The world runs on the kindness of individuals who motivate and inspire. My life has been elevated because of the influential impact of a strong woman like Doña Lupita. My single mother exemplified the joy of sacrificing to seek improvement in her life and those who surround her. My mother separated herself from her home in Mexico to search for a better future. She tackled skyscraper-sized barriers to explore what the world would be able to offer. When she arrived in the United States, she had three children under the age of 10, the challenge of a foreign language, and lacked a support system. These circumstances did not dampen her drive to improve herself through greater learning. My mother surrendered comfort willingly to prioritize education. Her specialization in immigration law stems from our personal experience as we have felt the pains and burdens immigrants face. To arrive through legitimate channels, people will encounter the vulnerability of trusting a stranger to advocate for their story to be heard with hopes of admittance to a brighter future. This transition is an emotional and financial strain that legal professionals will too often prey on to grow personal wealth. In contrast, my mother uses her opportunity to work in immigration as an opening to give back to those who are trudging down this crooked path. Her knowledge stands as a bridge, welcoming people with a passage to overcome obstacles and progress toward their dreams. This mindset taught through my mother’s lifestyle helped me to look outwards with an eagerness to serve others. In my high school, this skill proved strikingly needed. The demographic of the student body was largely Latinos. Native Spanish speakers were instructed in the language they had not yet mastered. Recalling the intense stress in my early years of American schooling, I gathered other bilingual students to start a tutoring club called Amigas de Lee. We strived to close the learning gap and offer encouragement to our friends who felt overburdened by their circumstances. My motivation to earn this degree is to aid in restoring the earth and strengthen impoverished communities by more efficiently utilizing natural resources. The lack of access to usable clean water impacts billions of people. This resource scarcity leaves communities vulnerable to other negative consequences: transmission of diseases, food insecurity, and economic stress. The use of clean water should not be a privilege. By engaging in this work, I will strive to impact other people’s everyday lives and improve the status of life for many others. This degree provides the means for my dream to become a reality. I stand confident that my education in engineering will be a catalytic force to bring forth the change I await in the world. Excellence extends past awards or accomplishments; success is building up people and using your gain to give back because that’s how my mother raised me.

I, like many others, enjoyed the fantasy of being crowned a princess and living in magical lands. The reach of these Disney fairytales extend past the excitement of beautiful gowns and animal friends. The underlying message of many classic films resonates with me to this day: no matter what your origin may be, you are capable of achieving greatness. Mulan exemplified this principle clearly. This young woman felt an urgency to serve her country and overcame strenuous disadvantages to secure a position in the country’s militia. She cowarded to no challenge as she would cunningly engineer solutions that completely changed the trajectory of their battles. As a child, her victory stood as a testament that women are powerful and can impact the world. The stories portrayed in Disney classics showcase how to push back against barriers imposed on an individual’s life and let their own strengths define reality. Aforementioned philosophy boosted me through a strenuous time in my life. My sophomore year in high school, I got severely concussed resulting in a three day hospitalization period. My brain became glossed over with what felt like thick fog. The recovery process took me out of school for the rest of the fall semester. Many medical professionals recommended I restart the following school year repeating the 10th grade. I recall feeling disappointment and shame as I tried to understand the implications of their suggestion. When I returned to school, the pain from the harsh fluorescent lights and the gap in academic performance became increasingly apparent. The obstacles weighed heavily on my mind, but the courage Mulan instilled in me supported my journey as I continued that school year. By confronting my life’s Hans with the same diligent nature as the heroine of China, I victoriously conquered the school year and proceeded to graduate high school with Summa Cum Laude. Her persistent strength became my own during this challenging time because she stood fearless in the face of the enemy, willing to sacrifice to reach her goal. Mulan stands as an inspiration of fearless determination. Many aspects of these films have impacted my life. One of the factors that strikes me deeply is the wide range of representation and inclusivity in the character’s backgrounds. The film Encanto especially caught my attention. I am of mixed heritage and due to my eurocentric features, I have always struggled claiming my Latino culture. In grade school, peers quizzed me tirelessly regarding various aspects of the language, culture, even geography of Mexico as to prove the legitimacy of my claim. I always had to prove to others my heritage and often was subjected to harsh ridicule. These experiences left me confused about my identity, sometimes left to wonder if I was trying too hard to be something that I’m not. Then I watched Encanto. The members of the Madrigal family stand uniquely contrasting one another. Luisa’s strong build, Isabella’s straight hair, Pepa’s fair skin; I found myself in each of these characters. The wide range of Latinas represented brought validation and a sense of healing for me. I am deeply grateful for being able to see my culture lived by people who looked like me. Their story proved that differences can unite and uplift instead of belittle with intention to divide. Disney movies have provided my life with opportunities for healing and instructed me on the meaning of resilience. My favorite part of these films is being able to connect with the world on a larger scale. I'm grateful to have been empowered through these films and to be a Disney Kid.

I was raised by a single mother who exemplified the joy of sacrificing to achieve an otherwise impossible reality. My mother left Mexico to create a better life for my brothers and I. She overcame many financial, cultural, and language barriers to explore what more the world would be able to offer us. In the United States, she balanced three children under the age of 10 while studying for her master’s degree. Within a year, she achieved her goal of furthering her schooling to provide greater opportunities for us. My mother surrendered comfort willingly to prioritize education. This impressed upon me the value of knowledge. When I began school in America, I struggled to transition to a new culture and language. Fear distorted my perspective of school to develop negatively. I was placed into Mrs. Lozano’s third-grade ESL class. She took the time to know me personally to then better understand my needs. She healed my bitterness and nurtured hours of study until my mentality shifted. I came to adore the universal language of math and was motivated to explore the mysteries of science. Seeking to understand the unknown went from intimidating to exciting. This began to manufacture a sense of self-confidence inside of myself. Through this experience, I found for myself that learning is not daunting, it’s empowering. My story of immigrating to the United States taught me that the only limits to my potential are the ones I put on myself. The boundless work ethic I developed makes me capable of pursuing a career in a male-dominated field as an immigrant woman. Having seen that boundaries are meant to be challenged attracts me to the innovative nature of engineering. During my freshman year of University, I was enrolled in a chemistry class as a prerequisite for my biology major. I became smitten with chemistry before the end of the semester. Melding this new love for chemistry and my old flame with math launched me toward Chemical Engineering. This field of work is exciting with endless possibilities to make an impact on other people’s everyday lives. Ultimately, my motivation to earn this degree is to aid in restoring the earth and strengthen impoverished communities by more efficiently utilizing natural resources. Accessibility to clean drinking water is a basic right not enough people can claim. Finishing my education would prepare me with the appropriate skills to take part in the solution. Chemical Engineering provides a specific and meaningful implementation of molecular comprehension on a large-system scale. To craft a plan, I must learn the individual characteristics of a substance. This expertise can then be magnified onto a systems level through specialized designs. I plan to seize openings on teams focused to build up the underprivileged. This degree provides the means for my dream to become true; I will hold the comprehensive knowledge to create new solutions. Chemical Engineering accounts for the impact of each step to transform the overall product. My life has been greatly impacted by the effects of single individuals shaping my life as a whole. My mother and my third-grade teacher sought higher education which gave them the skills to help inspire a transformation in my future. I stand confident that given the opportunity, my education in engineering will be empowering to transplanted young women who struggle to have hope for their futures in the States as I once did. While I may not be able to solve all the problems of the world, I know I can make a change in somebody’s life through higher education because a true leader always leads by example.

I was raised by a single mother who exemplified the joy of sacrificing to achieve an otherwise impossible reality. My mother left Mexico, her home country, to create a better life for my brothers and I. She overcame many financial, cultural and language barriers to learn what more the world had to offer. She sought to know what she would be able to provide for us. In the United States, she balanced three children under the age of 10 while studying for her master’s degree. Within a year, she achieved her dream of furthering her schooling to provide stability and opportunity for us. My mother surrendered comfort willingly to prioritize education. This impressed upon me the value of knowledge. When I began school here, I struggled to transition to a new culture and language. Fear distorted my perspective of school to develop negatively. I was placed into Mrs. Lozano’s third-grade ESL class. She took the time to know me personally to better understand my needs. She healed my bitterness and nurtured hours of study until my mentality shifted. I came to adore the universal language of math and was motivated to explore the mysteries of science. Seeking to understand the unknown went from intimidating to exciting. This began to manufacture a sense of self-confidence within. Through this experience, I found for myself that learning is not daunting, it’s empowering. My story of immigrating to the United States taught me that the only limits to my potential are the ones I put on myself. This outlook developed in elementary school carries into my higher education as I pursue Chemical Engineering at Brigham Young University. My desired application for this degree is to aid in restoring the earth by working with natural resources. Accessibility to clean drinking water is a basic right not enough people can claim. Finishing my education would prepare me with the appropriate skills to take part in the solution. I plan to seize openings on research teams aligned with the focus to create relief for the less privileged. Chemical Engineering provides a meaningful implementation of molecular comprehension on a large-system scale. To craft a plan, I must learn the characteristics of each substance. This expertise can be magnified onto a systems level through specialized designs. Billions of people are impacted by the lack of access to usable water. This resource scarcity leaves communities vulnerable to other negative consequences: transmission of disease, food insecurity, and economic stress. The use of clean water should not be a privilege. My motivation to engage in this work is to make an impact on other people’s everyday lives. The ultimate goal is to provide relief to lower-income communities by establishing a higher status of life. This degree will provide the means for my dream to become a reality; I will hold the comprehensive knowledge to create solutions. The role of an engineer is to redesign reality and challenge the limits. Chemical Engineering accounts for the impact of each step to transform the overall product. My life has been greatly impacted by the effects of single individuals changing my life as a whole. My mother and my third-grade teacher sought higher education which gave them the skills to help inspire a transformation. I stand confident that given the opportunity, my education in engineering while collaborating on a team with real-world experience will replace the fear in disadvantaged populations from water insecurity with hope for what's to come. While I may not be able to solve all the problems of the world, I know I can make a change in somebody’s life through higher education.