Paving the Way as a First-Generation Student
Getting an education and being a college graduate is really important to me because I’m first-generation. My parents didn’t achieve a higher education, and I wanted to be the first one in my family to do so, basically paving a way for my future and my kids. My parents are from Mexico. As a first-generation Latina student, attending college has made my family extremely proud. To me, attending college is a step in the right direction to eventually give back to my community once I finish school. I plan to base my career on helping underrepresented people, not just in my community, but in others. One barrier I faced was knowing when to give myself grace and celebrate the small accomplishments.
The Transformative Support of 10,000 Degrees
A big aspect of 10,000 Degrees was the financial aid help. There were moments where I was looking at the textbook prices, and they were not pretty at all. I remember one textbook was like 90 bucks, and we barely used it, but it was needed for the readings. Thanks to 10,000 Degrees, I was able to afford my textbooks. This financial aid made me worry less; I didn’t have to stress so much about where I’d get the money or my savings. It just helped me get more access to materials and resources. The number of resources, mentors, and opportunities given made me feel like I wasn’t alone in my journey. This support helped me achieve something I didn’t think was possible.
Education: Broadening Perspectives and Inspiring Change
I believe in the power of education to change lives because it broadens your perspective and opens you up to all types of situations in the world. It really helps you have a different perspective and be able to further your career and help others in need. It gets people like me, people of color, a step into the system that wasn’t made for us, and it gives us more representation.
I will be transferring to UCLA where I will be studying Public Health. I wanted to base my career within education, health, and community. I really want to travel to non-privileged countries and provide services like education and health, which also gives me a chance to travel while I’m young. My interest in public health started with human anatomy and why people get diseases, particularly learning about diseases present in my family, like type two diabetes. This led me to be interested in sciences and social science, understanding what factors influence diseases. I want to improve the health of those in my community so that they can thrive. I am ONE degree of change because improving the health of my community is my passion, and I want to motivate others to do the same. It takes one person to start a chain of acts of kindness and spread positivity, and I want to be that person.