A setback I encountered was when I had finally found my passion in life after feeling lost and knowing what I wanted to pursue just for that opportunity to be taken away last second. People would always ask me, especially my family, what I enjoyed doing. I would lie and say I wanted to be a doctor to make them end that conversation quickly but I never meant it. I felt like I did not struggle in any subjects but none of them caught my genuine interest. As part of this generation, it is true that I spend a lot of time on technology and I am not embarrassed, to say the least. I decided to randomly take an intro computer science class and fell in love with the beauty of coding. I thought that I would be taking the next level class but it was unfortunately closed due to a lack of students signing up. I was very upset about it because it was the only thing I was excited about when school would start again. I decided to do my own research during the summer and discovered so much more information on my own in order to pursue a career in this field. I learned about many of the programming languages and the main categories they are used for. I decided I would teach myself HTML and CSS as they are the building blocks using E-books with mini built-in activities. My brother had an old computer that I was able to practice coding for a small period during my break. I knew that I didn’t need that class that got canceled because I can learn everything from my devices with consistency and this is just the start of what I will accomplish. There is so much information out there to take advantage of and I am actually now glad the class got canceled. I decided to take a free period to be able to have my own self-study session to be able to keep learning at school. When I first started the intro computer science class, we started out coding very simple designs. For example, I had an assignment where we had to code a design using 0’s and 1’s or binary numbers. Already, I found that so engaging and I was so excited to be able to do more complicated assignments. After some time passed and we learned more in-depth topics where we could code in many variations to still get the same outputs. On one simple assignment, I spent a few hours just coding and making new changes. If I was done, I just fixed another part of the design that didn’t need fixing because I just wanted to keep going. It captivates me because there is so much creativity that goes into this topic and you can do it in any way you like. Even then it was just not enough so, I found another student who was just as passionate as I was and we founded a tech club at my school. I was in charge of creating activities that were beginner-friendly to get students exposed to STEM topics while my partner took care of the management side. We met about twice a month and with new activities as well as providing outside resources that would allow students to code on their own or get involved in some competitions. Looking back, that setback was exactly what I needed to leap forward and make the change on my own realizing that it is only failure once you give up.

"Always put your education first so, that one day you can live a life with less struggles that we live through and so you can enjoy your life" Those were the words that my father would constantly tell me since second grade and at the time, I mentally brushed it off. I didn’t know what it meant to work back breaking jobs with low pay, crossing the border to a foreign country, without knowing the language and most heartbreaking of all, leaving behind family for just an opportunity. Being born in America was a privilege that my parents made possible for me and I will show them that their sacrifices are recognized with value in every form. I reminisce about longing to have spent quality time with my parents and dreaded when they left for work as I knew what I would see in several hours. No matter how beat up they came home, they never failed to smile through it but I knew they were in all forms of pain. My only wish was to have the ability to take all their worries away but, in reality I was just a kid who was weak. Obtaining this scholarship is beyond me, it is for those who believe in me, for those who picked me up when I was low, for my future and for my family. I acknowledge that my story is not unique or any different than the millions of hispanics fighting for change. My story is one that is told across America of students such as myself that share similar dreams and aspirations of success in being able to take care of their community. I stand proud of my roots and will never forget where my ancestors came from. This achievement will represent one of the many thank you messages to all who contributed to where I am in life right now. Having this opportunity signifies being a part of an understanding diligent community that provides guidance and support throughout the many struggles ahead as this journey is far from over. I hope to leave a trail of hope to those who are currently struggling and show them that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Till this day, I can see the worry and sorrow on my parents’ faces when they ask me about the tuition of the universities I applied for. I don’t tell them the cost and reassure them that they have done more than enough for my education as I want to show independence. I recognize there will be ups and downs but with the help of generous people world wide, there is hope. I plan to buy long-term investments such as a laptop that I’ve never owned and is necessary for my computer science major. I have no interest in making impulsive decisions as that would be a complete waste of a supportive resource. It will assist both my personal and career goals to one day go home and tell my parents “we made it.”

My mother has always tried to keep my siblings and I away from the constant violent activity in Compton. At the age of 16 in 2013, my uncle ended up in prison and it was a heartbreaking moment as we all believed he had a brighter future. We were told that he would call that filthy cell home until 2033. After 10 years in prison, my uncle swore to become the best version of himself, so he got his diploma, spent 4 years learning to code, work on his associates and mental health. Today in 2023, he was offered an internship and promised himself that he would never go back to that cell during his time on probation. When I spoke to him, I saw the passion and determination he had to make up for the time he had lost. I told him about my interest in computer programming and his eyes lit up as he was explaining everything he loved about coding. It allowed him to escape his reality and now he always pushes me to follow my passion in becoming a full-stack developer. If I could change something, I would wish for him to have grown up in a safer community that didn’t drive him down a dark path. Despite his actions, he has inspired me to commit to computer science no matter the struggles ahead. I believe his story is important because many minority groups are put into a stereotypical category that they are criminals at heart but many of them grew up in unfortunate circumstances that influence their behavior. My uncle only followed what he believed others wanted him to do in his community to be accepted and that ended up with his life behind bars for 10 years. He demonstrated to me that determination will get one to their goals and when I code, I find myself in the same peace of mind. Unfortunately, many minorities put themselves down as they don’t have enough money to pursue their dreams but that should never have to be a reason to quit. I want to be involved in the tech community to bring awareness and representation to my community because I know we are hard workers when we put our minds to something. No one should ever fear that they don’t belong somewhere due to low representation. Instead, we should all work together to better our communities and influence the youth that they have what it takes no matter their background. We live in a world full of diversity and it is only fair that it’s represented in the tech industry as it's present in our daily lives. This is why I encourage the tech industry to have a social and moral obligation to be inclusive to all its consumers because, without them, this industry will collapse. It is unjust to be greedy and take advantage of communities that give. The possibilities are endless when all hands are on deck and when communities aren’t represented, there is a tendency to produce something that inaccurately “helps” others due to bias. The world could bring great change if people are simply given the opportunity to give a voice to those who are drowned out by the elements of ignorance. The tech field is so broad and there are a variety of areas that one can become proficient in but if they are pushed away, what is the point of trying to enter somewhere that pushes you away. This will bring hope to those who simply want to be heard, seen and bring genuine change.