All he wanted was to become a private investigator. He practiced the fundamentals of investigating. He did puzzles left and right, from a young age. He watched true crime shows with his mom at night. The one thing stopping him from being a private investigator was the financial aspect. His mom built her life from the ground up. Crossing the border to get her education in the United States. She wasn't even able to get a high school diploma, because she had to work to provide for her family. My parents raised 4 kids. So money was tight. I remember times we had to literally steal newspapers to get the coupons to get discounted food from dollar general. I remember being so excited to get food stamps just to eat. My mom has always told me "Mijo I want you to get a good career so you don't have to live, the way I have lived because this isn't life". She was constantly pushing me to be the best I could be. As a first-generation student, I have to set the standard for the rest of the "Vargas" family. So getting this scholarship means the world to me so that I can break the cycle and continue my education. My dream is to be a private investigator and nothing is going to get in the way of that. Not even money. I will break the cycle for my family and my future kids. I will become a private investigator and make my mom's wish come true. I not doing this just for me, but for my future lifeline. And obtaining this scholarship will help me do that and achieve my long-lived dream. Growing up poor has motivated me. It gave me purpose. It allowed me to challenge obstacles. I want to challenge the obstacle of becoming financially free. Without having to search for coupons just to provide. I want to go on spontaneous vacations. I want to grow up in a beautiful 2-story house on a white picketed fence. With the huge ocean a few minutes walking distance. If being poor has taught me anything it's that, we can make it through hard work and dedication. It will not affect my future goals of being a private investigator. I won't let it. I will continue to put hard work and dedication into everything I do. Even if it's the little stuff. Because I'm so motivated to achieve my dream.

All he wanted was to become a private investigator. He practiced the fundamentals of investigating. He did puzzles left and right, from a young age. He watched true crime shows with his mom at night. The one thing stopping him from being a private investigator was the financial aspect. His mom built her life from the ground up. Crossing the border to get her education in the United States. She wasn't even able to get a high school diploma, because she had to work to provide for her family. My parents raised 4 kids. So money was tight. I remember times we had to literally steal newspapers to get the coupons to get discounted food from dollar general. I remember being so excited to get food stamps just to eat. My mom has always told me "Mijo I want you to get a good career so you don't have to live, the way I have lived because this isn't life". She was constantly pushing me to be the best I could be. As a first-generation student, I have to set the standard for the rest of the "Vargas" family. So getting this scholarship means the world to me so that I can break the cycle and continue my education. My dream is to be a private investigator and nothing is going to get in the way of that. Not even money. I will break the cycle for my family and my future kids. I will become a private investigator and make my mom's wish come true. I not doing this just for me, but for my future lifeline. And obtaining this scholarship will help me do that and achieve my long-lived dream. Growing up poor has motivated me. It gave me purpose. It allowed me to challenge obstacles. I want to challenge the obstacle of becoming financially free. Without having to search for coupons just to provide. I want to go on spontaneous vacations. I want to grow up in a beautiful 2-story house on a white picketed fence. With the huge ocean a few minutes walking distance. If being poor has taught me anything it's that, we can make it through hard work and dedication. It will not affect my future goals of being a private investigator. I won't let it. I will continue to put hard work and dedication into everything I do. Even if it's the little stuff. Because I'm so motivated to achieve my dream.

It’s the way I glowed whenever I put that final puzzle piece. Or when I solved a murder case that I got from Target. I know, I’m destined to a Private Investigator. Watching crime documentaries with my mom, was the highlight of my day. The way we tried solving the cases differently from the show. Every time I play my tennis match, I imagine each point as puzzle piece. Winning a set…completing a puzzle. My search history was filled with: “How to be a Private Investigator?”, “What is a Private Investigator’s License?”, “What degree do you need to become a Private Investigator?”. Since I was little kid I always wanted to Crime Scene Investigator. However, I was heartbroken when I found out that they work for the police department. The Justice System is broken. I’m sorry to say it, but it’s true. Discrimination. Corruption. Wrongful convictions. Biased police officials. It’s not the kind of system that I want to work for. So being a Private Investigator was next best up. Now it’s the only thing I want to do. I had dreams where I was solving murder cases or finding missing individuals. I don’t want it just to be a dream, I want to do it. The power of manifestation is real. Even if it won’t come naturally, we have the power to achieve it. Every time I got asked, “What’s your dream job?” I have always put “Private Investigator”. It’s crazy how something once a dream, can be reality. With enough hard work and dedication, anything is possible. My mom always said “Un día”. Which means “One day”. Those 2 words is what kept me to believe anything is possible. “One day” I will be a Private Investigator. “One day” I will break the cycle. “One day” it will all be worth it. Until then, we work hard till our last dying breath. We will die trying. Strangely, learning about algebra makes me so excited. Maybe it's the way that it acts like a puzzle, such as how to find "x" equals finding the last missing puzzle piece. Learning all the steps to find "X", was the best part of algebra. Especially whenever there is multiple ways to find the answer. The options are endless. I would like to compare algebra to searching a missing person. "X" is the person I need to find. To get "X" I need to find: the last known location, last person to communicate with, and etc. There is so many ways to find an individual, such as finding "X" in the equation. But once you get "X", or the missing person, there is a satisfaction feeling. A feeling that you did something productive. Algebra. puzzles...finding missing people; all go hand-in-hand. They are all searching for something. Whether it's physical or not, there is something to investigate. Nevertheless, Algebra is a concept that I am genuinely excited about learning. It's something that will help me in my future job: being a Private Investigator. It's something that I can latch to, to get that satisfaction feeling. Algebra is more than a concept, it could be a way to live life. Always finding your goals and aspirations.

All he wanted was to become a private investigator. He practiced the fundamentals of investigating. He did puzzles left and right, from a young age. He watched true crime shows with his mom at night. The one thing stopping him from being a private investigator was the financial aspect. His mom built her life from the ground up. Crossing the border to get her education in the United States. She wasn't even able to get a high school diploma, because she had to work to provide for her family. My parents raised 4 kids. So money was tight. I remember times we had to literally steal newspapers to get the coupons to get discounted food from dollar general. I remember being so excited to get food stamps just to eat. My mom has always told me "Mijo I want you to get a good career so you don't have to live, the way I have lived because this isn't life". She was constantly pushing me to be the best I could be. As a first-generation student, I have to set the standard for the rest of the "Vargas" family. So getting this scholarship means the world to me so that I can break the cycle and continue my education. My dream is to be a private investigator and nothing is going to get in the way of that. Not even money. I will break the cycle for my family and my future kids. I will become a private investigator and make my mom's wish come true. I not doing this just for me, but for my future lifeline. And obtaining this scholarship will help me do that and achieve my long-lived dream. Growing up poor has motivated me. It gave me purpose. It allowed me to challenge obstacles. I want to challenge the obstacle of becoming financially free. Without having to search for coupons just to provide. I want to go on spontaneous vacations. I want to grow up in a beautiful 2-story house on a white picketed fence. With the huge ocean a few minutes walking distance. If being poor has taught me anything it's that, we can make it through hard work and dedication. It will not affect my future goals of being a private investigator. I won't let it. I will continue to put hard work and dedication into everything I do. Even if it's the little stuff. Because I'm so motivated to achieve my dream.

All I wanted was to become a private investigator. I practiced the fundamentals of investigating. I did puzzles left and right, from a young age. I watched true crime shows with my mom day and night. I even took law electives. The one thing stopping me from being a private investigator was the financial aspect. My mom built her life from the ground up. Crossing the border to get her education in the United States. She wasn't even able to finish high school because she had to work to provide for her family. My parents raised 4 kids. So money was tight. I remember times we had to literally steal newspapers to get the coupons to get discounted food from dollar general. I remember being so excited to get food stamps just to eat. I remember collecting coke cans to the recycling center in exchange for a few dollars. Being so scared to ask my parents for field trip money, because I didn’t know if we had extra money to spare. My mom has always told me "Mijo I want you to get a good career so you don't have to live, the way I have lived because this isn't life". She was constantly pushing me to be the best I could be. As a first-generation student, I have to set the standard for the rest of the "Vargas" family. So getting this scholarship means the world to me so that I can break the cycle and continue my education. I will break the cycle for my family and my future kids. I will become a private investigator and make my mom's wish come true. I not doing this just for me, but for my future lifeline. Growing up poor has motivated me. It gave me purpose. It allowed me to challenge obstacles. I want to challenge the obstacle of becoming financially free. Without having to search for coupons just to provide. I want to go on spontaneous vacations. I want to grow up in a beautiful 2-story house on a white picketed fence. With the huge ocean a few minutes walking distance. If being poor has taught me anything it's that, we can make it through hard work and dedication. It will not affect my future goals of being a private investigator. I won't let it. I will continue to put hard work and dedication into everything I do. Even if it's the little stuff. I want to live the “American Dream”.

All I wanted was to become a private investigator. I practiced the fundamentals of investigating. I did puzzles left and right, from a young age. I watched true crime shows with my mom day and night. I even took law electives. The one thing stopping me from being a private investigator was the financial aspect. My mom built her life from the ground up. Crossing the border to get her education in the United States. She wasn't even able to finish high school because she had to work to provide for her family. My parents raised 4 kids. So money was tight. I remember times we had to literally steal newspapers to get the coupons to get discounted food from dollar general. I remember being so excited to get food stamps just to eat. I remember collecting coke cans to the recycling center in exchange for a few dollars. Being so scared to ask my parents for field trip money, because I didn’t know if we had extra money to spare. My mom has always told me "Mijo I want you to get a good career so you don't have to live, the way I have lived because this isn't life". She was constantly pushing me to be the best I could be. As a first-generation student, I have to set the standard for the rest of the "Vargas" family. So getting this scholarship means the world to me so that I can break the cycle and continue my education. I will break the cycle for my family and my future kids. I will become a private investigator and make my mom's wish come true. I not doing this just for me, but for my future lifeline. Growing up poor has motivated me. It gave me purpose. It allowed me to challenge obstacles. I want to challenge the obstacle of becoming financially free. Without having to search for coupons just to provide. I want to go on spontaneous vacations. I want to grow up in a beautiful 2-story house on a white picketed fence. With the huge ocean a few minutes walking distance. If being poor has taught me anything it's that, we can make it through hard work and dedication. It will not affect my future goals of being a private investigator. I won't let it. I will continue to put hard work and dedication into everything I do. Even if it's the little stuff. I want to live the “American Dream”.

As he looks at his teammates' shirts, it read “Harlingen High School Tennis Team”. He knew once he stepped onto that court he was an unstoppable force to be reckoned with. His eyes glowed whenever that ball came at him. Planning the perfect shot…then hitting it will full force, numbing his hand for a while. He imagined all that pain and suffering flying through the other side of the court. Tennis is my passion. It’s my outlet. It’s my dream. I lay it all on the court. Countless nights dreaming of perfecting the perfect forehands. Countless hours thinking of tennis. Countless sweat, mixed with tears, were left on that court. My coach always said "Remember just have fun out there", I think at times I took that too literally. I sometimes lose my matches, but always left with a smile. I realize tennis is not just a sport, but it's also a cure for most problems. If you are sad...just rally with a friend. If you are mad...just serve the ball really hard until the pain goes away. If you are stressed...just flush your thoughts through the ball whenever you hit it to the other side. Tennis reveals a lot through the way a person hits the ball. I hold in a lot of emotions and that's probably why my forehands are so powerful as I hit the ball. But whenever I serve, I hit the ball slowly. It's probably because I'm nervous to take the first step into my next chapter in life. Knowing these attributes, I learned that probably I need a therapist. I need to talk through my emotions and explain why I'm nervous about taking the next steps of adulthood. One of the main reasons I love tennis is that I can "talk" without actually talking. My coach instantly knows whenever I have too much on my mind through how I play tennis. After tennis practice, he would say something like "I'm always here if need me. And my doors are always open". Through tennis, I learned how talking through your emotions does not make you weak. Whether I feel mad or sad I know I always have tennis on my back. Tennis is a mental game. So if you feel good...you play well. So if I want to be the best, I need to be mentally stronger. I can't thank tennis enough for all that it does for me. If tennis was a person, I would constantly be hugging him and smiling with the widest smile of my life

My dream is to be a private investigator and nothing is going to get in the way of that, not even money, so it's not going to be a dream because I will become a private investigator.

All he wanted was to become a private investigator. He practiced the fundamentals of investigating. He did puzzles left and right, from a young age. He watched true crime shows with his mom at night. The one thing stopping him from being a private investigator was the financial aspect. His mom built her life from the ground up. Crossing the border to get her education in the United States. She wasn't even able to finish high school because she had to work to provide for her family. My parents raised 4 kids. So money was tight. I remember times we had to literally steal newspapers to get the coupons to get discounted food from dollar general. I remember being so excited to get food stamps just to eat. My mom has always told me "Mijo I want you to get a good career so you don't have to live, the way I have lived because this isn't life". She was constantly pushing me to be the best I could be. As a first-generation student, I have to set the standard for the rest of the "Vargas" family. So getting this scholarship means the world to me so that I can break the cycle and continue my education. My dream is to be a private investigator and nothing is going to get in the way of that. Not even money. I will break the cycle for my family and my future kids. I will become a private investigator and make my mom's wish come true. I not doing this just for me, but for my future lifeline. And obtaining this scholarship will help me do that and achieve my long-lived dream. Growing up poor has motivated me. It gave me purpose. It allowed me to challenge obstacles. I want to challenge the obstacle of becoming financially free. Without having to search for coupons just to provide. I want to go on spontaneous vacations. I want to grow up in a beautiful 2-story house on a white picketed fence. With the huge ocean a few minutes walking distance. If being poor has taught me anything it's that, we can make it through hard work and dedication. It will not affect my future goals of being a private investigator. I won't let it. I will continue to put hard work and dedication into everything I do. Even if it's the little stuff. Because I'm so motivated to achieve my dream.

As he looks at his teammates' shirts, it read “Harlingen High School Tennis Team”. He knew once he stepped onto that court he was an unstoppable force to be reckoned with. His eyes glowed whenever that ball came at him. Planning the perfect shot…then hitting it will full force, numbing his hand for a while. He imagined all that pain and suffering flying through the other side of the court. Tennis is my passion. It’s my outlet. It’s my dream. I lay it all on the court. Countless nights dreaming of perfecting the perfect forehands. Countless hours thinking of tennis. Countless sweat, mixed with tears, were left on that court. My coach always said "Remember just have fun out there", I think at times I took that too literally. I sometimes lose my matches, but always left with a smile. I realize tennis is not just a sport, but it's also a cure for most problems. If you are sad...just rally with a friend. If you are mad...just serve the ball really hard until the pain goes away. If you are stressed...just flush your thoughts through the ball whenever you hit it to the other side. Tennis reveals a lot through the way a person hits the ball. I hold in a lot of emotions and that's probably why my forehands are so powerful as I hit the ball. But whenever I serve, I hit the ball slowly. It's probably because I'm nervous to take the first step into my next chapter in life. Knowing these attributes, I learned that probably I need a therapist. I need to talk through my emotions and explain why I'm nervous about taking the next steps of adulthood. One of the main reasons I love tennis is that I can "talk" without actually talking. My coach instantly knows whenever I have too much on my mind through how I play tennis. After tennis practice, he would say something like "I'm always here if need me. And my doors are always open". Through tennis, I learned how talking through your emotions does not make you weak. Whether I feel mad or sad I know I always have tennis on my back. Tennis is a mental game. So if you feel good...you play well. So if I want to be the best, I need to be mentally stronger. I can't thank tennis enough for all that it does for me. If tennis was a person, I would constantly be hugging him and smiling with the widest smile of my life.

All he wanted was to become a private investigator. He practiced the fundamentals of investigating. He did puzzles left and right, from a young age. He watched true crime shows with his mom at night. The one thing stopping him from being a private investigator was the financial aspect. His mom built her life from the ground up. Crossing the border to get her education in the United States. She wasn't even able to finish high school because she had to work to provide for her family. My parents raised 4 kids. So money was tight. I remember times we had to literally steal newspapers to get the coupons to get discounted food from dollar general. I remember being so excited to get food stamps just to eat. My mom has always told me "Mijo I want you to get a good career so you don't have to live, the way I have lived because this isn't life". She was constantly pushing me to be the best I could be. As a first-generation student, I have to set the standard for the rest of the "Vargas" family. So getting this scholarship means the world to me so that I can break the cycle and continue my education. My dream is to be a private investigator and nothing is going to get in the way of that. Not even money. I will break the cycle for my family and my future kids. I will become a private investigator and make my mom's wish come true. I not doing this just for me, but for my future lifeline. And obtaining this scholarship will help me do that and achieve my long-lived dream. Growing up poor has motivated me. It gave me purpose. It allowed me to challenge obstacles. I want to challenge the obstacle of becoming financially free. Without having to search for coupons just to provide. I want to go on spontaneous vacations. I want to grow up in a beautiful 2-story house on a white picketed fence. With the huge ocean a few minutes walking distance. If being poor has taught me anything it's that, we can make it through hard work and dedication. It will not affect my future goals of being a private investigator. I won't let it. I will continue to put hard work and dedication into everything I do. Even if it's the little stuff. Because I'm so motivated to achieve my dream.

All he wanted was to become a private investigator. He practiced the fundamentals of investigating. He did puzzles left and right, from a young age. He watched true crime shows with his mom at night. The one thing stopping him from being a private investigator was the financial aspect. His mom built her life from the ground up. Crossing the border to get her education in the United States. She wasn't even able to finish high school because she had to work to provide for her family. My parents raised 4 kids. So money was tight. I remember times we had to literally steal newspapers to get the coupons to get discounted food from dollar general. I remember being so excited to get food stamps just to eat. My mom has always told me "Mijo I want you to get a good career so you don't have to live, the way I have lived because this isn't life". She was constantly pushing me to be the best I could be. As a first-generation student, I have to set the standard for the rest of the "Vargas" family. So getting this scholarship means the world to me so that I can break the cycle and continue my education. My dream is to be a private investigator and nothing is going to get in the way of that. Not even money. I will break the cycle for my family and my future kids. I will become a private investigator and make my mom's wish come true. I not doing this just for me, but for my future lifeline. And obtaining this scholarship will help me do that and achieve my long-lived dream. Growing up poor has motivated me. It gave me purpose. It allowed me to challenge obstacles. I want to challenge the obstacle of becoming financially free. Without having to search for coupons just to provide. I want to go on spontaneous vacations. I want to grow up in a beautiful 2-story house on a white picketed fence. With the huge ocean a few minutes walking distance. If being poor has taught me anything it's that, we can make it through hard work and dedication. It will not affect my future goals of being a private investigator. I won't let it. I will continue to put hard work and dedication into everything I do. Even if it's the little stuff. Because I'm so motivated to achieve my dream.

All he wanted was to become a private investigator. He practiced the fundamentals of investigating. He did puzzles left and right, from a young age. He watched true crime shows with his mom at night. The one thing stopping him from being a private investigator was the financial aspect. His mom built her life from the ground up. Crossing the border to get her education in the United States. She wasn’t even able to finish high school because she had to work to provide for her family. My parents raised 4 kids. So money was tight. I remember times we had to literally steal newspapers to get the coupons to get discounted food from dollar general. I remember being so excited to get food stamps just to eat. My mom has always told me “Mijo I want you to get a good career so you don’t have to live, the way I have lived because this isn’t life”. She was constantly pushing me to be the best I could be. As a first-generation student, I have to set the standard for the rest of the “Vargas” family. So getting this scholarship means the world to me so that I can break the cycle and continue my education. My dream is to be a private investigator and nothing is going to get in the way of that. Not even money. I will break the cycle for my family and my future kids. I will become a private investigator and make my mom’s wish come true. I not doing this just for me, but for my future lifeline. And obtaining this scholarship will help me do that and achieve my long-lived dream. Growing up poor has motivated me. It gave me purpose. It allowed me to challenge obstacles. I want to challenge the obstacle of becoming financially free. Without having to search for coupons just to provide. I want to go on spontaneous vacations. I want to grow up in a beautiful 2-story house on a white picketed fence. With the huge ocean a few minutes walking distance. If being poor has taught me anything it's that, we can make it through hard work and dedication. It will not affect my future goals of being a private investigator. I won't let it. I will continue to put hard work and dedication into everything I do. Even if it's the little stuff. Because I'm so motivated to achieve my dream.