Rising in times of change and uncertainty. I moved here three years ago from Spain, looking for a better future for myself. Unemployment was looking like the most probable option for me, and if I knew one thing, was that I wanted to make better use of my personal and professional capabilities. One of the things that I accomplished and that I am proud of was finding a job, not even two weeks after coming. That taught me that this is really the land of opportunities and that if I set my mind to it, there is always at least one company offering a job out there. However, I think that my biggest achievement to date is to get enrolled in community college. Two years after getting here, I found an opportunity to enroll in Dallas College, near where I live, and started working to get my associate's degree. This is probably something that I am really proud of and that makes me feel like I can handle whatever hurdles that life sends my way, no matter where they are coming from. Another thing that I am very proud of is my evolution in my current job. Within the past six months, I have gotten an increase in working hours, a raise, and a few tasks to take care of within the company. This has led me to believe that I am capable of taking leadership in my work, as well as owning what I do every day and trying to exceed the expectations that, not only others have in me and my performance, but the ones that I set for myself. What these experiences have taught me about myself is that I should be proud of what I decided to do when presented with the chance of staying in Spain and coming here. I think that opportunity costs are really present in everyone's choices all the time and that who knows where I would be today if I had decided to settle with what I had at the time in Spain. If anything, I am setting my views to where I want to be in the next six months to a year, not only personally but professionally and academically speaking. I hope to be able to show myself what else I can do, and hopefully, these stories will help me educate others in the future that they, as well as I did, can rise in times of uncertainty and change.

Most people think that the woman that most influences someone's life is their mom. Some may be surprised to hear that that is not my case. Even though I admire my mom to an unimaginable level, my sister is the woman who holds my highest regards and admiration today. My sister is probably the strongest person I know. She decided to move from our hometown with a couple of thousand dollars, a dream in her mind, to get a better future for herself, and that ambition that few people get to feel at least once in their life. Ever since then, she has exponentially grown in her career, as well as personally. I would say that, at times, she knows me better than I know myself. We have grown incredibly close together besides our seven-year age difference because our mom put us to share a room as soon as I was "old enough" to share a room with my younger brother. My sister has taught me that ambition and a good support system, mainly family, are more than enough to reach for the stars and that one can accomplish what one set one's mind to do. My sister is my rock today, she keeps me accountable, pushes me to become my best self every day, and I only hope that I can be half the woman she is today when I get to her age.

Most people think that the woman that most influences someone's life is their mom. Some may be surprised to hear that that is not my case. Even though I admire my mom to an unimaginable level, my sister is the woman who holds my highest regards and admiration today. My sister is probably the strongest person I know. She decided to move from our hometown with a couple of thousand dollars, a dream in her mind, to get a better future for herself, and that ambition that few people get to feel at least once in their life. Ever since then, she has exponentially grown in her career, as well as personally. I would say that, at times, she knows me better than I know myself. We have grown incredibly close together besides our seven-year age difference because our mom put us to share a room as soon as I was "old enough" to share a room with my younger brother. My sister has taught me that ambition and a good support system, mainly family, are more than enough to reach for the stars and that one can accomplish what one set one's mind to do. My sister is my rock today, she keeps me accountable, pushes me to become my best self every day, and I only hope that I can be half the woman she is today when I get to her age.

Never did a meme make me feel so represented. I work as an Associate Banker at a Chase branch, and at the end of the month, between paycheck days, rent, and since it's tax refund season, people come to the branch nonstop. It all starts nice and easy, and as the day evolves, it gets hectic and busy for everyone. I always try to bring that positive attitude, but after the whole day getting busier and busier by the minute, I feel like that is an accurate representation of my face. This meme represents how my face is the last two hours of each day, but especially the last days of the month.