In the eyes of my Hispanic family, I am a failure. If your career path does not align with becoming a doctor or lawyer, in the eyes of older Hispanic relatives higher education is a waste of time. During high school, I had been set on becoming an immigration attorney and I was the pride of joy of the Rosero family. I crumbled at the high expectations my family set on me and the day I decided to pursue the career that genuinely made me happy, is the day I became a failure. Typically, one can expect family to always have your back despite any obstacle, yet despite my 4.0 GPA as a junior in college it is insufficient for greatness. As a first-generation college student and the oldest of my cousins, the pressure for me to strive for perfection is immense. I faced harsh judgment from my mother which led to the destruction of our once solid relationship. My mother has always been my support system and to not be on speaking terms with her truly broke my heart and spirit. Although we had basic interactions, to this day our relationship has never been able to reconcile. This experience made me second guess whether becoming an educator is something I wanted. Deep within my heart I knew becoming a Bilingual teacher was my true calling. Even though I wasn’t becoming the doctor or lawyer my family dreamt of, I still know my role in society is essential. Providing education to bilingual students is the form in which I give back to my community. Helping the Latino community through education is one of the greatest gifts I can provide since the connection between my students and I are unmatched. I speak from personal experience because as a Teacher Assistant, I see this heartwarming sense of connection with children as young as three years old. My presence brings comfort for Spanish speakers because knowing someone in an unfamiliar setting can also speak your language gives you comfort. I was once a child entering the school system with a low proficiency in English and I was privileged enough to have bilingual educators in my upbringing. Despite the condescending comments my family makes to me I will continue my path to becoming a bilingual educator. Never did I think the hardest obstacle I would face in life would be the disapproval and lack of support from my family. I have now matured in the sense of no longer pleasing others, and prioritizing my aspirations. I will no longer live out their dream but my own.

Olivia Rodrigo has been an iconic individual throughout her upbringing, that young girl I watched on screen in the American Girl movie now turned into a public figure. Her albums portray a clear depiction of girlhood, for instance, heartbreak resonated within the SOUR album. However, within her most recent album, "GUTS", my ultimate essence of adolescence is expressed although out, "Pretty isn't pretty". If I was able, to sum up my teenage experience in lyrics it would be "You fix thе things you hated and you'd still feel so insecure". Overall, the principle that is being highlighted is the reality of being a girl. Insecurities vary from person to person, but women are held to such high standards of perfection, that it is nearly impossible not to feel insecure during adolescence. Even with attempts at covering our imperfections, we are still unsatisfied. Unsatisfied with our appearances, abilities, or intellect, simply because we do not feel enough. In the case of beauty, with the application of makeup, we can superficially cover our insecurities, but the root cause remains an open wound. Within our current generation, social media is complacent in feeding into our insecurities. The pressure on young girls to display themselves as grown has been an ongoing issue amongst all eras in time. The visuals seen on our phones are susceptible to altering our perspectives of what true beauty can be deemed as. With technological advancements, there is now Photoshop and it is what young minds fail to look past. When I was a teenager the Instagram posts I would see were what I believed was true, I was naive to the fact that those pictures I saw were edited. This manifested in the beginning of my battle against body dysmorphia because I was frequently examining myself in the mirror. No matter what I did I was never satisfied with my appearance. The sense of insecurity will never leave unless a growth mindset is obtained. Coming to terms with self-acceptance and appreciation was ultimately my savior. Referring back to the theme of insecurities, cosmetic surgery is one of the greatest blessings and curses of our generation. Fixing insecurities with surgery can produce temporary satisfaction, but over time it can ultimately backfire. One can begin to pick at each imperfection and unknowingly depend on a result through cosmetic surgery. There were times in which I would sob staring at my reflection in the mirror just asking myself, "Why am I not enough?". Despite all the makeup I would wear, once it was time to remove it, my acne would present itself. Acne is a common occurrence, especially throughout adolescence, and it exhausting going through that period. The youth deserves to experience enjoyable moments and look beyond insecurities, but unfortunately, that pain is inevitable for some.

The education system is currently facing a crisis, with an overwhelming amount of educators leaving the field. Therefore, it is imperative for those studying to become an educator to always be reminded of why they have chosen this career path. I am working towards becoming an ESL educator and my job is to inspire my students to overcome the language barrier. Encouraging them to work hard in learning the English language to obtain an equitable education. I would encourage my students to follow their aspirations and not let others affect their lives. My students will always be encouraged to perform and excel at every task they complete, despite how big or small it may be. Setting high expectations will increase their academic abilities and will enlighten their spirits. Curiosity will always be encouraged because I want my students to ask the question, "Why?". Understanding why certain things happen will strengthen their problem-solving abilities, and provide support to eventually solving complex issues in their future lives. I want to inspire my students to have the traits; of compassion, kindness, critical thinking, creativity, and confidence. Since I will specialize in ESL students I will always encourage confidence in my classroom. Providing my students with an inclusive classroom setting they will feel at home. Incorporating my student's diverse cultures and languages will only increase my sense of welcome for my students. The youth who will step foot in my classroom will know that having compassion for others is an essential skill to have. Caring for others and creating bonds with classmates will improve the education experience for my students. I will always tell my students that education is essential to success because knowledge is an ability that can never be taken away from you. I will motivate my students to strive for greatness and to always help others.