I owned the original N64 along with the Gamecube and Wii. Growing up I had the best time playing games with my friends from the original smash bros to mario strikers for gamecube. I must say mario strikers was my absolute favorite due to its mechanics. I can't see the same for the strikers sequel but the first Mario strikers was an absolute gem. While there were areas in the game which could be exploited for easy shots, the game mechanics were very well made and allowed for serious tactical gameplay. Of course the most exciting part of the game was the sudden death mode in order to break a tie game. Things would get very intense and all my friends would scream and yell and laugh. Those are very good memories I have growing up. Without Nintendo I'm sure a lot of childhoods would have been a lot less interesting. Nothing beats hanging out with your friends after school and going to buy some chips and soda (particularly hot cheetos). These days I can't eat hot cheetos like I used to and I can't see myself eating such high calorie foods anymore but I can say I have no regrets!

My name is Harvey Garcia and I lost my mother in 2021 due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. I remember it all too vividly. During the shutdowns we tried to take every measure of precaution to avoid becoming sick. I remember I took time off work in an effort to reduce the chances of becoming sick. My father and mother took time off work as well to protect her health. It was a very scary time when all you would hear is family of friends and family of friends of friends falling sick and dying to that horrible disease. I was always close to my mother. I lived with my family for years after high school simply because I enjoyed spending time with them. My mother was like a best friend to me. We both had similar personalities and our sense of humor always clicked. I would often go out of my way to take her out and bring her flowers. I remember the last time I took her somewhere was to Redondo Beach around 2020-2021 when the bioluminescent algae bloom occurred. They said on TV it was something that happened every ten or so years and I wasn't going to miss the opportunity to take her. I remember that night we sat in the sand and watched the neon blue waves alongside other people. It was a very special night and the last time I would go somewhere with her given public places were risky at the time. I do regret one thing. She would spend too much time on Facebook and anti-vaccine content made her hesitant to get the vaccine. I would tell her many times to go get the vaccine that she was high risk being diabetic and all. She never listened to me. I still feel a little guilty sometimes I think I should have been more forceful maybe she'd still be around. I still haven't fully processed the grief it's something I've suppressed. Life carries on and in a way life is harder even for a full grown adult. Simply not being able to call her and talk to her. I don't think it gets in the way of my day to day responsibilities but some nights it can be difficult. Even at the age of thirty one I feel losing her this early meant a very long life without her. It's not easy losing a best friend who has been there since your earliest memories.

My name is Harvey Garcia. I am thirty-one years old and on my way to graduate college. I have had many experiences throughout the years. I have at times been forced to pause my education for reasons beyond my control. But if there is one thing I learned throughout the years is that it is important to focus on things that we can control and influence, and staying focused and determined long enough to outlast your circumstances. As cliché as it sounds I do believe what doesn't kill you make you stronger and the only time you ever really lose is when you give up. I grew up in Los Angeles as a first generation American born to immigrant parents. Neither of my parents managed to finish their education back home and instead opted to immigrate. In retrospect, The challenges faced by immigrants are enormous and the consequences of being ignorant of many things put their children at a disadvantage. For example, They never prepared me for college and it wasn't that they didn't understand the importance of college, they were simply ignorant of the process. In 2014, I left school to open a business with my dad in a gamble for financial stability. I was 21 at the time. Months into the venture, I found myself fighting a felony case for self-defense. My dad and I had started a business in Hollywood and petty crime was rampant in the area. One night when we were closing up shop, someone tried to break into the store. Long story short, both my dad and I were charged with assault with excessive use of force. Stand your ground laws are very weak in California. We did not have the funds necessary to hire a private lawyer to take the case to trial. For financial reasons, we settled for a plea bargain. I was convicted and sent to prison. And while it may be easy to feel like giving up after life gets flipped upside down overnight, I did the exact opposite. Many people I encountered harbored a negative perception of life. I was in a very negative and violent environment. I took to reading books day in day out. I didn't have many things in common with other inmates. For nearly three years, I hunkered down convinced that I would come out a better, more educated person and the only way the “system” would win is if I wasted those years in there. I took up vocations. I joined Coastline college in there which I am forever grateful for their correspondence program for inmates. I read books and exercised nearly every day. My typical day consisted of waking up, eating breakfast. Studying all morning and working out in the afternoon. I would then shower and study for the rest of the afternoon until dinner. After dinner I would watch Modern family and the Big Bang theory. Watch the news. Then finish my day off reading books (Both academic and fiction) I would check out from the library. It's been nearly ten years since that happened. And I feel I got more out of the system than the system got out of me. My decisions then jump started my journey back into college. There were things I could not control but I made the decision that I would be stronger than my circumstances. I just graduated with two Associates in Economics and Business Administration and I am on my way to a 4-year university. It's something I'm extremely proud of because the statistics were not able to keep me from succeeding.

My favorite Anime to date is Death Note. I would also like to give an honorable mention to the Dragon Ball series particularly Z through the Majin Buu saga. The reason Death Note resonates so much with me is the anime's willingness to question our ethical norms and dive deep into the dark side of human nature. The series for the most part follows Yagami Light who is a straight-A student with a bright future. Matter of fact, he is one of the brightest students in all of Japan. In the series there exists Shinigami, which is Japanese for death gods. It turns out a particular Shinigami named Ryuk was bored and decided to grant a human the power to function as a death god by giving them a death note. The death note was a tool of the Shinigami to write the fate of those whose names are written into the book into existence. He granted Light the power of a death god. Light was someone who had very strong opinions and views. In this perspective, he viewed humans as ultimately flawed and selfish creatures. Light hesitantly began experimenting with the death note by killing criminals. However, he quickly found himself killing anyone who opposed him from implementing his version of righteousness and justice. Where it gets interesting is when things begin to get out of control and power begins to corrupt Light. The anime makes the viewer question common ideals such as righteousness and justice. Ideals we rarely question but it forces the viewer to ask, at the end of the day, who gets to decide what is righteous and what is justice? It provokes critical thinking and questioning. What if our current understanding of these ideals are currently flawed or imperfect or simply arbitrary? Most animes these days tend to have a more positive, family friendly message or overall tone. I have yet to come across another anime that made me think so deeply about ideals we take for granted every day and that is why it remains my favorite anime.

My name is Harvey Garcia and I am a transfer student who plans on attending a 4 year university for Fall 2024. Mental illness is something that I have dealt with personally for many years and this is actually the first time I write about it. A few years ago I was diagnosed with GAD, which is General Anxiety Disorder. It is something that to this day I have not been able to find effective treatment for. I also suffer from IBS-like symptoms and it took me a long time to realize that my GAD causes me digestive issues. I experience symptoms after stressful events. I also suffer from insomnia and I am certain it is all related. I have trouble keeping a stable sleep cycle and it often affects my productivity. General Anxiety Disorder is the constant state of anxiety. Looking back the symptoms started at a very young age at about 4 years old. I began to bite my nails for no reason. Throughout the years, I noticed I would fidget when I felt anxious and bite my nails even harder. To date I have not been able to stop my nail biting despite much effort. It's gotten bad to the point where I am damaging my front teeth. At night I experience bruxism as a result of pent of stress. I am wearing out my molars and even though I wear a night guard I sometimes grind my teeth unconsciously. I have tried different treatments like meditation and taking Magnesium supplements. I'll admit that Magnesium does help somewhat and improves the quality of my sleep, but it only lessens the symptoms. Unfortunately, I have not found a good treatment for my anxiety. Even as I write this the past couple days I have had very little sleep. It almost feels normal because I'm so used to it but I know for a fact that it greatly affects the quality of my life. I can describe it as the feeling of never "fully feeling rested" and in a constant state of worry. I do try to take time off and focus on self care to somewhat manage the symptoms the best I can but in real life that is a luxury. I do hope that one day they come up with more effective treatment because I cannot remember the last time I felt fully rested and at peace. Hopefully by me expressing this more awareness is brought to GAD.

My name is Harvey Garcia. I grew up in Los Angeles, born to immigrant parents. I recently graduated from community college with an Associate's degree in Business Administration. I plan on attending Fall 2024 semester at a 4 year university. I credit my success to the hard work and sacrifice my parents made by immigrating to this country. Both my parents risked their lives traveling through foreign countries just for the promise of a better life. My father chose to take on the role of provider in a single-income household while my mother chose to dedicate to raising me and my younger sister. I wish I could say it was smooth sailing from the moment they became established here in the states but that is not the case. Growing up we experienced financial difficulties. My father was limited to low skilled labor and could only provide the minimum for his family. In retrospect, I realize that immigrant and first-generation households suffer from a lack of access to education and financial know how. If I could go back twenty years, I would love to teach my family of the benefits of investing in real estate and saving for their retirement through 401ks and IRAs. Teach my mom of the negative effects of storing your savings in cash under the mattress losing purchasing power to inflation. Of course, I realize my experience is not unique and unfortunately very common. The one thing I can say is that my experience growing up has made me who I am today through trial and error. And although I could easily tell myself "I should have graduated years ago" the reality is, it's not been easy to get here. I have a 3.4 GPA which I am very proud of. I understand the value of hard work and what it takes to succeed because I have proven it to myself that discipline will get you there despite your circumstances. I am excited to be transferring to a 4 year university knowing that I will be the one to end the cycle and that my children and grandchildren will have a much better beginning than mine.

My name is Harvey Garcia. I am a first-generation student born to immigrant parents. I am transferring to a 4-year institution. I am very excited of being able to experience this. I can say this, my perspective now of higher education at the age of thirty-one compared to my early twenties is vastly different. I've experienced several setbacks throughout the years and have firsthand experience the opportunities higher education brings. The reason I am pursuing a degree in business administration is because of the importance of financial literacy and entrepreneurship. In 2014 I attempted to start my own business and while it did not succeed it was a huge learning experience. They say that the average entrepreneur fails at least three times before establishing a successful venture. I am currently attempting to start a new business providing janitorial services for government agencies. I have so far bought the supplies and I am currently looking for my first contract. I am hoping that by the time I start school the business will be somewhat established and will help me pay for my education. I have seen the consequences of poor financial literacy. in hindsight, I wish I could have been there 20 years ago to tell my parents to buy a house, to use high-interesting yielding savings accounts and to invest in an IRA. My mother is unfortunately no longer with me due to Covid-19 but my father is nearing retirement age with very little savings. And I've come to the conclusion that this experience cannot be unique to me. Many immigrants and first-generation Americans lack the financial know how to build long term wealth. Realizing this woke me up to the fact that this is a major issue plaguing disadvantaged communities particularly communities of color. The way I plan to give back to society is to start a non-profit organization after establishing successful businesses that focuses on teaching financial literacy to disadvantaged communities. That is the common denominator keeping entire communities down. That is the difference from being given food and being taught how to fish for lack of better terminology. When people begin to invest in themselves and their future, they will have the capacity to break generational poverty. It is an issue I feel strongly about. I do not feel bad about having been born in a disadvantaged environment, it actually motivates me to lead by example and be the first in my family to graduate.

My name is Harvey Garcia. I am a first-generation student who is finally transferring to a 4-year institution. I am very excited of being able to experience this. I can say this, my perspective now of higher education at the age of thirty-one compared to my early twenties is vastly different. I've experienced several setbacks throughout the years and have firsthand experience what higher education provides. I grew up in Los Angeles born to immigrant parents. Neither of my parents managed to finish their education back home and instead opted to immigrate. In retrospect, the challenges faced by immigrants are enormous and the consequences of being ignorant of many things put their children at a disadvantage. For example, They never prepared me for college and it wasn't that they didn't understand the importance of college, they were simply ignorant of the process. The K-12 public school system was not much help to me either. My parents never had any financial education to pass on to me. Everything I've learned up to this point in personal finance has been through self study. My parents never bothered buying a house or making investments. Neither did they hold their money in a savings account to at least fight off inflation. My mother always kept her savings in between her mattress. I look back now and think how different life could have been had they properly prepared for their retirement. While my mother is no longer here due to Covid-19, my father is nearing full retirement age at 67 with very little savings. It hit me that that this can't be a unique situation to my family and that this must be affecting many immigrant and first-generation Americans and it is an issue I feel strongly about and feel inspired to help others in the same situation. My plan is to graduate college and have a successful career in the finance industry. The way I plan to give back to society is to start an organization that focuses on teaching financial literacy to disadvantaged communities. That is the common denominator keeping entire communities down. That is the difference from being given food and being taught how to fish for lack of better terminology. When people begin to invest in themselves and their future, they will have the capacity to break generational poverty. It is an issue I feel strongly about. I do not feel bad about having been born in a disadvantaged environment, it actually motivates me to lead by example and be the first in my family to graduate.

My name is Harvey Garcia. I am a first-generation student who is finally transferring to a 4-year institution. I am very excited of being able to experience this. I can say this, my perspective now of higher education at the age of thirty-one compared to my early twenties is vastly different. I've experienced several setbacks throughout the years and have firsthand experience what higher education provides. I am more determined than ever to achieve my goals. Education is important to me not simply as means to a better life or income, but also because of the intrinsic value it holds. I'm sure most people have heard the phrase "knowledge is power" before, but what does that truly mean? As a kid such concepts seemed abstract. But growing up I have seen first hand the value that an education brings to one's life. Education means a higher level of consciousness. Personally, I love to read and many of my friend's often ask me how I know certain things trying to figure out how it's possible. I always tell them reading. Through reading you obtain knowledge and that knowledge can be used as a means to any end you set for yourself. By acquiring knowledge, you can apply it and provide value to society. An education does provide you with a path to a better life. I've seen it first hand people that have stuck with school I see them well off compared to those that did not continue school. Of course there are exceptions but in general that is the case. But education brings more than just financial well-being. I personally like to travel whenever possible, and I've been to places I've previously read about. Having prior knowledge of places allows me to truly appreciate the history in culture, architecture, art, language, music. I cannot imagine having the same appreciation for these things had I come across them without prior knowledge. Education allows me to appreciate the world more and to appreciate life. Education to me is a life-long endeavor and I don't see how education ever stops. There is always new knowledge to be obtained and I will always keep a receptive mind to new knowledge. One of my main goals after college will be to dedicate myself to spreading financial literacy to end generational poverty in disadvantaged communities. By making smarter financial decisions, people can set up their children and grandchildren for success. That will be my contribution to society.

My name is Harvey Garcia. I am thirty-one years old and on my way to graduate college. I have had many experiences throughout the years. I have at times been forced to pause my education for reasons beyond my control. But if there is one thing I learned throughout the years is that it is important to focus on things that we can control and influence, and staying focused and determined long enough to outlast your circumstances. As cliché as it sounds I do believe what doesn't kill you make you stronger and the only time you ever really lose is when you give up. I grew up in Los Angeles as a first generation American born to immigrant parents. Neither of my parents managed to finish their education back home and instead opted to immigrate. In retrospect, The challenges faced by immigrants are enormous and the consequences of being ignorant of many things put their children at a disadvantage. For example, they never prepared me for college and it wasn't that they didn't understand the importance of college, they were simply ignorant of the process. In 2014, I left school to open a business with my dad in a gamble for financial stability. I was 21 at the time. Months into the venture, I found myself fighting a felony case for self-defense. My dad and I had started a business in Hollywood and petty crime was rampant in the area. One night when we were closing up shop, someone tried to break into the store. Long story short, both my dad and I were charged with assault with excessive use of force. Stand your ground laws are very weak in California. We did not have the funds necessary to hire a private lawyer to take the case to trial. For financial reasons, we settled for a plea bargain. I was convicted and sent to prison. And while it may be easy to feel like giving up after life gets flipped upside down overnight, I did the exact opposite. Many people I encountered harbored a negative perception of life. I was in a very negative and violent environment. I took to reading books day in day out. I didn't have many things in common with other inmates. For nearly three years, I hunkered down convinced that I would come out a better, more educated person and the only way the “system” would win is if I wasted those years in there. I took up vocations. I joined Coastline college in there which I am forever grateful for their correspondence program for inmates. I read books and exercised nearly every day. My typical day consisted of waking up, eating breakfast. Studying all morning and working out in the afternoon. I would then shower and study for the rest of the afternoon until dinner. After dinner I would watch Modern family and the Big Bang theory. Watch the news. Then finish my day off reading books (Both academic and fiction) I would check out from the library. It's been nearly ten years since that happened. And I feel I got more out of the system than the system got out of me. My decisions then jump started my journey back into college. There were things I could not control but I made the decision that I would be stronger than my circumstances. I just graduated with two Associates in Economics and Business Administration and I am on my way to a 4-year university. It's something I'm extremely proud of because the statistics were not able to keep me from succeeding.

My personal journey has not been easy. And I say that in retrospect as a thirty-one year old. I reflect on the set backs I've had and the fact I am thirty one having just received two associate degrees in business and economics should say something. Sometimes I tell myself I should have completed college at twenty two. But I realize that I did not have a great socioeconomic background and lack of guidance. The good thing is that through personal experience I have come to value education more than ever and I see education as a life long endeavor and not something to get over with for better income. My role models have been few. My family did not understand the value of education in an advanced economy like the US. They only asked of me that I graduate high school. Being the oldest, I did not have older siblings as an example so everything has been trial and error. As I got older, I did meet great people along the way through work and life in general that have helped reshape my paradigm and instilled the values I lacked as a result of growing up in a low income family in disadvantaged neighborhoods. I reflect back now and realize that through hard work and determination and DISCIPLINE anything is possible. The obstacles I have faced have mainly been financial. I always got good grades but I struggled with math throughout high school and after. At times I had to leave college to risk launching a business or make ends meet. My parents lacked the financial means to support my education. For a long time I was simply unaware of how easy it is to apply for scholarships because nobody ever explained it to me. Fortunately, my grades have always been above average with a GPA of about 3.4 right now (taking into consideration I just completed Calculus 3, I am proud of that figure). There comes a point when you realize that regardless of your circumstances, you can only depend on yourself and I have learned discipline and self love that I now feel I have the determination to achieve my academic and life goals. Jose Prado inspires me because as a first generation Hispanic/Latinx I know first hand the sacrifice we all go through to make it in this country for a better future. From the sacrifices of our parents traversing thousands of miles of dangerous unknown territory just to reach the US to give us an opportunity to give their children and grand children a better life. The struggles of first generation students do not compare but we have a moral duty to appreciate everything we have and use our education to make this world a better place. Through experience my personal educational and career passion is to teach financial literacy to disadvantaged communities. So that would be the purpose and I would look for people that have used their education to improve those qualities in others. Education, particularly financial literacy has the power to end generational poverty and it is something not nearly talked about or even taught in the k-12 public school system. By understanding wealth-building, disadvantaged people can change the economic outlook of their children and grandchildren and set them up for success.