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ariana Peralta

635

Bold Points

1x

Finalist

Bio

I am a queer woman of color who is aspiring to be a civil rights attorney. I have always been one to advocate for what I believe in- leading me to start my own organization entitled Empowerment Beyond Assault to advocate for sexual assault survivors. In addition, I have a passion for public speaking and the arts, and I have devoted my time outside of school to pursuing those passions. In high school I have participated in Model UN, Mock Trial, and the EuroChallenge Economics Competition. My participation in these academic organizations has lead me to receive leadership experience, as well as state, national, and international awards. Additionally, I have been a competitive dancer throughout my life, spending over 20 hours in the dance studio each week, and competing at regional and national levels.

Education

Mount Hebron High

High School
2021 - 2025

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)

  • Majors of interest:

    • Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other
    • Public Policy Analysis
    • Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
    • Political Science and Government
    • Second Language Learning
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Law Practice

    • Dream career goals:

      Civil Rights Attorney

    • Hostess

      Bare Bones Bar and Grill
      2024 – Present1 year
    • Swim Lesson Instructor

      Forest Hill Swim and Tennis Club
      2023 – 2023
    • Camp Counselor

      Forest Hill Swim and Tennis Club
      2023 – 2023
    • Gate Attendant

      Forest Hill Swim and Tennis Club
      2023 – Present2 years
    • Lifeguard

      Forest Hill Swim and Tennis Club
      2023 – Present2 years

    Sports

    Dancing

    Club
    2010 – Present15 years

    Awards

    • Power Pax Invitational Winner
    • National 4th Place Production
    • National Entertainment Award Winner

    Research

    • Community Organization and Advocacy

      Empowerment Beyond Assault Coalition — CEO, Founder, and Primary Researcher
      2024 – Present

    Arts

    • Mount Hebron High School Lancers Poms Team

      Dance
      Performances at school events
      2021 – 2024
    • Mount Hebron High School

      Theatre
      The Little Mermaid
      2023 – 2023
    • Powerup dance center

      Dance
      2019 – Present

    Public services

    • Volunteering

      Leukemia and Lymphoma Society — Fundraiser
      2024 – 2024
    • Advocacy

      Empowerment Beyond Assault — CEO
      2024 – Present

    Future Interests

    Advocacy

    Politics

    Volunteering

    Philanthropy

    Entrepreneurship

    Matthew E. Minor Memorial Scholarship
    As a queer woman of color, I am no stranger to bullying. Both through personal experiences and ones from within my community, I have been exposed to bullying for as long as I can remember. Ever since I was called a “dirty immigrant” in elementary school, I have always wanted to be an advocate that fosters change in the world, and I have stuck with that dream. Not only do I want to foster change as an attorney, but I have also had numerous experiences throughout high school in which I worked with my peers to better our community. Being a change agent is one of the biggest defining factors of my high school experience, whether it be organizing walkouts, leading a canned food drive to raise over 14,000 cans for families, raising almost $30,000 with a team for blood cancer research, or starting my own national nonprofit organization, I have been privileged enough to find or foster opportunities to help my community. One of the biggest catalysts for this mindset in high school occurred my freshman year when one of my close friends was being bullied for being transgender. People were harassing him in messages and posting hateful commentary on Instagram. I immediately told my mom, and I was able to work with her and the school administration to end the cyberbullying. I reported the person that was sending the messages, and told the administration that they needed to get the hateful Instagram account taken down, and luckily it was effective. Later that year, my peers and I worked to organize a school-wide walkout to protest homophobia and transphobia, and there was an excellent turnout. Though it was not my first encounter with bullying, it was the first time that I had control over the situation, and it has influenced my values regarding safe internet use. I am a firm believer that youth accounts need to be entirely parent monitored, as this can make parents aware of potential conflicts, mediating the situation before it gets out of hand. However, not all cyberbullies are children, and that makes the issue more complicated. I have experienced this first hand with my national nonprofit, Empowerment Beyond Assault Coalition. One of the main ways I have been able to communicate about sexual assault facts is through social media; however, on my platform, I have gotten a fair share of hateful comments due to my commentary about sexual assault related policies, and many of these comments were from adults. I have been able to manage these comments by deleting them or responding in a respectful manner, but it is difficult to face hate on an issue that is incredibly personal to me. The epidemic of adults making commentary about children online is a huge problem, and education about cyberbullying, parent-monitored accounts, and reporting hate are important ways to protect children.. I truly believe in preventing cyberbullying and protecting mental health. As a student hoping to study public policy to join the legal field, I hope to foster change in our policies regarding these issues. However, in order to do that, I need to be able to afford education, which is currently a struggle for me. Despite my parents’ incomes, I will be paying for college primarily on my own, meaning that I will have to take out significant loans unless I can get scholarships. With these loans, I will not be able to feasibly afford law school, which is a problem for my long-term goals. I know I can change the world, I just need the resources to do so.
    ariana Peralta Student Profile | Bold.org