Three states, five towns, seven schools, first-generation American, native-Spanish speaker, older sister to an autistic brother, child of divorce: my litany may sound like a sob story, but this is my life, and it has provided me with priceless experiences. I would rather people share my pride for how I overcame these trials than feel pity for how I have been asked to handle them. I was a shy girl in Waterbury, Connecticut surrounded by family and friends who all shared my Hispanic culture. The city was decent, but began to dull and subdue with each passing month. After three years of rocky co-parenting with my father, my mom and new stepfather wanted to start fresh. Little did I know, this would be one of many fresh starts: Katy, to Houston, to Missouri City, Texas to Smithtown, New York. But, why Texas? It’s all cowboys, cacti, and tornadoes. If you had asked me in Connecticut what I liked to do for fun, I would have shrugged my shoulders. While I dreaded reintroducing myself and speaking to strangers, every school in Texas I attended had a commonality: a way for me to thrive. When I could not make friends, my books were my friends. When I did not get invited out on the weekends, I hung out with my study guides. I took little time to get to know myself because I placed so much pressure on myself to be a role model for my siblings, please my parents, and make my family in Ecuador proud. Being comfortable does not help you grow. It was time for a change. Fear could no longer be an excuse and leaving my comfort zone was the best thing I ever did. I took the bull by the “Longhorns” and registered for Advanced Placement courses. Previously, I had never struggled to maintain an A average, but the courses were beyond challenging. On top of it all, I had no friends, sat alone at lunch, and dropped my stomach every time the teacher asked us to pick a partner. After reaching out for guidance, the counsellor suggested I join Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA). Regardless of the “new girl” status, I took the risk, and I am eternally grateful. DECA taught me leadership, integrity, and responsibility; running decreased my mile time by three minutes; and forging new friendships made me forget that shy girl from Connecticut. And then, as the rocky ground under my feet began to settle, we were uprooted again. I had finally become part of a team, an officer in DECA, and spent weekends with genuine friends. But my mom got a job on Long Island and much of our family lives in the Northeast. I had a new little sister and my parents wanted to be near family. This time, I would not be afraid. I had done it before and I could do it again. The scariest part of the move to Long Island would be pronouncing Hauppauge, Patchogue, and Wantagh in front of my sassy aunt. Ironically symbolic of my ambition, my new school mascot was the Smithtown Bulls. Once again, I took the bull by the horns and joined DECA, cross-country, and enrolled in AP courses. This time, I was not afraid to start conversations with strangers. I found myself thriving due to my self-motivation rooted in love and support, rather than in self-deprecating pressure. I just wanted to live comfortably in Waterbury, Connecticut for the rest of my life. Such simple advice changed everything, and I owe my confidence to conquer the world to opportunities for growth.

I am currently a sophomore student at the University of Albany where I am majoring in Business Economics and am heavily involved on campus. I'm an active member of Albany Business Leaders Emerging, Club Lacrosse, and a Brother of the professional business fraternity, Delta Sigma Pi. Additionally, I am employed at a law firm as a Legal Assistant and Head of the Spanish Department, and at a tech startup as a Leadership Development Intern. At my job at the law firm, I communicate with around ten clients daily to address any concerns, questions, or outstanding issues they’ve been experiencing with their case. I translate documents, contracts, and emails frequently for the Attorneys and Paralegals. I frequently collaborate with other staff at my job to ensure an organized database, and timely retrieval of different medical records requests, summons, substitution notices, and further action requests are fulfilled for our client's best interest. As a Leadership Development Intern, I am responsible for taking initiative on my campus to execute various growth strategies to promote awareness and usage of the tech startup’s services. During weekly meetings, I participate in suggesting a variety of marketing tactics I have used for the other leadership development interns to consider implementing at their schools. My experience in leadership roles in various of my commitments, have all taught me valuable lessons about being selfless, humble, confident, and driven. Upon my academic and professional experiences, I reflected on these experiences which have shaped me to value uplifting others, providing valuable feedback to my team, taking the initiative to proceed with the unpaved road, and setting an example for those around me. The major shift in my attitude occurred when one of my extracurriculars had officer elections where my peers nominated me to be their Vice President. I was so honored to be seen as a leader by them. Although I was hesitant to take on this role because of its demanding nature, and strenuous responsibilities, I knew I had to do it not for myself but to help those around me. I was coming from a place of selflessness so accepted the nomination and was voted into my position. Throughout my term, I underwent tons of criticism, long papers that required my revision and writing, memorization, and emotional exhaustion from trying to please everyone. I did feel challenged at times but my peers vocalizing their appreciation for my efforts was what drove me to continue to lead us to success. I loved leading my peers because I put in tons of effort to make sure they felt confident, and motivated throughout the term but would also receive my help and support when it came to studying, assembling projects, and having a friend to turn to. Seeing their growth professionally and academically made any obstacles I faced worth it. Learning this about myself is what made me realize I must continue to be a leader to leave a positive impact on society, and those around me. My aspirations of becoming an attorney in the future will enable me to improve lives around me, serve my community, place me in a position to promote diversity, and excellent representation to Hispanic communities who may have been mistreated by others due to my experiences and values of putting others before myself. Leaders lift others and I plan on implementing this every day to come.

Generosity is not an act but a consistent pattern of exhibiting morals, kindness, and integrity to everyone. I measure it by the way people treat others and how you act when nobody is looking. Generosity is extremely meaningful to me because it is what separates people who are selfish and selfless. Do you return the shopping cart to its designated area when no one is around? Would you treat the CEO and the janitor with the same level of respect? These are things that affect people and correlate with how generous you are. During my experience as a Summer camp counselor, I worked in an affluent area that lacked diversity and had strong financial values. I enjoyed working with such kind children daily, but unfortunately, I faced micro-aggressions from the parents behind my back. Daily, I not only completed my responsibilities for them but cared for the kids too. I would do my campers' hair, spoke highly of them, and even support them outside of camp by attending their games or performances. They exhibited generosity by writing me kind notes, and drawings, asking me about my well-being, and helping me with carrying items. One day during parent pick-up I overheard a conversation from my camper's parent saying " Yeah she's not a lifeguard look at her hair and her last name is so exotic" to her spouse. I was the only one in my division who was Hispanic, with curly hair, and my last name comes from Ecuador it rhymes with "Gracias". I felt offended and so confused about how I've built a strong friendship with their child and this is what is said about me. This is why generosity is much more than a polite smile, and a wave. It is how you behave behind closed doors.

Three states, five towns, seven schools, first-generation American, native-Spanish speaker, older sister to an autistic brother, child of divorce: my litany may sound like a sob story, but this is my life, and has provided me with priceless experiences. I would rather people share my pride for the ways in which I overcame these trials than feel pity for how I have been asked to handle them. I was a shy eleven year old in Waterbury, Connecticut surrounded by family who all shared my Hispanic culture. The city was decent, but began to dull and subdue with each passing month. After three years of rocky co-parenting with my father, my mom and new stepfather wanted to start fresh. Little did I know, this would be one of many fresh starts: Katy, to Houston, to Missouri City, Texas to Smithtown, New York. But, why Texas? It’s all cowboys, cacti, and tornadoes. I believed I would never make friends. If you had asked me in Connecticut what I liked to do for fun, I would have shrugged my shoulders. While I dreaded reintroducing myself and speaking to strangers, every school in Texas I attended had a commonality: a way for me to thrive. When I could not make friends, my books were my friends. When I did not get invited out on the weekends, I hung out with my study guides. And then, I found clubs and sports. I took little time to get to know myself because I placed so much pressure on myself to be a role model for my siblings, please my parents, and make my family in Ecuador proud. Being comfortable does not help you grow. It was time for a change. Fear could no longer be an excuse and leaving my comfort zone was the best thing I ever did. I took the bull by the “Longhorns” and registered for Advanced Placement courses. Previously, I had never struggled to maintain an A average, but the courses were beyond challenging. On top of it all, I had no friends, sat alone at lunch, and dropped my stomach every time the teacher asked us to pick a partner. After reaching out for guidance, I was directed to participate in cross-country and join Distributive Education Clubs of America. Regardless of the “new girl” status, I took the risk, and am eternally grateful. DECA taught me leadership, integrity, and responsibility; running decreased my mile time by three minutes; and forging new friendships made me forget that shy girl from Connecticut. Then, as the rocky ground under my feet began to settle, we were uprooted again. I had finally become part of a team, an officer in DECA, and spent weekends with genuine friends. But my mom got a job on Long Island and majority of family lives on the East coast. I had a new little sister and my mom and stepfather needed the relocation. This time, I would´nt be afraid. I had done it before and I could do it again. Ironically symbolic of my ambition, my new school mascot was the Bulls. Once again, I took the bull by the horns and joined DECA, cross-country, and enrolled in AP courses. This time, without fear of starting conversations with strangers. I found myself thriving like never before due to my self-motivation rooted in love and support, rather than in self-deprecating pressure. At eleven years old, I just wanted to live comfortably in Waterbury, Connecticut for the rest of my life. Such simple advice changed everything, and I owe my confidence to conquer the world to opportunities for growth and risk-taking.

Merriam Webster defines legacy as a noun ¨something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or the past¨. I have always interpreted a legacy to have the possibility of being positive or negative to an individual. I understand that it can be materialistic such as monetary inheritance, but primarily I believe it is characteristics that are associated with a person's accomplishments, attitudes, and treatment of others. The opportunity to take on a positive legacy is significant for those in the institution or organization as well for example if a student graduates from a high school and consistently sets records for track races they would be a great role model, and mentor for the rest of the team. I think legacies that are left behind are all valuable no matter if they were positive or negative. A valuable legacy is someone that we can all learn from whether it be mistakes or achievements. It can be for athletic records, a 4.0 all AP student, or just the kid who was incredibly rude to everyone and slacked off. In my future, as I create new relationships I only aspire to leave a positive impact on others. I refuse to leave behind a legacy of a slacker, a bully, or of a conceited individual to follow my name. As I progress through my studies and part ways with my peers and teachers I want to leave behind the legacy of a kind, helpful, and prepared individual who is ready to persevere and chase her academic, professional, and personal dreams.

Three states, five towns, seven schools, first-generation American, native-Spanish speaker, older sister to an autistic brother, child of divorce: my litany may sound like a sob story, but this is my life, and it has provided me with priceless experiences. I would rather people share my pride for the ways in which I overcame these trials than feel pity for how I have been asked to handle them. I was a shy eleven year old in Waterbury, Connecticut surrounded by family and friends who all shared my Hispanic culture. The city was decent, but began to dull and subdue with each passing month. After three years of rocky co-parenting with my father, my mom and new stepfather wanted to start fresh. Little did I know, this would be one of many fresh starts: Katy, to Houston, to Missouri City, Texas to Smithtown, New York. But, why Texas? It’s all cowboys, cacti, and tornadoes. I knew myself and believed I would never make friends. If you had asked me in Connecticut what I liked to do for fun, I would have shrugged my shoulders. While I dreaded reintroducing myself and speaking to strangers, every school in Texas I attended had a commonality: a way for me to thrive. When I could not make friends, my books were my friends. When I did not get invited out on the weekends, I hung out with my study guides. And then, I found clubs and sports. I took little time to get to know myself because I placed so much pressure on myself to be a role model for my siblings, please my parents, and make my family in Ecuador proud. Being comfortable does not help you grow. It was time for a change. Fear could no longer be an excuse and leaving my comfort zone was the best thing I ever did. I took the bull by the “Longhorns” and registered for Advanced Placement courses. Previously, I had never struggled to maintain an A average, but the courses were beyond challenging. On top of it all, I had no friends, sat alone at lunch, and dropped my stomach every time the teacher asked us to pick a partner. After reaching out for guidance, the counselor suggested I participate in cross-country and join Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA). Regardless of the “new girl” status, I took the risk, and I am eternally grateful. DECA taught me leadership, integrity, and responsibility; running decreased my mile time by three minutes; and forging new friendships made me forget that shy girl from Connecticut. And then, as the rocky ground under my feet began to settle, we were uprooted again. I had finally become part of a team, an officer in DECA, and spent weekends with genuine friends. But my mom got a job on Long Island and much of our family lives in New York and Connecticut. I had a new little sister and my mom and stepfather wanted to be near family. This time, I would not be afraid. I had done it before and I could do it again. The scariest part of the move to Long Island would be pronouncing Hauppauge, Patchogue, and Wantagh in front of my sassy aunt and grandmother. Ironically symbolic of my ambition, my new school mascot was the Smithtown Bulls. Once again, I took the bull by the horns and joined DECA, cross-country, and enrolled in AP courses. This time, I was not afraid to start conversations with strangers. I found myself thriving like never before due to my self-motivation rooted in love and support, rather than in self-deprecating pressure. At eleven years old, I just wanted to live comfortably in Waterbury, Connecticut for the rest of my life. I hated running and socializing. Such simple advice changed everything, and I owe my confidence to conquer the world to opportunities for growth and taking risks.

I am the oldest sister of three, a first-generation American, and Spanish is my first language. These circumstances have shaped my life in such rigorous manners but I couldn’t be prouder of myself for handling it optimistically and learning to thrive in different environments. I have taken my situation as an opportunity to grow and set high goals for myself. My Mom had me at a very young age and was a single immigrant mom to my brother and me from Ecuador seeking out the opportunity for a better life. She came to this country with her family only speaking Spanish and with barely any connections to obtain a job. I was only taught Spanish before entering school because it is the primary language of my entire family. I was blessed to enter pre-k early and to learn English well from my teachers, classmates, and tv shows within three months. I am filled with gratitude that this came easily to me as I am aware learning new languages is a very challenging activity to do without the proper resources as I have first-hand witnessed my peers in elementary school struggle to fit in because of the language barrier. Pressure and stress are my most familiar companion as it has followed me around everywhere from a young age. I’m not only referring to bringing home D’s on an occasional spelling test or doing bad at a youth soccer game. I felt physical pain and nausea when the time came to ride the bus home with my bullies snickering at my accent every day from first grade up, transferring schools and being placed in a special ed class because I’m bilingual at home, prepping my mom for parent’s open house night to speak with my teachers. These struggles taught me to unapologetically pursue what was right and what I deserved. For the few specific examples, I gave I’m glad to say I overcame these problems. I was able to stand up to my bully and after a conversation with him I ended up learning he had fostered a fit of jealousy for my ability to speak Spanish fluently. I spoke with the administration at my new school to let me take an exam and was placed into classes for where I belonged and even advanced high school credit Spanish classes in middle school. My mom also agreed to let me teach her English and correct her and now she speaks it fluently and I don’t need to prepare her for my sibling’s open house. Being the firstborn in a first-generation family is a challenging experience but by taking risks and pursuing what is right I can confidently say that I learned pressure makes the diamond form and grow.

Welcome to the moment I learned what I wanted to do after high school and my social awkwardness melted away. By participating in the Distributive Education Clubs Of America competition sophomore year of high school. I had transferred schools and struggled to make friends until I got recruited into this business club. Before this, my self-confidence was on the ground as I never won awards and lacked a sense of direction. These photos capture the moment I felt the proudest of myself in ages for becoming top 5 in the district and going on to compete at states.

Involvement in the community is essential to creating a positive, warm, and supportive environment. I’m a firm believer in the Law of Attraction, the philosophy that you attract whatever thoughts and energy you release around you which has led me to engage with my community in an optimistic manner through volunteering time to charitable local causes, establishing relationships, and participating in a variety of events. I’m currently a high school senior and have moved over five times including three different states, and with each move, I’ve gained a plethora of knowledge, opportunities, and advice thanks to each community I was a part of. I aspire to someday provide what I’ve had the privilege to receive to my community through my future career. Although my future career is uncertain and sensitive to change as I further my studies; I currently plan on fulfilling my dreams to become an attorney and participate in running for congress in the upcoming years. Involvement in the community fosters safety, friendships, cultural competence, and with the right attitude creates a place people can comfortably call home. If others are involved in the community it’s vastly beneficial to themselves as they can create friendships that wouldn’t have been made otherwise, and to multiple people, friendship is extremely valuable. These friendships, as valuable as they are on their own are versatile and can lead towards networking that may be a resource to you later in life. Additionally lowering crime rates, and gaining a deeper understanding of other cultures create a well-rounded individual, but nurtures this for generations to come. As I have transferred schools I have especially valued my involvement in each community to create friendships, and relish the opportunities. To elaborate on a specific scenario a few months ago I committed to becoming a volunteer over the summer to clean up beaches with a local organization. I’ve enjoyed participating in this as it’s provided me first-hand knowledge and insight into caring for our environment. My participation in community service has proven to me how significant it is to care for the environment and inspires me to brainstorm environmentally friendly legislation and alternatives to everyday occurrences. I’m going to help my community in the future by continuing to volunteer time to maintain the environment especially the beaches of what’s now my home. As a future politician and attorney, it’s important to be involved in the community so by volunteering and completing monetary donations when possible I will fulfill my goals of leaving a positive contribution.

Meet Henry and Kaia a dynamic, distinctive duo of siblings. These two fluff balls are the epitome of opposites; Henry being the younger brother filled with energy and Kaia being the older chill sister who's always ready to cuddle with you. When I admire them they remind me of my younger brother, and I's the similar relationship. When they joined the family last year my family and I began their Instagram (@Henry.and.kaia) to document their adventures, stylish outfits, and their birthdays and holiday celebrations. As my first pets, they've shown me compassion, and loyalty while teaching me responsibility every day.