My mother was born in Monterrey, Mexico and left to escape poverty and violence. Displeased with the conditions and menial pay of farmworking, my mother was determined to create a better future for herself and her family. Though I personally have never felt the heat on my skin from long days in the fields, or experienced the blitheness of my childhood taken away, I posses the same determination and hard-work ethic. I have held jobs to support my educational goal of becoming an engineer and have given back to my community through hours and hours of volunteer work. My prospective university has already declared me a competitive applicant, which reflects how serious I am about pursuing higher education. As both of my parents are retired, my financial options are limited. After realizing I would not be able to afford going straight to a university out of high school, I did what I saw as the most appropriate option and attended a community college. I combat the status quo and negative stigmas connected to community colleges by being innovative, poise, eloquent, and intelligent. I excel in math, I am impassioned by science, and I hunger for greatness. I was warned finances would be the great divide, but still I tread. I have supported myself thus far with governmental aid, but I know when I assume the responsibility of being a university student, I will have to seek beyond what the government can provide. I look at every dollar awarded to me as a step towards that better life and will spend accordingly. I will be living on my own, and I am trying very hard to not let autonomy intimidate me. I have been blessed with parents who are willing to put aside their differences to support me up to this point, but I also want to show them I can support myself. Although I cannot acquire enough money, free from interest, to pay for college, I will not waste opportunities to achieve my goals. I found this organization and saw it as an opportunity for support. I hope you will see me as an opportunity for success.