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CC Cardenas

565

Bold Points

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Finalist

Bio

I am… - a chicana Christian woman - the daughter of a previously incarcerated parent - a survivor of homelessness and abuse - an overcomer of depression - a straight A and 4.0 gpa student - resilient - determined - a future educator

Education

Biola University

Bachelor's degree program
2021 - 2025
  • Majors:
    • Education, General

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Master's degree program

  • Graduate schools of interest:

  • Transfer schools of interest:

  • Majors of interest:

  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Education

    • Dream career goals:

    • Work Study Office Assistant

      Biola University
      2021 – 20221 year
    • Intern Office Assistant - Database entries, Assisted English and Spanish speaking families with Scholarship and FAFSA Applications, created flyers, organized meetings, filed paperwork

      Advance!ontocollege
      2017 – 20192 years
    • Intern Office Assistant

      Fullerton College Foundation
      2017 – 20181 year
    • Private Tutor

      2023 – Present1 year
    • After School Instructor

      ASEPSoCal
      2023 – Present1 year
    • ESL Instructor

      StarKids International
      2022 – 20231 year

    Public services

    • Volunteering

      City Reach Church — Volunteer
      2021 – 2022
    • Volunteering

      CityReach Church — Volunteer
      2021 – Present
    • Volunteering

      Family Church Whittier — Volunteer
      2021 – 2021
    • Volunteering

      CityReach Church — Service Coordinator
      2021 – 2022

    Future Interests

    Volunteering

    Robert F. Lawson Fund for Careers that Care
    At the time of my conception, both of my parents were drug addicts. My dad joined a gang in his adolescent years causing him to be incarcerated for 5 years of my life. It was very difficult for my single mother to raise three kids at 23 years old. We were temporarily homeless and lived in motels, shelters, and eventually our own apartment. My mother attempted to support my younger siblings and I in the best way she could, but we didn’t have a stable living situation. Needless to say, it’s been a rough journey but I have never given up hope or ambition. I want to make my parents proud by ending vicious cycles and breaking generational addictions. I could’ve easily fallen to drugs, dropped out of school, or chosen a variety of different pathways. However, I want to continue my education for the improvement of my own life and the future lives of my students. I want to help as many people as I can and I feel the best way to do so is to become a teacher and provide a safe space for children who have a difficult home life to have someone show them their importance. I want to inspire them to care about their education, so they can have a bright future and succeed in life. Although I intend to become an elementary school teacher, I would also be interested in any other occupations in the educational field that may sprout from that experience. I am proud to say through very hard work, I’ve received over a 4.0 weighted grade point average every academic year since 6th grade. This did not come easy. When I was younger, there was a lot of chaos in my home and it was very hard to focus. I often had to choose to do homework over going out with friends. However, I continued to motivate myself because I knew there was a greater reward ahead. At I am currently a sophomore at Biola University majoring in Elementary Education. I have made the Dean's List for the second year in a row. This past summer, I worked as an ESL instructor to students all over the world through zoom. I taught students in Pakistan, Nepal, Georgia, Iraq, etc. Through this experience, I gained a wider view of the necessity of quality education. My heart desires to go wherever the Lord sends me to provide quality education to anyone in need. Thank you for the opportunity and privilege to apply!
    Ruebenna Greenfield Flack Scholarship
    At the time of my conception, both of my parents were drug addicts. My dad joined a gang in his adolescent years causing him to be incarcerated for 5 years of my life. It was very difficult for my single mother to raise three kids at 23 years old. We were temporarily homeless and lived in motels, shelters, and eventually our own apartment. My mother attempted to support my younger siblings and I in the best way she could, but we didn’t have a stable living situation. Needless to say, it’s been a rough journey but I have never given up hope or ambition. I want to make my parents proud by ending vicious cycles and breaking generational addictions. I could’ve easily fallen to drugs, dropped out of school, or chosen a variety of different pathways. However, I want to continue my education for the improvement of my own life and the future lives of my students. I want to help as many people as I can and I feel the best way to do so is to become a teacher and provide a safe space for children who have a difficult home life to have someone show them their importance. I want to inspire them to care about their education, so they can have a bright future and succeed in life. Although I intend to become an elementary school teacher, I would also be interested in any other occupations in the educational field that may sprout from that experience. I am proud to say through very hard work, I’ve received over a 4.0 weighted grade point average every academic year since 6th grade. This did not come easy. When I was younger, there was a lot of chaos in my home and it was very hard to focus. I often had to choose to do homework over going out with friends. However, I continued to motivate myself because I knew there was a greater reward ahead. At I am currently a sophomore at Biola University majoring in Elementary Education. I have made the Dean's List for the second year in a row. This past summer, I worked as an ESL instructor to students all over the world through zoom. I taught students in Pakistan, Nepal, Georgia, Iraq, etc. Through this experience, I gained a wider view of the necessity of quality education. My heart desires to go wherever the Lord sends me to provide quality education to anyone in need. Thank you for the opportunity and privilege to apply!
    Albright, Carter, Campbell Ohana Scholarship for Academic Excellence
    At the time of my conception, both of my parents were drug addicts. My dad joined a gang in his adolescent years causing him to be incarcerated for 5 years of my life. It was very difficult for my single mother to raise three kids at 23 years old. We were temporarily homeless and lived in motels, shelters, and eventually our own apartment. My mother attempted to support my younger siblings and I in the best way she could, but we didn’t have a stable living situation. Needless to say, it’s been a rough journey but I have never given up hope or ambition. I want to make my parents proud by ending vicious cycles and breaking generational addictions. I could’ve easily fallen to drugs, dropped out of school, or chosen a variety of different pathways. However, I want to continue my education for the improvement of my own life and the future lives of my students. I want to help as many people as I can and I feel the best way to do so is to become a teacher and provide a safe space for children who have a difficult home life to have someone show them their importance. I want to inspire them to care about their education, so they can have a bright future and succeed in life. Although I intend to become an elementary school teacher, I would also be interested in any other occupations in the educational field that may sprout from that experience. My second-grade teacher, who I can still remember by name, was one of my first inspirations for pursuing a teaching degree. During our breaks, I would sit and tell her all of the things that were going on in my life. I would sometimes cry and break down. Throughout the entire school year, she proved to be a shoulder to cry on, a patient listener, and a loving friend. I thank God for her life and I aspire to be like her one day. Since my second grade year, I have had many other inspirational and encouraging teachers in my life. I believe the main reason my second-grade teacher stood out to me was due to the timing she was placed in my life. Young children are very impressionable. I had lived a very hard life at such a young age but I was encouraged to see the positive through a teacher that was willing to invest in me. I aspire to do the same and to be conscious of the possible backgrounds my students may be coming from. I am proud to say through very hard work, I’ve received over a 4.0 weighted grade point average every academic year since 6th grade. This did not come easy. When I was younger, there was a lot of chaos in my home and it was very hard to focus. I often had to choose to do homework over going out with friends. However, I continued to motivate myself because I knew there was a greater reward ahead. At I am currently a sophomore at Biola University majoring in Elementary Education. I have made the Dean's List for the second year in a row. This past summer, I worked as an ESL instructor to students all over the world through zoom. I taught students in Pakistan, Nepal, Georgia, Iraq, etc. Through this experience, I gained a wider view of the necessity of quality education. My heart desires to go wherever the Lord sends me to provide quality education to anyone in need. Thank you for the opportunity and privilege to apply!