Scholarship / What does being Hispanic mean to you, and how do your life experiences shape your answer? [2]

What does being Hispanic mean to you, and how do your life experiences shape your answer. (200-500 words)

I was not always proud of being Hispanic. As a young girl, I struggled to learn English. I did not like learning English and I did not like having to assimilate to the American lifestyle. I would go to school and feel very out of place for my darker skin, thick curly hair, and struggling with English. I felt that it was a setback. My dad would tell me that being different made me unique, speaking two languages makes a brain smarter, and that being hispanic was an advantage; lessons that would be told to me over and over but only understood after I was older and experienced.

My long-term motivation for academia came when I began to understand the journey and hardships my parents overcame in spite of coming to the United States for a better future. Leaving their extended family in Juarez, Mexico, my parents wanted to provide our family with a house, sufficient food, and the opportunity to go to college; privileges they would have loved to have growing up. I established that their hard work and humility would never be taken for granted, but rather an everyday motivation to give it my all.

Throughout the years, I struggled to see the what traits were actually part of our hispanic culture. The deep understanding came together when I started my first job as a lifeguard at Magic Waters Waterpark. Every Sunday was Bamba Dance Day where we held various hispanic music, dance, and foods. Puerto-Ricans, Mexicans, Cubans, etc., formed a diverse group, but were held together by one unifying language. This was also a time where I witnessed large hispanic families come together, speak in a lively tone, and have the sense of humor reflected in my own family, where name-calling "fat" or "gordo" is actually a form of affection. I felt a sense of belonging and saw beauty in my own workplace's diverse integration.

The very next summer, I procured a job as a bilingual Outreach Associate for Oak Street Health Clinic, a clinic which provides healthcare for low income senior citizens. One outreach event was for latinos gaining citizenship and I was there to distinctively express our bilingual service and welcoming environment. There, I found an adult Mexican who struggled to find a trustworthy doctor for his recently naturalized parents. Struggling with his English, he claimed that clinics would dismiss him or lack interest to help. Being a bilingual representative, I guided and registered his parents for our clinic, and realized that I am a part of a much greater hispanic community.

We come from humble beginnings and work hard to take advantages of the opportunities provided in the U.S. We celebrate U.S. customs while keeping our own cultural values alive. We are part of the largest growing minority, adding a spicy diversifying flavor to the U.S. Throughout our journey and hardships, being hispanic means I am apart of a much greater and supportive community which empowers us to fulfill our dreams.

Scholarship / "You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else." [2]

"You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else." -Albert Einstein. What does this statement mean to you? Use a personal experience to elaborate your point. (200-500 words)

Everyone can take this quote and apply it to their favorite hobbies, sports, school, work, or business. The most relevant game to me right now is college, which is a token to advance to the level of the professional work world.

Because if there were a formula to get a good job, many recruiters would say they look for those who best achieve a high G.P.A, work experience, leadership, and professionalism. Each of these are simply "tasks" of the game. We start with a high G.P.A, volunteer to take on a leadership role, in turn hope for work experience and gain professionalism along the way. The problem is that each task is not so simple. Each task requires complex analysis, trial and error, persistence, planning, and execution.

The problem is that many players to this game start with an advantage, while others are left to strive to advance with little to invest. As a first generation college student, my family did not have much finance to invest into the game of college. I had to plan early. I knew the game was tough. My whole life, my parents would try their best to mentally prepare me for college. But as it came closer, I realized that even the process of getting in would be rough. I learned very quickly and even taught my parents about finances and taxes when I had to complete my own FAFSA.

As college came around, I had to learn its unwritten rules. In college, professors simply do not have the class-time to cover all material students are expected to learn. I would attend tutoring sessions, supplemental instruction, and the professor's office hours. Now that I've advanced to the core engineering classes, I have maintained a habit of studying in groups because teaching is a great way to prove one knows the course material and asking for help when necessary is essential.

Aiming for the professional work world, I would go to Engineering Career Services Seminars to learn about how to talk, prepare, and dress for job fairs, interviews, and internships. To prepare for a full time job, we need experience. To get an internship, we need professional experience. The way out of this loop, most of my peers would tell me, is to get professional experience through a family connection. While, this is a struggle for me as a first generation college-student, I took an extra step and joined INROADS, a program which would help me transition to the work world and potentially provide opportunity for an engineering internship. I did receive an internship with UTC Taylor and am following the rules of the game toward my final destination.

I have used my sources, learned from my peers, learned from mistakes, and persisted to move forward. I have had to play harder than most players to prove myself worthy and start the competition. I have learned the rule of this game, and I'd say that I am surpassing many.