My name is Zoe Varela, and I am a first-generation immigrant as well as the first person in my family to attend college. I was born and raised in Mexico City by a single mother who worked hard to provide for my needs and give me opportunities she never had. I grew up surrounded by loving and supportive people, such as my aunts, cousins, and grandparents, who came together to help my mom raise me. They were the ones on whom I relied whenever I needed assistance at school, work, or simply in life. I discovered my love for science by watching documentaries about the ecosystems that my grandfather used to show me during my childhood, and when I started school, science classes were always my favorite, which made me want to work in a STEAM field, even when many of my family had to give up education due to financial problems and family responsibilities. I never let that intimidate me and kept pursuing my dreams of obtaining a higher education. I dedicated myself to getting into one of the most prestigious high schools in my country, and later into UNAM University, which offers wonderful opportunities for STEAM careers. However, life can change overnight. When I was 15 years old, I moved to the United States due to my family's financial situation. This change came with many cultural and language challenges that helped shape the person I am today. Coming here didn't just mean starting a new life; it also meant making new plans for the future and letting go of the ones I had already made. Starting high school was overwhelming and frustrating. Not knowing how to speak English made my academic and social life feel impossible due to my lack of skills to communicate my thoughts. Even though I felt alone at the time, science classes were still a safe place for me, where language barriers did not matter. Those classes filled me with motivation to keep going every time I had doubts. I taught myself English through YouTube videos and free courses that I found online, and I overcame my fear of failure by practicing my speaking skills at every opportunity I had, with teachers, strangers, or simply talking to myself. I've worked so hard to prepare myself for any opportunity in this country. Now, I can speak two languages and am not afraid of not being "enough" anymore. I recently graduated from high school, and I am beginning my first year of college at Oregon State University. I plan to major in Biohealth and pursue pharmacy school after earning my BS; my goal is to use my education to ensure that medications are safe and effective for everyone. I also want to work on improving access to medicine for underrepresented communities because I believe that health awareness and access to essential medical resources are rights everyone should have. However, due to my stepfather's immigration case taking longer than expected, my mother is the only person who can support me financially. Even though I will be working on campus in a work-study position, money is a concern for us. This scholarship would help ease the financial burden on my mother and me, allowing me to focus on my studies and the school's opportunities without the constant worry about money each term. I am completely committed to making the most of every chance I get and doing something worthwhile with my parents' sacrifices and all the support I've received to achieve my dreams.

The universe is comprised of galaxies, oceans, forests, cities, and many other things. We humans coexist with an immense number of animals, plants, and other creatures. Although we are aware that we are only a small part of the universe, society's current ignorance of our environment may harm us in the future. Humans have existed and evolved for a long time, but the planet was formed and equipped before us to provide us with all the natural resources we need. Learning to take care of what we have now, in tangible ways, is as important as knowing what is beyond our reach. Philosophy tends to focus on what we cannot perceive, but is there; the placebo effect and gravity are clear examples of this. Society, on the other hand, focuses us on the “real” world, which is logical and rarely changes; a starting point always leads to an end. However, I believe we are a mixture of both. If we pay attention to our daily life, we can appreciate it every morning. Let's notice the little things, like words of affirmation that can change our mood in an instant, and how our world continues to function: the sun always rises while the moon waits. Our universe works similarly to us. This has piqued the curiosity of great minds who have made amazing discoveries. As humans, naming and explaining phenomena often leads to more questions, opening up a new myriad of discoveries. In my life, my curiosity has led me to focus on what surrounds us. I want to learn how our atmosphere provides us with everything we need. My family has always reminded me that our planet is as valuable as ourselves, and taking care of it has been a task in my life since childhood. I grew up surrounded by a very diverse culture. Being born and raised in Mexico forged a consciousness more attached to nature and spirituality. From home remedies for winter colds with chamomile and a little honey to the trees that were my playground, nature has always been a part of my life. As I grew older, my curiosity was drawn to the ocean. Although I didn't live near it, because I am from Mexico City, I was always in awe when I saw it in a video or movie. The ocean, being so vast and mysterious yet so close to us, is home to incredible species and extraordinary processes. It seems unbelievable to me that we know less than 10% of it. And because of this pollution and human ignorance have threatened many of the ocean's ecosystems, leaving us with fewer natural resources over time. This is why I want to pursue my dream of studying marine biology: to share my values and raise awareness about our oceans. The universe, with its galaxies and mysteries, is vast, but our planet sustains us. By studying marine biology, I hope to share my values and inspire others to protect the oceans that give us so much, yet remain unexplored. I am a true believer that every small action matters and together, we can ensure that our future inherits a prosperous world.

For the future academically speaking after my senior year at Liberty High School. I have two pathways. I plan to study Marine Biology at OSU and be part of its community. I want to join the Marine biology option. This program helps students to introduce them to some important topics and emphasizes research and experiential courses. I would like to know how the ecosystems in the ocean work and marine life in general. One future goal is to help conserve marine species; work on strategies to reduce ocean pollution to help the protection of coral reefs and other species that could be in danger because of the pollution or apply for Lane Community College to the aviation program. Something that keeps me motivated is my curiosity to learn new things, the help of the Liberty staff giving me the options and opportunities to be the first person in my family to go to college, and my family that is always cheering me up to achieve my goals. Since I came here to this country I've been searching for opportunities to move a little forward toward these goals, encouraging myself to take some steps to help me get to know the Biology and Aviation field. I took AP Biology and I'm in the HOSA program at my school, those two programs have been of so much help to me to get more interested in the Biology field and get to know how it works; for aviation, I haven't done a lot of programs, but I have been doing some research by my own with the help of the internet, and I have found articles about how the programs work and the cost of the programs; letting me information about what should I do. Some difficulties I will experience while pursuing a college education would be the fact that I am the first member of my family to go to college and have a higher education; living with just my mom and only having her as my financial support to pay for college, as well as the fact that English is not my first language and I moved two years ago to U.S.A, but I've been improving my skills on the language every single day. Even if all these give me a problem and make some days more difficult I won't give up on my dreams that bring me here and keep me trying every day.