Gonzalez Memorial Scholarship Analysis

Growing up in a Hispanic household has shaped and built my values in life. At Appleton North High School, I am one out of the few Hispanic students. Knowing that my parents have migrated to America to give me a better future has motivated me to make it happen. Although, as a Mexican-American, I have felt out of place as a minority. However, with time I learned to accept my cultural differences. In fact, to this day, I thank my widowed father for the sacrifices and greater opportunities he has given me. My goal is to keep representing the few Hispanic students in college by working hard to achieve my career goals; not all Hispanics are fortunate enough to attend college. I also work to inspire young Hispanics to find their potential and follow

As they go through their college years, undocumented students face the burdens of not having the financial aid and the legal stability required for success. The support provided to undocumented college students comes from their peers because they can count of each other and relate to each other. The social networks undocumented students create with trusted peers and staff are a fundamental part to help them get through the difficult times that impact their college success. One way for undocumented students to find support is through college organizations where students can feel safe (Hallett, 2013). Undocumented students can gain resources and information about topics like immigration laws and financial opportunities in their campus and at the same time be able to connect with more students and college staff. The Dream Project is one of the safe spaces “Dreamers” can count on at California State University,

My Hispanic identity and heritage is an important part of my identity because it has shaped my journey as student and guided me in discovering my passion in life. I strongly believe being the daughter of immigrant parents has pushed me to work harder as a student and has motivated me to search for ways to help my Hispanic community. Since my parents and the majority of my family are immigrants from Mexico, this unique position has exposed me to the reality of thousands of people who come to the country looking for the American Dream, but also the difficult obstacles they face in their daily lives. As a child, I witnessed how my Hispanic community lived in the shadows and were afraid to speak up when injustices occurred because of the inability to speak English and the lack of knowledge

I’ve always been proud to be Mexican-American. I recognize that this aspect of myself makes me unique. I represent a rich culture with so much to offer. My family immigrated to North Carolina in the late 90’s; however, almost two decades of separation from our hearth hasn’t dulled our Mexican culture and pride. Now, more than ever, it is important for young Hispanics to embrace their roots. It is imperative for young Hispanics to send a message that being American and Hispanic isn’t mutually exclusive. Hispanics, first-generation, second-generation, or even fourth generation, have so much to offer to the United States. I embrace my Mexican heritage- my Hispanic heritage, because I want other young people to do so too. I want to lead by example and one day be able to pass the torch to a next generation of young Hispanics.

My parents immigrated to the United States at a very young age. Having no higher education than elementary school, the only jobs they could find were working in the orchards. They would pick and thin apples during the summers, and prune trees during the cold winters. As soon as I was of working age, I would go out into the fields with them from early sunrise until the intense heat scorched our necks and faces. At a young age, I learned the harsh reality of what the daily life of an immigrant is. The long hours of hard work in the unforgiving heat of the sun; all for the low wages they were paid. These experiences in the orchard instilled in me a sense of drive to further my education and work hard to help families that were at a disadvantage as

Tales of Survival 101 for Undocumented Latina/o Immigrant University Students: Commentary and Recommendations From Qualitative Interviews

My Mother and Father relocated from Costa Rica to New York City where they met got married and where I was born. When I was just two years old, always wanting the best for us, my father moved our family from New York City to Jacksonville, FL in search of a better paying job and the American dream so he could provide us with a better quality of life. To ensure we were always clothed and feed, my father sacrificed everything for us and worked long hours to do so. Though I did have a pronounced, safe and active upbringing the North Florida school system didn’t expect much from the Hispanics that were starting to move to the then small town; unfortunately since my parents worked so much they expected the school system

Growing up as a first-generation college-bound Hispanic woman has proven to be a difficult journey. Both of my parents left their home countries at a young age and came to this country without any ideas or real opportunities on where to begin. At a young age, I have been taught that having a higher education is the key to having a successful and plentiful life. However, the journey towards achieving my dream of receiving a higher education has been filled with moments where I have challenged the stereotypes about getting pregnant and dropping out of high school, facing my grandma’s unexpected illness that affected me both academically and mentally, and the challenge of being a first generation college bound student in my family.

When I was in elementary, I was taught that Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas, and he was painted as a great explorer. It was not until my sophomore year of high school when I took Chicano Studies from Los Angeles City College, that I realised that the picture I had was not complete. The Chicano Studies class opened my eyes to see how sugar coated the history I learned growing up. Learning how marginalized group’s story is not told, made me want to get involved with those who do not have a voice. I had been involved in our local community clinic at the encouragement of my parents, but it was not until I took the class that I realized how important the work really was. Recently my immigration Health Care committee teamed up with other

I grew up not ever talking about being undocumented because I did not want anyone, especially my friends pitying me. Just recently this year I began to tell my friends, after years of knowing them, that I am undocumented. I now view it as an aspect that sets me apart from the average student attending Hood River Valley High School. The biggest way I have helped promote diversity, has been, accepting to talk about my life in Spanish at Junior Night. This event takes place in order to encourage students, to continue their education past high school. One of the counsels at Hood River Valley High School recognized my motivation to focus on school through my grades and being an undocumented student. Instead of staying quite I accepted to encourage students not sure about attending college by explaining to them the amount of federal financial aid available to them and that although I don’t qualify for the majority of it, I still don’t let set me back from choosing to attend college. I also wanted to encourage undocumented students still in the shadows to turn being undocumented into a motivation and not let it stop them from choosing to succeed in

I am a daughter of Mexican immigrants and was raised in California’s rural and underserved Central Valley. As a child, I was exposed to the daily challenges immigrant communities face in California exemplified by the experiences of my own family. Residents of Arvin, CA, my hometown, are primarily Latino immigrants, low-income, employed in agricultural labor, and lack access to educational opportunities. In my community, access to fair housing, healthcare, employment, and living wages are limited and social service resources are scarce. When I moved to Berkeley, CA to pursue my bachelor’s degree, I was motivated to serve Latino communities in the Bay Area facing similar social and political obstacles as my hometown as I recognized the need for social and policy improvements.

Growing up as a Latino in a community where most of the population are Hispanic had made me blind, detached from the reality of the world and the reality of the college experience, especially in Santa Cruz. Looking at the world I have always known to an extent who had more privilege than others, special attention, and more rights. I have also vaguely known which groups have been treated with less respect seen as less, but all of this didn’t really seem to matter to me in my immediate world. Coming to Santa Cruz on trips such as ORALE and JUSTICE has made me see, made me realize that it does affect me, my family, and my community that privilege is something that isn’t gifted to us but which we fight for, which causes us to be looked at differently

I come from two Colombian parents and I am very proud of my culture. I have always wanted to go against the stereotype of being "lazy" Latinos. The older I got the more aware I was of the discrimination. I knew that I wanted to represent and be a role model first generation Latinos who's parents didn't attend college here. My father is our only income right now, as my mother is still going through recovery of her cancer treatment. My father has worked very hard to maintain my family, but when it comes to paying for school, he can only do so much. I started working my first semester of college, but my money went to school and helping my family out. I currently do no have a job as I just moved to Los Angeles and am an intern at Warner Bros. Records, which is un-paid.

Every year people from all over the world, leaving their homes and moving to the United States. These people are willing to sacrifice themselves in the hope to start a new life, to find an opportunity for financial support for their families, to give a chance for their children have a better future in the safe country. Some of them immigrate in order to find freedom or relief from political and religious persecution. Each of these brave persons has a big reason to leave a Homeland, family, friends, work and all elements of a human’s life without even a possibility to come back home one day. According to recent changes in the immigration law of the U.S., not everyone, who is

It will also provide me with money security that will enable me to be more selective of how I spend my free time; instead of working 30+ hours at my current retail job, this scholarship will reduce the pressure on me to maintain myself and allow me to dedicate my energies to my education and extracurricular activities. Furthermore, with this scholarship I won’t be so preoccupied with having a job to support myself, I will be able to look for an internship that is meaningful and that will ultimately add value to my degree. In addition, it will reinforce my confidence and allow me to continue to thrive as I beat all the odds regarding a first-generation Hispanic college student. This scholarship will also enable me to become more involved on campus, for the most part, my freshmen and sophomore year, I was only on campus when I needed to attend classes which prevented me from joining many clubs and organizations. If I’m awarded this scholarship, I will be able to increase my knowledge through service-learning, organizations and volunteer opportunities that will help me move forward in my educational and career plans. Although I already excel academically, this scholarship will provide me with the necessary resources to help me become a more well-rounded student that employers seek to