A big part of my commitment to higher education and public service comes from a desire to keep my father’s legacy. He worked for the City of Pico Rivera and was most proud of his contribution to the remodeling of the library and parks in our city since he was an advocate of making education more accessible. When he passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack in 2018, my family lost the hardworking man we knew. Now all I have are the memories we created together and the quote he shared with my sister and me: “If you have the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed.”  Although I did not recognize it then, this inspired my professional interest in civic service and community.  My path was shaped with his words in mind and after cold messaging and having coffee chats with several local leaders in the community, I came across the opportunity for an internship with Assemblywoman Blanca E. Rubio’s office. One of the experiences that stuck with me the most was touring Athens Services that made me realize how waste management is an overlooked field that is so vital in the protection of public health and the environment. This moment marked the moment where I set the goal of pursuing a career in Government Affairs in the waste industry, where I can see myself as a liaison between constituents and policymakers on issues that directly affect the community. I have already taken steps to reach this goal by studying for a Master's Degree in Public Administration at the University of Southern California and working full-time. I am no stranger to balancing multiple commitments at once, but I cannot understate the reality that balancing full-time work and full-time graduate school has tested my resilience. I see this as a unique skill that is learned through experience that will be useful in my future environmental and waste policy work after graduation. My immediate plan includes completing my MPA, building professional relationships, and getting out of my comfort zone when opportunities come up.  Despite my passion, resources do present a challenge. Tuition, textbooks, and mounting student loans are my largest ongoing expenses. My job requires a flexible schedule, which limits my ability to take on additional income through other roles. The opportunity to receive this scholarship would ease the financial burden that would otherwise prevent me from participating in opportunities like conferences, networking events, or certificate programs that my professors regularly share.  I am mindful of the long-term financial burden that opting to pursue a higher education has, but I am confident that it is an investment that is worth making for the future impact I want to make on our future communities. If selected, I would manage the scholarship award with my income by setting the majority toward reducing my student loans. Any reduction in this would have a meaningful impact on my future. If there were a month where I had assistance with my educational expenses, I would have more freedom to register for a professional development conference in my area to connect with industry professionals and potentially take a leap towards my career goals. I have learned that paths are not always linear, but my experience has shown me that reaching the end-goal, despite the twists and turns, is always possible.

From a young age, I have found immense fulfillment and value in serving the people in my community. I vividly remember waking up early on Saturday mornings in high school to volunteer at mulch distribution events, organizing and pricing books at my local Friends of the Library bookstore, and holding leadership positions in my school’s Teen Court. Although I did not recognize it then, these experiences laid the groundwork for my professional interest in civic service and community. In my undergraduate studies, majoring in Communications allowed me to combine my passions for civic engagement and media. I partnered with the grassroots nonprofit, Planet Rehab, which operates from Boca del Toro, Peru in creating a project proposal to increase donations, brand awareness, and sign-ups for environmental expeditions all while having a target audience in their founding city of San Dimas, California. I conducted a survey collecting a variety of answers about what planet conservation initiatives were most important to individuals, whether they believed the state of the planet’s environment had changed since 2008, and what platforms they most utilized to learn new information. Through this partnership, I learned the importance of public opinion in enacting effective policies and current best practices for obtaining community standpoints. This project challenged me to dive simultaneously into policy and climate change trends in two different areas of the world and opened my eyes to how unique and impactful it could be to combine policy and communication across areas. Within a few months of completing my undergraduate studies, I began my work with the House of Representatives and led the planning of the Inaugural Congressional App Challenge. This event was particularly important in helping bridge the digital divide in our communities and encouraging the youth to learn about computer science. Our first-place winner was a 10th-grade student who coded an educational app that seeks to increase the representation of minorities in the aerospace industry. I felt a personal connection to this project as it reminded me of my experience in high school as a part of one of the first cohorts of students in the school district to take AP Computer Science Principles. This course was the first to introduce me to essential digital skills that, unfortunately, are limited to many today and have been proven to lead to challenges in mental health, economic impact, and educational barriers for students. The Congressional App Challenge is one of many city-wide efforts; with others including, laptop giveaways and the implementation of broadband connection in public spaces which drive my desire to continue learning how to address complex challenges in our contemporary society, effectively be a part of conversations, and turn them into actionable change for future generations, especially underserved communities. A scholarship to support my studies would allow me to devote more time to research opportunities and leverage my availability to attend workshops, connect with professors, and volunteer with organizations that would further develop my skills. This is meaningful as I envision my career trajectory to advance to a role in Government Affairs that serves the public sector. Having the opportunity to work with cities that are serviced by different waste companies, I have learned about the micro and macro levels at which waste impacts our everyday lives, reaching into public health, the economy, climate change, and legislation. With our district’s waste organizations utilizing state-of-the-art machinery and anticipating facility growth, I have witnessed collaboration between all levels of employees, including the Government Affairs division, to ensure that the industry remains in touch with the community through transparency, education, and communication to support the goal of a cleaner planet.