I am a third-year student at Saint Cloud State University pursuing a degree in Business Management. I am one out of five children, and along with my twin sister, we are the first in our home to go to college. Change isn’t anything new to me; all my life my family has had to learn how to adapt, whether it’s new beginnings, places of work, or neighborhoods. So when it came time to go to college, I knew that I was capable of taking this huge step. My personal goal while in college is to find my passion. I want to find that spark that gets me up every morning. I hope to expand my plate of knowledge and explore the clubs, classes, and programs college has available to me. Through this, I hope that I find something that I can make a career in. Passion, motivation, and happiness are what I am trying to find as I pursue my college degree at St.Cloud State University. Sometimes College is very difficult and I have shed so many tears to the point that I feel as if there are none left to fall. Just like the many crying sessions that I have had, I have also enjoyed many moments. I have met career professionals, made new friends, and had the opportunity to travel a bit. I want to break the barriers that have followed my family for years. The barrier of having the career of your choice, the barrier of having a house, and the barrier of fear. Pursuing higher education has allowed me to be the one that surpasses these barriers. College allows me to study what I want and who I want to become. My experience while in college has helped me look further passed walking across a stage and receiving a diploma. Receiving an education has allowed me to set my sights beyond just performing "the cycle of life". I now believe I have to potential to open a business and bring my personal values to a workspace that overlooks people like me. Education has allowed me to understand the concepts of cause and effect of products and services. This has brought value to me because I have grown, received opportunities, and have become the first in my family to pursue higher education. I now believe that I am capable of achieving anything I put my mind to.

A great man once said that “ A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” (George R.R Martin). In my 21 years of living, I can vouch for that and say that I have gone through many different adventures in my history of getting lost in the world of reading. Through reading, I have gone through arch nemesis trying to steal boyfriends. I have been on set for “Carmen in Charge '' while trying to keep my privacy from the crazy paparazzi in New York City. I have had SO much secondhand embarrassment from all my main characters that have put themselves in the most awkward situations. I have been through break-ups, make-ups, arguments, family drama and heart aches. Sometimes it’s hard to keep track and I mix up stories that create a whole other fantasy in my head. Through all the different book covers, authors, and characters. There is indeed one book that stands out. It doesn't involve romance so there are no cringe-worthy paragraphs. It is simply a book that travels back in time and makes you wonder if the world you live in is a simulation….”Running out of Time” By Margaret Peterson Haddix is a book that I believe everyone in the world should read at least once in their lifetimes. This book is less than 200 pages therefore it will not take an immense amount of time to complete. This book should be read by everyone because it takes you back in time, the 1840’s to be exact. Where Jessie Keyser lives the life of a typical girl during that time. She goes to school, helps her father with the labor work and fights constantly with her older siblings. It isn’t until an outbreak of Diphtheria that turns her world upside down. Jessie is informed that her whole way of living is a lie for a tourist attraction. Jessie must now save her family and fellow townspeople, but how? This book is a mystery with twists and turns that will give you nostalgia for those elementary silent reading time days. It is an adventure through time of truth and lies.

I come from insane winters and a few months of summer. I’m from attending the drive-in as much as possible before it gets too cold, yet being super excited for the first snowfall and hoping the view stays for a white Christmas. Minnesota tends to be very bipolar in terms of the weather. It’ll rain, snow, hail, and then the sun will shine its brightest, all in the middle of April! I am a third year student at Saint Cloud State University pursuing a degree in Business Management. I am one out of five children, along with my twin sister we are the first in our home to go to college. Change isn’t anything new to me; all my life my family has had to learn how to adapt whether it’s new beginnings, places of work, or neighborhoods. My family moved from Mexico to California, which is where my story starts but only takes place for three years. From California, we made our way to Minnesota because my mom followed my grandma. We started in Burnsville, in a trailer park. Then after ten years my family was blessed to have a home in Coon Rapids Minnesota. Growing up hispanic, there has always been a sense of fear when tackling the world. I have never been embarrassed of coming from Mexican descent but I have always had to second guess my words. Sometimes I have been afraid to speak in Spanish when out and about because other people perceive different things. They think that I am talking about them or that I am saying something hurtful. Some people then assume that I only speak Spanish, therefore they have tried to speak to me in a slower motion or imitate Spanish before realizing that I speak English just as well as they do. These assumptions have helped me go into the world respecting people by not belittling them for the language they speak. My Hispanic background has also made me grateful for having a united family. I have realized that through all the thick and thin, family has always been a core value of a Hispanic household. It was a shock to me when I learned that other families from other backgrounds don’t always sit together at dinnertime or help each other move to a new house. Family unity has helped me go out into the world willing to lend a hand and be ready to help someone in need. Being Hispanic has helped me to learn respect and kindness. I have known what it feels to be able to navigate hardships such as assumptions and facing curveballs. I have realized that not all people are willing to set aside their own needs and wants to support someone they love let alone someone they do not know. Coming from a Hispanic background has taught me how to stay connected to loved ones by maintaining a tight unit. It has also taught me the importance of accepting someone and acknowledging them as equal to me rather than less due to the differences we have from one another.

I come from insane winters and a few months of summer. I’m from attending the drive-in as much as possible before it gets too cold, yet being super excited for the first snowfall and hoping the view stays for a white Christmas. Minnesota tends to be very bipolar in terms of the weather. It’ll rain, snow, hail, and then the sun will shine its brightest, all in the middle of April! I live in a home with three wild sisters and a hard working mother. I am now a second year college student currently majoring in Business Management. At times I am still figuring out what I want to do in my life. While I was in high school my greatest goal was to get good grades and get into college. Now that I am in college, I wonder where will good grades take me in the future? Ever since my first week of college I cannot stop thinking about what I am going to do after graduation. I have realized that wherever I choose to go, that may be the place I am in for most or the rest of my life. Although I am still figuring out the exact thing I want to do once I am out of college, I know that the world is filled with people waiting for a chance. Some receive it and some don’t. I was one of the lucky ones; I’ve had people invested in me, people who gave me the opportunity to better myself. For example, I’ve met people like Kleber Ortiz and Jose Alvilar when I joined programs such as Navigate and Legacy Keepers. Both of these men helped me come out of my shell. They have both helped me grow through their guidance and passion in supporting the youth. Because of these mentors and many more, I aspire to be that person for young kids one day. I want to be the type of adult that understands kids, the one that listens to them. The one that helps them in whatever way I can. Giving back to my community means being a part of it. I don’t want to just invest donations, I want to invest time and effort, the same way these mentors have done for me. I believe that once I’ve reached out to the youth, I can give them the chance they deserve. I can help young lives believe in themselves. By becoming a mentor myself and motiving youth as was done to me, I can ensure a positive impact in my community and the world.

It was the middle of the night, I was awaken to a large doll looking straight at me, and that very moment was one of the most scariest moments of my life. Yet, in a split second I became exceedingly happy. Behind that big doll was some of my family members from Texas, they came to surprise us, and I was definitely left surprised. Among them was my aunt Lizette who I grew up with. She left to Texas for a while and I was left very depressed, so seeing her made me feel beyond content.

My love for reading started in middle school, I loved escaping the real world and learned a little bit more each time I opened a book. Towards my last year of high school, my love for books came to a pause. I became so busy with my future that I forgot what it meant to escape. Then I walked past the book aisle at Target and found a catchy cover to a book titled "You had me at Hola", by Alexis Daria. This book reminded me of something I loved. Although "You had me at Hola" reminded me of my love for reading, it is not the most inspiring book I have read. After reading the latest hits, such as "I am not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter", and "With the Fire on High", one book in particular left a stamp in my heart. one day I started to read "Grown" by Tiffany D. Jackson, and as soon as I opened this book, I could not put it down. "Grown" is about a young girl, Enchanted chasing her dreams to become singer superstar. This book brings the reality African American girls and women face when it comes to rape and abuse of power. This book is inspiring to me because regardless of what Enchanted faced, she never stopped fighting to prove her innocence. Enchanted's family, also never stops fighting for her, regardless of how much Enchanted pushed them away. This book thought me resilience and how strong family love is. This book made me cry, it made me angry, but it also gave me hope. This book ends in a just way, that lets readers know, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

My dogs name is Dolly, she was given to my family by the pastor at our church. When these pictures were taken, she had just given birth to puppies about a month before(the dogs by her side). We were scared for Dolly's health, just because it was her first time having puppies and we did not know what to do or what to expect. Yet here she is a month later, freshly groomed and doing better than ever. That is why these pictures mean so much to me.

As the years go by and life becomes more and more busy, it is easy to lose myself in the daily tasks of life. I become more focuses on due dates, research papers, and homework. Whereas when I was younger there was more time for hobbies and imagination. Somedays I have desires to give into my interests but by the time I get home, all I can think about is going to sleep. So to stay true to myself and not let the hardships of life get the best of me, I strictly take the evenings to myself. By six O' Clock in the afternoon, I do my best to leave that time forward for my personal agenda. At this time, homework, meetings, and daily tasks do not matter. I take this time to read a book, watch my favorite show or work on any personal goals that I have at the moment. This helps me remember what is most important to me. It helps me remember what I hope to achieve in life. This is how I stay true to myself.

At the moment I am not an official mentor through a program for anyone. I know that I am a role model to my two younger sisters. When I think that I don't do enough they surprise me by saying how much they look up to me. They mention how I always push them to do their best and never give up. Here I thought, I was the older sister that nags them all the time. Throughout High School, I have participated in many programs where I had many mentors of my own. In the future I hope to participate in a Mentor/Mentee program called LYLA (Latina Youth Leadership Academy). I hope to inspire a young girl the same way I have inspired my sisters, the same way my mentor has inspired me. I hope to be that person that constantly bothers them to get their life together ,even if it means that they'll hate me for a while. I hope to be the person that never gave up on them. That way, when tomorrow comes, there is no excuse for failing. Through my mentorship of others I hope to create a chain of young people becoming adults that push the next generation to fight for what they want.

I come from insane winters and a few months of summer. I’m from attending the drive-in as much as possible before it gets too cold, yet being super excited for the first snowfall and hoping the view stays for a white Christmas. Minnesota tends to be very bipolar in terms of the weather. It’ll rain, snow, hail, and then the sun will shine its brightest, all in the middle of April! I live in a home with three wild sisters and a hard working mother. I am now a second year college student currently majoring in Business Management. At times I am still figuring out what I want to do in my life. While I was in high school my greatest goal was to get good grades and get into college. Now that I am in college, I wonder where will good grades take me in the future? Ever since my first week of college I cannot stop thinking about what I am going to do after graduation. I have realized that wherever I choose to go, that may be the place I am in for most or the rest of my life. My personal goal while in college is to find my passion. I want to find that spark that gets me up every morning. I hope to expand my plate of knowledge and explore the clubs, classes, and programs college has available to me. Through this, my hope is that I find something that I can make a career in. Throughout high school, I was involved in many Latinx and community-based groups which is why, aside from my career goals, I hope to devote my time to volunteering through mentorship. For example, through Latina Youth Leadership Academy (LYLA) where I'll be working with a young Latina. As a role model, I could show her my workplace and motivate her to go onto college and become a type of professional. Maybe I can help her find her spark. The world is filled with people waiting for a chance. Some receive it and some don’t. I was one of the lucky ones; I’ve had people invested in me, people who gave me the opportunity to better myself. For example, I’ve met people like Kleber Ortiz and Jose Alvilar when I joined programs such as Navigate and Legacy Keepers. Both of these men helped me come out of my shell. They have both helped me grow through their guidance and passion in supporting the youth. Because of these mentors and many more, I aspire to be that person for young kids one day. I want to be the type of adult that understands kids, the one that listens to them. The one that helps them in whatever way I can. Giving back to my community means being a part of it. I don’t want to just invest donations, I want to invest time and effort, the same way these mentors have done for me. I believe that once I’ve reached out to the youth, I can give them the chance they deserve. I can help young lives believe in themselves.

In my life there is three very significant women who have shaped me into the young lady I am today. These women have thought me many lessons through their advice and their actions. I work everyday to make them proud and to make sure that their hard work has paid off. Starting with my grandma, I admire her will to keep going. When my grandma was living in California and she could not find a job she would make clothes and sell them to anyone willing to buy them. My mom says that at times my grandma would put in over 12 hours a day washing clothes for other people. Even now at such an age my grandma still puts in the efforts to clean apartments, leaving them spotless. Even when the pandemic started and she was forced to stay home, instead of taking a break she thought herself how to make masks and lived off of selling that for a couple of months. My grandma does not stop, she always finds a way to make it through, especially in hard times. Another woman in life that I admire is my aunt. Much like my grandma she finds a way to make it through difficult times. I have seen my aunt hold two to three jobs, as soon as she is done with one she rushes to the next. My aunt has held many jobs, from cleaning homes, to medical assembly, to working at the amazon warehouse. I admire that although my aunt works like no person I have seen in my life, she still fights to do something she loves. If my aunt is not happy with what she does, she leaves and does not turn back. She may seem like a victim to survival in todays society, but to me she still shines bright and holds onto that fuel. Lastly, the women that I admire the most is my mother. I admire the power my mother has to be selfless and live for her children. My mom will give up her last piece of bread for her children without complaint. My mom has shown me a love that I still cannot believe exists. It makes me wonder if I have the ability to care for someone as much as my mom does. There is so many things that have happened behind the scenes that the words of gratitude are not enough. These three women have helped me learn hard work, determination, and to not be selfish. These women have thought me to fight for my dreams and work hard to accomplish what I want in life. They have thought me that giving up is not an answer. I hope to carry this determination to my future career. When I get older I hope to stay motivated and passionate about what I do. I hope to leave whenever I am not happy like my aunt. I hope to give back to others without question or a care about what I am losing like my mother. I hope to put in the work to reach my goal like my grandmother. This is why these women stand out the most to me.

Watching movies is actually something big in my family, I think its because for a long time the only technology in our home was a TV. We did not have cable, my siblings and I had the old TV that you had to hit to get it working. We relied on VCRs and DVDs, many of those we would just watch back to back. As soon as it ended, we would rewind the film. Some of the films were Save the Last Dance, Moses: Prince of Egypt, and Veggie Tales. When it comes to my all time favorite, the award goes to Gregory's Nava's My Family. With my favorite actor Edward James Olmos as the narrator, I never grow bored of this film. My Family is my favorite because it reminds me of my own family. They have one house shared among about nine family members. A loving mother, a hard working father, and individually crazy kids. My favorite part is when Toni convinces Jimmy to marry a Salvadoran refugee, Isabella just to keep her in the United States. This marriage is not exactly...real, however, to Isabella it is. So Isabella runs to Jimmy's parents where everyone hears the drama and gang up on Jimmy and Toni. This part speaks up to me the most because, Toni and Jimmy are not very close. Yet they stand tall next to each other against the whole family which reminds me of the relationship I have with my own brother. This whole family argument is funny, frustrating, and reprimanding which is very similar to what happens in my home. I just see my family in this film and it takes place in my place of birth, California. This is why this film is my all time favorite.

I think many of us believe that giving back to our community can only happen through money or having a huge social media platform. I have come to realize that this is not true. Of course, money and a huge following can help in many ways. However, making an impact on someone to where it results in positive solutions can do a lot more for a community than money or a huge following. I am giving back to my community by being a Sunday school teacher for my church. I have been a teacher for about five years now. Being a Sunday school teacher involves setting up lesson plans based on the Bible. There is also a need to care for the children while the service is going on. Due to my young age it is easy for the children to seen me as a friend rather than an authority figure. Many of the children take the time to tell me their feelings and frustrations. Especially now that I am in college, I am seen as significant role model for many of the children. Listening to the children and trying to accommodate lessons in a way that they can all learn is what makes an impact to their lives. Being a good role model for these children is what can create a future generation of hopeful kids. I hope that my actions as a role model and a friend can impact these kids in a way that they grow to believe in themselves. I hope they feel motivated to fight and work hard for their dreams. When the day comes for them to go to college I hope that they count on me to help them along the way and to get through the process. As I get older I plan to continue towards my mentoring journey and do it more often. During my last two years of high school I joined LYLA, Latina Youth Leadership Academy. Through this program I had the opportunity to have a mentor who helped me navigate those last two years of high school. In my future I hope to be that mentor for a young girl. Young people tend to be victims of anger and hatred because of the cards life has handed to them. Many times they just need someone to give them a chance, someone that will help lead them into the right direction in life. I hope to be that person now and later in my future. I believe that this will create a never ending cycle of youth becoming mentors for those in need. This can create people willing to help one another and give guidance to those that seem lost. This is what I hope to do for my community in the future so that it is better than when I entered it.

When I first started High School, I did not even want to look anyone in the eye. I was so shy and nervous that I was practically scared of everyone. With this fear constantly on my mind, I knew that I had to get out there and step out of my comfort zone. I also knew that college applications like seeing a thing or two on your resume. To be honest that is what pushed me the most to get involved with school activities. This is when I applied for the Legacy Keepers Social Justice African American cadre. I was very proud of myself for taking this step. Which to me was very big. Then I got the email saying that the African American cadre was full. Right before my disappointment got the best of me, I kept reading. To my surprise, there was a "but". That year in particular they had a Latinx/Chicanx cadre. Applying for this opportunity was the start of everything. This program consisted of learning social justice and leadership. I learned history about my people that I had no idea existed. I also found a love for learning and I realized that there are many injustices that exist for people of color. Taking a look back at history and understanding what oppression means was just a few of the many things I took from this experience. Something that really captured my heart was meeting the lead facilitator of this trip, Kleber Ortiz. Kleber thought the Saturday morning classes and explained everything in perfect detail. Kleber always came with a smile and was ready for all my questions. After a few months, we had the actual road trip and I was able to see Kleber open up to us and describe the hope he has for the future because of all the students present in that room. That night Kleber cried, tears of depression, anger, and hope. For many of us Kleber became like a father figure. Once the trip was coming to an end, Kleber and I talked for a while. Although I was putting myself out there I also stayed to myself most of the time. Kleber mentioned that maybe for the next year I could be a co-facilitator. I looked at him in disbelief and expressed that I could not do that. Kleber then told me "I was like you before". Honestly, when he said that I did not believe him. He was so out-spoken and gave so much knowledge, there was no way he was the shy kid. Kleber helped me realize my worth, my importance, and that I am capable of anything I set myself to do. This experience shaped the understanding of myself by making me aware of the importance of my voice and my actions. I was able to find my hidden powers. I learned that for things to change I have to step up and fight injustice. I now see the world with wider eyes and I have realized that it is not okay to turn the other way when people are being treated unfairly. I now also understand that my community is my greatest support and resource. My community can help me find the unknown answers. I can depend on my community to lend a hand when times get rough. I also learned the importance of learning from my community, especially the elders that have been here before me. I learned all of this through Kleber and I use them daily to fight injustice. I hope to impact the future youth as Kleber has done for me by being that spark that helps them believe in themselves.

I sit in the living room hoping it will all be fine. I cannot stop thinking about the intense school work I have, or the number of clothes I have to take to the laundromat later this evening. I take a deep breath, as my mom calls out telling me to hurry up. Our washer broke, the exact week that I was going to catch up on my homework, the week where I was going to study for my IB English quiz. But through this and all the family drama and other intense work, I have from school I get up, get into the car, and help my mom out. It’s now 11:00 pm, and I do not know whether to read one more chapter or take those 20 minutes and get ready for bed. I choose to go to bed. “I’ll make it up in the morning,” I say, knowing I’ll snooze through my alarms until the very last minute. I go to school, add a few more things to my agenda and next thing I know, it's Friday! I made time for English, but almost no time for IB History. Now I’m one quiz ahead and three homework assignments behind. This is when anxiety starts to kick in. I hold my breath and say to suck it up. You see, in my house, there’s no time for working on one’s mental health. It’s not that my parents don’t value my mental well-being, there’s just so much to do that as soon as that cold shiver runs through my spine all I can bring myself to do is the next thing on my agenda. My mother tends to be busy with work and church and she finds herself constantly running around to attend to the needs of her four children other than myself. She deeply tries her best to give all the financial, mental, and emotional support her growing kids need. However, this year is when I told myself that it is a problem. My mental state is not okay and I need to take a step back. It was hard to admit this to myself, for some reason it was hard for me to let myself cry. In this process of accepting that my mental state wasn’t healthy at all, I looked to God for help. I prayed for as long as I felt I had to. Then I did it… I cried non-stop and it actually felt good, as if there was just a sense of coolness but not the scary kind, a nice one. I’ve allowed myself to open up to my mental state, but I’m still working on allowing others to know and help me. Through the pain and worries, I still stand and allow myself to cry. Nowadays, I give myself a break and slow down when I know enough is enough. I still handle many problems through prayer, the feeling of someone listening and not judging my words is what gives me a sense of understanding. I have learned to talk about my problems and not keep them closed in. I even started to open up to my family more, mainly my mother. As expressed, my mental health has not been at its best, due to the overwhelming amount of things to do at home and school, but I’ve learned to overcome it. In college, this is important because I have learned to recognize my anxiety and I have learned to manage it and tell myself when enough is enough. I know when to cool down and when it is time to work; I have learned to work with my mind and engage in a way to where I’m not completely losing my mind. I’m not perfect, I still have my moments and want to explode! To help deal with my mental health one of the biggest things I do is talk, I let it all out to a person I trust. I also allow brain breaks for myself, after 30 minutes of actual focus time I let myself have a 10-15 minute fun time, I usually just use my phone during those couple of minutes. Those few minutes of relaxation are exactly what I need to do whatever comes next.

For many years I thought that leaving a legacy behind was only meant for famous people. I felt as if there was no way that a regular person like me could leave something behind in this world. To me a legacy is making an impact on someone. An impact that makes that someone do something better for their own good. I once had a shirt that said "create something that will last forever". I know, I know, it's corny, but that is the type of impact I am talking about. To me leaving a legacy means leaving something behind that will make me unforgettable. However, not in the form of praise. To better explain, I want my good deeds to be unforgettable more than myself as a person. I hope that those deeds are then repeated over and over again. I wonder if there is more value in one legacy than another. Most legacies are tied to fame and wealth, in the eyes of most people those legacies may be more important than, creating an orphanage, or helping free enslaved African Americans. In all, for these reasons to me there can be different kinds of valuable legacies. It just depends on who is looking. To be honest, I have not put too much thought in the type of legacy that I want to leave behind. As mentioned, I thought leaving a legacy behind only belonged to famous people. I hope to leave a legacy of taking action. I hope to inspire other youth to take action for what is right regardless of their age. I hope to inspire shy youth to find their voice as I once did. The type of legacy that I hope to leave behind is inspiration, inspiration to stand tall and take action.

For a long time, I thought college was my mother's dream. My relatives in general actually. Everyone is always saying how important it is to go to college. Everyone always says "go to college and get a good job". So that is what I did, just being in college feels like an outstanding achievement. Now I ask myself, Why am I still here? As a college freshman, college has helped me realize the importance of myself. I have discovered a whole new love for learning. I have realized how important it is to learn things for myself and to take advantage of the diversity that college has to offer. I have extreme support systems that have allowed me to be connected to the different resources available to me. I have stayed in college because what I learn now is preparing me for the future that I want. I do not want to settle for one thing, I want to know a little bit of everything. From there I hope to learn how to turn my love for variety into a career, but for that, I have about three years left to figure it out. To help with my diversity I am currently involved with the Society for Human Resouces. From this, I hope to grow my connections and get the feels of what it means to be working in an office setting. I am also involved with the Latin American Student Association to learn more about my culture and the diversity of Latin America. Outside of school, I have been involved with Unidos as a part of the Youth Fellows program. We are currently working on education social justice by fighting to get Ethnic Studies as a requirement for all public schools in Minnesota. I am currently passionate about working with youth and being in an office. I do see myself being a businesswoman. Yet I do not want to leave my community behind. I am still finding ways to mix both of these and make a career with a decent living wage. As mentioned, I have a good chunk of time to figure that out. Overall I just love to breach out, see, learn, and experience anything that I can.

When I first started High School, I did not even want to look anyone in the eye. I was so shy and nervous that I was practically scared of everyone. With this fear constantly on my mind, I knew that I had to get out there and step out of my comfort zone. I also knew that college applications like seeing a thing or two on your resume. To be honest that is what pushed me the most to get involved with school activities. This is when I applied for the Legacy Keepers Social Justice African American cadre. I was very proud of myself for taking this step. Which to me was very big. Then I got the email saying that the African American cadre was full. Right before my disappointment got the best of me, I kept reading. To my surprise, there was a "but". That year in particular they had a Latinx/Chicanx cadre. Applying for this opportunity was the start of everything. This program consisted of learning social justice and leadership. I learned history about my people that I had no idea existed. I also found a love for learning and I realized that there are many injustices that exist for people of color. Taking a look back at history and understanding what oppression means was just a few of the many things I took from this experience. Something that really captured my heart was meeting the lead facilitator of this trip, Kleber Ortiz. Kleber thought the Saturday morning classes and explained everything in perfect detail. After a few months, we had the actual road trip and I was able to see Kleber open up to us and describe the hope he has for the future because of all the students present in that room. Once the trip was coming to an end, Kleber and I talked for a while. Although I was putting myself out there I also stayed to myself most of the time. Kleber mentioned that maybe for the next year I could be a co-facilitator. I expressed that I could not do that. Kleber then told me "I was like you before". Honestly, I did not believe him. He was so out-spoken and gave so much knowledge, there was no way he was the shy kid. Kleber helped me realize my worth, my importance, and that I am capable of anything. This experience shaped the understanding of myself by making me aware of the importance of my voice and my actions. I was able to find my hidden powers. I learned that for things to change I have to step up and fight injustice. I now see the world with wider eyes and I have realized that it is not okay to turn the other way when people are being treated unfairly. I now also understand that my community is my greatest support and resource. My community can help me find the unknown answers. I can depend on my community to lend a hand when times get rough. I also learned the importance of learning from my community, especially the elders that have been here before me.