Alexander de Guia Memorial Scholarship

Everybody has a voice, and it's the job of a journalist to intensify it. This fall, I intend to transfer to UC Berkeley and major in Media Studies to become a journalist. I want to raise awareness about underrepresented communities by highlighting their experiences, which my education has already allowed me to do. Using my knowledge from journalism courses at my community college, I composed an article about nontraditional (veterans, first-generation, undocumented, and returning) college students emphasizing the inequities they faced. My work’s impact led to greater outreach of campus resources, students' better understanding of each other, and the college's recognition of how these vulnerable populations felt. I desire to continue to give voices to the voiceless because telling their stories of resilience will inspire others. My education will assist me in constructing change through journalism, as I’ll learn reporting techniques that promote transparency and assess the role the media has on contemporary life. I’m confident that having access to faculty, research opportunities, and challenging coursework in Media Studies at UC Berkeley will help me develop further as a journalist, scholar, and social activist. I know my storytelling has a purpose - to make the world more equitable - and my education will be the cornerstone of its effect. At my community college, I’ve kept a 4.0 GPA while participating in clubs, working 20 hours per week at my job, and maintaining my family responsibilities. This semester, I'm starting a new position at a cat shelter as an unpaid social media intern. I've decided to work 10 instead of 20 hours a week at my job so I can focus on my studies and extracurricular activities. Receiving the $1,000 would equal working 63 hours at my job - that is six, 10 hour work weeks I can spend honing my journalistic skills, preparing to transfer to UC Berkeley, and achieving my goals. The funding will also assist in paying my student loans and day-to-day college expenses. Although my parents will cover my tuition, I want to lessen their financial load of sending their two children to college. Both being state workers, California will be experiencing budget cuts this year, which impacts their wages negatively. The scholarship will help me assist my parents in paying off my debt, while also advancing my education to become a journalist and serve marginalized communities. My family obtained graduate or postgraduate degrees from prominent Philippine universities, demonstrating the high regard my family has for education. In the early 2000s, my parents, grandparents, older brother and I immigrated to California in hopes of greener pastures. We weren’t wealthy, but my family worked hard to create a simple and comfortable life. Instead of believing in material wealth, my family believes that knowledge is wealth; possessing intelligence and wisdom is success that can open up countless possibilities. I was always encouraged by my family to dream big and serve others. I was assured I can accomplish anything with education, hard work, and persistence as my foundation. I value education because it leads to personal development. Acquiring knowledge not only provides you with information but also helps you understand yourself. My dedication to giving voices to the voiceless would not have been discovered if not for an education. I find it essential to receive an education not only to honor the sacrifices my family made while immigrating to America but to also change people’s perspectives on the world and its citizens and to deeply learn about a subject I’m passionate about - journalism. With that, I’m determined to find the living books in this world with stories to tell.

Education. Hard work. Family. These are the three core values my grandparents and mom brought from the Philippines to America, the same values they instilled in me from a young age. When I want to truly understand these principles, I have to look no further than the members of my own family. My lola, a doctor in Angeles City, worked hard to serve her community. My lolo, working overseas in the Middle East, worked hard to serve his family. My mother, a single mother working in laboratory services, works hard to be able to raise me and give me a proper education. Through their hard work and dedication, they gave back to those they cared for the most. Thus, I have been inspired to do the same with my own education. Growing up and hearing these three core principles, I began to live them in my own life. Even from elementary and middle school, I sought to do the best I could in my studies. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic interrupting my eighth grade year, I pushed on and kept my drive into high school. Throughout high school, I have balanced my numerous honors, AP, and dual-enrollment college courses with choir, art club, and, most recently, broadcast journalism. Though this may appear to be a tremendous workload for some people, I instead see it as a necessity to open new opportunities: namely, a college education at a meritorious institution. Pursuing different courses in high school has also opened my eyes to fields of study I may be interested in pursuing at a higher level. However, above all, I have developed an interest and skill in mathematics. I am currently taking both AP Statistics and AP Calculus BC in my senior year. In addition, I am interested in math-based majors and future careers. To be truthful, I have no concrete idea for what my future may hold for me. Though I have the vague idea of pursuing something related to mathematics, I am not yet sure what this specifically may be. Despite that, I will remain industrious and enthusiastic with wherever my studies take me. Further, despite not having a clear idea of how I will get there, I have one important goal: to be able to give back to my family members who have worked to get me to where I am today. Without their support and own dedication, I would not be getting the experiences I am living today, nor would I even be able to consider college education. In addition, two people have come into my life in the recent years that have only further pushed my ambition: my two younger cousins. It has been so inspiring to seem them grow and change over the years. Seeing these young children, it feels as though I am in a similar position as my grandparents and mother were when I was young. I want to give them as much support as I can and instill the very same values I was given as a child. Above all, I want to give back to my family, making the world a better place for them to be.

My family has been separated for five years until we reunited in 2014. Being a part of a family of seven, my parents struggled to provide meals and educational needs, especially with five children. After struggling to make ends meet in the Philippines, my father took my two oldest siblings to the island of Maui, with hopes of earning more money for our family. He has worked multiple jobs ranging from a security guard to working as a determined housekeeper for 14 years in luxurious hotel called Grand Wailea. It wasn’t until five years later, when he was finally able to save enough money to reunite his family in Hawaii. When my mother and I, along with my two other siblings arrived at the Kahului Airport, I expected our lives to become easier. With easier access to technology and better educational settings, I had thought my life would be smooth-sailing. However, as I grew up, I was proven wrong. With the expenses of living in Maui and the constant rate of inflation, my family could not afford to purchase a home of our own. When we arrived at Maui, we lived with 7 of my relatives for five years. To this day, my family and I live in rental homes, barely making ends meet despite the double jobs my parents took on. Seeing both my parents work tremendously to provide for my family, fueled my determination to reciprocate the same drive and hard-work into my education. By going into the path of being a Registered Nurse, I am able to make the world a brighter place by treating and aiding patients who are in-need of help. By going into the medical field, I am able to create an environment where families and patients feel safe and taken care of. As someone who has suffered a severe injury and had to undergo surgery for an ACL reconstruction, I have seen the great impact the nurses had on me and other patients. Despite their busy shifts, they always assisted me with kindness and a smile, a gesture that made my recovery smoother. With that said, I hope to shed the same light and positivity to help children recover from illnesses and injuries. With this scholarship, I am able to expand my knowledge about medicine and treatment, as well as achieving my goals of becoming a Pediatrician Nurse. As a student coming from a low-income family, this scholarship will open new doors and opportunities for me to take. The funds will enable me to purchase essential materials for my education as well as financing the classes I need for my career. While I understand the difficulty and stiff competition I will have to endure, I have learned to use my challenges to get stronger. As someone who grew up seeing their parents push through their obstacles, I learned to make do with the cards that I was dealt and as a result, I have transformed into a stronger and more confident person.

When my mother and I immigrated from the Philippines to California, times were rough, especially during the cultural transition. We moved for my mom to find a job with the degree she had in Information Technology, and to have a better life than the one we had in the Philippines, where we lived near slums and where there were fewer job opportunities. It was only years later that I realized we would never have been able to come to America if my mom wasn't as hardworking as she was. Without a degree, she most likely wouldn't have been able to get a job that would provide enough for a family. My mom was (and still is!) my biggest educational supporter. She was the one who taught me that "Education is something no one can take away from you". For years, she has shared stories with me of how hard it is to get an education in the Philippines, compared to America. To travel to the nearest high school, my mom had to wake up at 5 AM, squeeze into a jeepney (a Filipino vehicle) every day with sweaty strangers, commute for an entire hour each way, and arrive home hungry at 7 PM. As a college student, she had to work and study from sun up to sun down, without time to hang out with friends or family. Even after graduating, she didn't get much of a break and had to work night shifts during her pregnancy with me. My mom would tell me these stories whenever I complained about how "hard" my school was, or why I don't have any free time. Instead of complaining about school, my mom tells me to remember that millions of other kids don't have the opportunity that I have, as a citizen living comfortably in America with access to school. Thankfully, I have a family who understand the importance and rarity of education, and I've been taught to not take it for granted. Although there are times when I am tempted to give up on that one math problem, or the heavy dual college and high school workload, or even waking up early every morning to head to school, I ask my mom to tell me a story from her life, and it instantly makes me so grateful to be able to go to school. Now, fifteen years later after immigrating, I have three new siblings and an amazing dad. However, we are now a single-income family, and after moving to help plant a church, we live in one of the most expensive cities in the nation, San Diego. Winning this scholarship would provide my family an opportunity to transfer me to a private four-year university after I graduate from my local community college. My future dreams and goals include getting my A.A. in English, and my B.A. in Humanities. Afterward, I hope to earn my TESOL certification. Since I love to travel, I'd love to move to a country in Asia one day to become an ESL teacher for young children. As English is a universal language, and is related to an incredible amount of job opportunities, being able to teach this language to children who might use it in their future careers greatly inspires me to pursue this field. In addition, I will be able to experience a new culture and learn a new language! Last but not least, thank you for considering my application. I'm so excited to see what the future holds for my education and career. Maraming Salamat! (Thank you!)