the luxury. I know that I’m thinking about what’s best for me and not how others would be impacted. Being independent has allowed me to move away from home to have the best public education, be able to network, and make mistakes of my own. It has shaped me by knowing my own worth and never backing down from a challenge that I know would benefit me in the long run.

My dream is the opposite of my previous ancestors and to move away from the Unites States. I dream of going to Berlin, Germany for graduate school and to stay there. I see myself working in a tech company and be apart of their marketing department. I know I see myself living in Germany and have been learning the language for almost two years now. I feel trapped in my current city, trapped and as if I’m being held back. I hope to move to Germany to further my education and expand my network in less than four years. I don’t doubt myself or that dream. There are many opportunities in Germany for marketing and business programs or jobs that I would heavily benefit from living there. I’ve moved countries before, which helped me further my education although I don’t think I can stop there. I have to push barriers that I’d normally be uncomfortable with and try to make my dreams a reality.

My favorite piece of art is the Cant Help Myself robot by Sun Yuan and Peng Yu. It’s the robot that can’t seem to fully clean up its own blood, or at first glance it looks like blood, but in reality it’s just a thick, red liquid. It’s my favorite art installation, because of how much emotion the robot seems to have. Its main purpose is to keep the liquid as close to it as possible and to not let it stray too far from it. When it does get away from it, the robot panics and aggressively tries to fix its mistake. When seeing the robot try to desperately fix its mistake, you can’t help but to feel sympathy for the robot. Sympathy because we’ve all felt the desperation of trying to hold everything together before it breaks or trying to keep calm but then ultimately losing your mind in the process. It seems so dystopian to heavily relate to a robot trying to clean up its own ‘blood’ and failing. Being a student sometimes feels like being that robot. Trying to keep up with a new environment and sometimes feeling as if everyone else is surpassing you, academic wise. So many new subjects and projects that one can’t fully keep up with and when you realize that you’re losing control, you feel like that robot violently trying to get his own blood back together. Its only job and mission, but it fails constantly.