I have the same vision. I can picture it so clearly. My mom and dad travel back to their beloved country, surrounded by their families. They're catching up, and getting to know each other again after being separated for more than twenty-five years. They laugh, remembering the old days when they were kids and everything was simpler. My parents are back home but with the satisfaction of saying "We did it". They did it. They moved to a country that didn't want them here. They assimilated to a culture they weren't used to. They worked two or three jobs they detested. They went days without sleeping, even though their bodies begged and ached for sleep. They held back their tears, while their family cried to them, begging them to come home. They did it. All for their children, so their children had a better life. So their children got the education they couldn't get. So their children could find a job that fills them with passion. So their children could go to bed every night with a smile on their faces. They put both of their children through more than twelve years of school, so they can make a name for themselves. So they can put their mark in this universe in a way they never could. For us. Arguably, success can look different for everyone. For example, for some, it may be recording the next big song that gets put on the radio. It may be having their face on a billboard. It may be discovering the cure for a disease. It may be to make millions of dollars and live in the most beautiful mansion in a luxurious place. For me, it's simple. It's seeing my parents go home. It's seeing my parents being able to look at the last 25 years of their lives and feel like they accomplished what they came here to do. To go home and be proud of the children they raised, and what their children have become. To go home and be able to reunite with their parents, and tell them they did it. Success for me is having my parents feel as accomplished as I will when I finish college and become a professional in my industry. To feel immensely proud of my sister, who came to the U.S with them when she was 6 months old. To see how my sister, despite every obstacle thrown her way, has persevered and has become a professional in her industry. To finally not struggle. To not have to worry if their children will have food on the table, or if they hate their job. To know their children are living somewhere they chose to live in, working for a job they love. Being a first-generation Latina woman, I believe my success is seeing my parents live freely. Success is living the opportunities my parents couldn't live, and seeing their faces light up when I talk to them about it. It's hearing my parents tell me they're proud of me. It's breaking the barriers they didn't have the opportunity to break. It's knowing that every mark I leave in the world is for them. Every day I work towards my degree is another reminder that I am not just doing this for me. I am doing this for them, and for any other Latino who didn't have the opportunity to do what I am. That to me is the biggest motivation I could ever need to finish what my parents came here to do.

Currently a second-year college student, I am pursuing a double major in Informatics & Media Arts and Science, with a specialization in Web Development and Design. Ultimately, I will also collect a Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction. This particular path is really significant to me; I have known since my first Computer Science course that this is the route for me. It's always been interesting to see how a web page can entertain, inform, advocate, interact, etc. with a user. Seeing the page, like the one I am using to apply for this scholarship, and knowing all the work that happens behind the scenes never fails to amaze me. I've grown up with technology and I have seen what it is capable of doing and how it will continue to innovate. I have seen so many inspiring websites that have a level of interactivity I aspire to achieve. Knowing myself, I have always been someone who prefers to be in the back end of a project, making it actually come to life. With this degree, I hope to pursue a career in Full-Stack Development, not only being on the back end of data collection within a site, but also learning and implementing my skills as a designer, making a site appealing to the eye, and attracting users. I want to take advantage of the massive amount of technologies available to me, being a problem solver and creating projects that will hopefully inspire others. As a Latina Woman in STEM, diversity in the workplace is a topic often discussed. Looking around my environment, I do not see a lot of people like me. This has encouraged me not only to advocate for my Hispanic/Latino ethnicity but also for my sex as a female. But diversity isn't only about physical appearances or beliefs. I also believe that it comes from the mental aspects, which are equally as important. Sure, most of the diversity in the workplace is connected with the idea of someone's physical appearance, or beliefs. I think it is all part of the same package. Speaking from personal experience, being someone raised in a Mexican household, I have a different mentality than my peers of African American or Caucasian descent. This is due to the simple fact that we were all raised differently. This is so crucial in the workplace, having a diverse environment invites a surplus of unique ideas to the table, which can help increase productivity or create a project unheard of and equally as unique. We all have the ability to reach the same goal, but we all have different ways and methods of getting there. I think that is one of the richest qualities a workplace can have. It can also help deeply when dealing with customers. Some customers may not feel comfortable expressing their needs if they do not see someone like them, someone who will understand. Having a diverse workplace can perhaps attract more customers because they will see there is a worker/ representative for multiple people out there. I think this is really significant for me. I know growing up my parents were hesitant to reach out about a lot of things because they did not find someone who would understand. Being understood and accepted is something that I will always advocate for, which is why I push for diversity in the workplace.

My parents sacrificed everything, moving to a country that did not want them here, in search of a better life for their children. They always told us they did not have the luxury of finishing their education, to be something greater than their parents. They ensured that this idea of being greater than them was burned into the back of my mind. I had the constant pressure of choosing a career path that made their stay in this foreign country worth it. This led to constant struggles of never being able to pick what I was interested in pursuing. When I finally decided a career in STEM was my path, my parents were content, until I told them what kind of career I chose. For them, the T in STEM was completely disregarded. They had convinced themselves a career in technology was unreasonable and unstable. Science and Mathematics were always careers they envisioned their children pursuing; this led them to be extremely pessimistic about what I was going to study. They were always hesitant to support me in figuring out how to navigate my own path to college or just my career pathway in general. This was something that was difficult for me, not having my parents support me. However, throughout my whole journey, I was left as the only girl interested in this field, whether it be in the classroom or in my family. I was no stranger to being left alone to create my own path, and being my own role model and support system. I knew that this was something I was going to be dealing with for a while, so I learned to be more independent, trusting my own instincts, and proving to my parents that a career in technology is just as important as others. I plan on using this experience to advocate for other POC students pursuing a career in technology. It took a while to get my parents to truly comprehend how important this field is, and I hope to bring the same awareness to other families as well. My goals as a STEM major are not only to be the most efficient I can be in my field but to also invite others to celebrate their interest and unleash their full potential. I know how a career in STEM is firsthand; this is something to be proud of and supported by everyone who can. In my day-to-day life, it is something I am doing now. I am proud to say I am a Latino Outreach Ambassador for the IUPUI School of Informatics and Computing. I help be an advocate for Latinx students pursuing a career in technology, serving as a resource and helping them and their families understand the work we do at SoIC. I want to continue to serve as a resource and advocate even after I am done pursuing higher education. For me, that is what it means to be a minority in STEM. Not only by making a difference by being some of the select few who study it, but also by being a leader in the field and encouraging others to come and join you in making a difference in the world. A lot of minority students know what it is like to have a parent sacrifice it all for you, I am only one of a million stories, but we should also all be the ones showing leadership and overcoming our peers and any challenges that come our way.