Tell us about your academic/career short-term and long-term goals.
How has your Hispanic heritage influenced these goals? *
400-600 words.
Yes, I am Mexican, and I was born in a country that is governed by the corrupt, which give education very little priority. I studied three years in Mexico, seventh through ninth grade, and I observed the lack of quality teachers, and the apathy that most students have towards school, but not all students are the same. There are those that do care about their future and endeavor to acquire more knowledge. My Hispanic heritage has influenced my goals in a way that I want to prove to others that not all of us are indifferent, and that many of us strive to obtain success.
Some of my short-term goals are to graduate in the top ten of my class and to get admitted to one of the colleges of my choice. So far, I am close to achieving these goals. When I returned for my sophomore year from Mexico, I ranked 18th in my class, and now I rank 7th. Working diligently has engendered results, and I do feel proud of myself, since I am one of the only two people that are minorities in the top ten. I hope to serve as an example for my Hispanic classmates and show them that it is possible to be academically successful despite racial or economic obstacles, but only if they devote themselves to what is truly important.
In Mexico and many South American countries, poverty predominates. I myself have been a witness to the scarcity of resources that many communities suffer from. This made me decide long ago that environmental engineering would allow me to give people access to hygienic natural resources in a way in which those are simultaneously preserved. However, though I do want to study environmental engineering, I also want to instill in students the appreciation for knowledge. Surprisingly, never did I imagine myself declaring that I wanted to teach. Me? Be a teacher? That sounded ludicrous, it even still does today. I am impatient, irascible, and still ignorant to many things, but I want to change the way students view education.
Presently, I am a peer tutor for a Geometry class and so far it has been, interesting. I have learned to acquire more patience, and the feeling I obtain when I hear a "thank-you" for the help I give is ineffable. This experience has helped me realize that I do have potential to influence others. I constantly criticize my country's educational system, and it is imperative for it to be reformed. Anyone can be a teacher and those are not very encouraging. After much reflection, I realized that instead of always being critical, why don't I act and do something about it? Being a teacher, for me, is going to be the ideal way to impact younger generations.
Going to college is going to be the first step in trying to achieve these long-term goals. My Hispanic heritage has motivated me to demonstrate that people of my culture are just as equally capable as everyone else. Once I obtain a degree in environmental engineering, I plan to sign up for the Peace Corps and go to a foreign country to help those in need, and once I return I will begin working on becoming certified as a teacher. I know if I am given the opportunity to develop any of my aptitudes, in the future, I will help a poor community receive potable water or help that typical apathetic kid finally receive an A. My goal is mainly to make a difference in at least one person's life, because big things start with small beginnings.
How has your Hispanic heritage influenced these goals? *
400-600 words.
Yes, I am Mexican, and I was born in a country that is governed by the corrupt, which give education very little priority. I studied three years in Mexico, seventh through ninth grade, and I observed the lack of quality teachers, and the apathy that most students have towards school, but not all students are the same. There are those that do care about their future and endeavor to acquire more knowledge. My Hispanic heritage has influenced my goals in a way that I want to prove to others that not all of us are indifferent, and that many of us strive to obtain success.
Some of my short-term goals are to graduate in the top ten of my class and to get admitted to one of the colleges of my choice. So far, I am close to achieving these goals. When I returned for my sophomore year from Mexico, I ranked 18th in my class, and now I rank 7th. Working diligently has engendered results, and I do feel proud of myself, since I am one of the only two people that are minorities in the top ten. I hope to serve as an example for my Hispanic classmates and show them that it is possible to be academically successful despite racial or economic obstacles, but only if they devote themselves to what is truly important.
In Mexico and many South American countries, poverty predominates. I myself have been a witness to the scarcity of resources that many communities suffer from. This made me decide long ago that environmental engineering would allow me to give people access to hygienic natural resources in a way in which those are simultaneously preserved. However, though I do want to study environmental engineering, I also want to instill in students the appreciation for knowledge. Surprisingly, never did I imagine myself declaring that I wanted to teach. Me? Be a teacher? That sounded ludicrous, it even still does today. I am impatient, irascible, and still ignorant to many things, but I want to change the way students view education.
Presently, I am a peer tutor for a Geometry class and so far it has been, interesting. I have learned to acquire more patience, and the feeling I obtain when I hear a "thank-you" for the help I give is ineffable. This experience has helped me realize that I do have potential to influence others. I constantly criticize my country's educational system, and it is imperative for it to be reformed. Anyone can be a teacher and those are not very encouraging. After much reflection, I realized that instead of always being critical, why don't I act and do something about it? Being a teacher, for me, is going to be the ideal way to impact younger generations.
Going to college is going to be the first step in trying to achieve these long-term goals. My Hispanic heritage has motivated me to demonstrate that people of my culture are just as equally capable as everyone else. Once I obtain a degree in environmental engineering, I plan to sign up for the Peace Corps and go to a foreign country to help those in need, and once I return I will begin working on becoming certified as a teacher. I know if I am given the opportunity to develop any of my aptitudes, in the future, I will help a poor community receive potable water or help that typical apathetic kid finally receive an A. My goal is mainly to make a difference in at least one person's life, because big things start with small beginnings.
