Greetings Committee Essay

I’m raised in an environment filled with negative stereotypes, high dropout rates, fewer resources, and low expectations. As a Mexican American from the San Fernando Valley, educational opportunities do not come often. In middle school it massed into my head that going to college is my way towards success. Soon it became the only option for me and as a result, I joined Project Grad to begin my journey towards college. They introduced me to the Chicano Youth Leadership Conference during my junior year. After applying and attending, the conference eliminated the label that Latinos are not college material. Subsequently, I grabbed as many opportunities as I could. In my junior my school did not put me in any AP classes. Therefore, I went to go

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

I'm a Hispanic student and naturally that means that I must have lived a difficult life. My mom must have been on some kind of television talk show screaming at her “baby daddy” for the child support. I’m Hispanic, so I must have crossed the border ether from Mexico or Central America. I’m Mexican, so I must have friends that are in a gang. I’m Hispanic, so I must have something to do with the increase in poverty, crime, and and teen pregnancies. And of course, when applying to the University my personal statement would about the challenges in my life and how I overcame them, because I am Hispanic and therefore my life has to be complicated. I must have had a set of obstacles that others don’t. Right?

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.

Another major predicament that plays a large role in the amount of African Americans that do not receive a higher education is once they get to college, they do not have a typical or enjoyable experience once there. In today’s society, it is hard to imagine that there is still racism and segregation in schools and colleges today but the reality is, it still does very much exist. This is especially true when black students attend predominantly white universities. Even though most colleges promote themselves by talking about how diverse their

It was only a year ago when I was faced with making a very important decision that would affect me for the rest of my life. It was time for me to choose an institution of higher learning to continue my studies that would eventually lead me to my career. My decision wasn’t simply which university or college to choose, but as a young black student, whether to choose a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) or a Predominately White Institution (PWI). This would take me on an insightful journey and I would make my decision after discussing the pros and cons of both institutions and through interactions with students, faculty and staff. Before too long

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 first generation Latino student to go to college. Escaping the mafia and poverty, my parents traveled to America in 1997. I am a representative of the millions of immigrants who have traveled to this country for a better future. I maintain an American dream, and I strongly believe that I am capable of achieving great success and prosperity through hard work and dedication. My vision has encouraged members of my Latino community; They have recognized that we are capable of bringing success to future generations. I carry a strong sense of responsibility, confidence, and leadership, and am a person who is fully committed to academics and service. I have been able to overcome many obstacles in my academic life. I entered school not knowing

When a person presently looks at university school systems, one never imagines the struggle to obtain such diverse campuses. With Caucasians, Asians, Latinos, and African Americans all willing and able to attend any institution, it is difficult now to envision a world where, because of one’s skin color, a person is denied university acceptance. In actuality, this world existed only fifty years ago. In a time of extreme racial discrimination, African Americans fought and struggled toward one of many goals: to integrate schools. As a pioneer in the South, a man named James Meredith took a courageous step by applying to the University of Mississippi, an all white

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

In November 2012, my siblings and I successfully emigrated from Nigeria to the United States. This was an amazing opportunity for us to pursue our American dream, a goal my family had been hoping to accomplish, since 2004 when my father first made the trip across the Atlantic. However, since moving to the United States, there have been times when I was made to feel unwelcome and out of place in the society, especially as an immigrant and a person of color. This was one of the factors I was looking at, when the time came to apply to medical schools. In applying to Morehouse College of Medicine, I was looking for a place where I would be welcomed to study in an encouraging environment. In Morehouse, I saw an institution that promotes equity and

Decisions made prior to the age of eighteen always seem like a crisis until you have met the mother of all crisis, your final college decision. I found myself staring my future directly in the face almost a year ago wondering where I would further my education just as much as the people pressuring an answer from me. After months of self deliberation, I set my sights on Prairie View A&M University for fall enrollment, albeit if you would have asked me just a few months before I would have turned my face up and dismissed the university as even an option. Stereotypes of universities that historically known as predominantly populated by black students skewed their image for me. Eventually, my outlook was enlightened through educating myself more

On June 15, 2012, President Barack Obama passed an executive order, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), that helped to make it more possible for undocumented students to attend college. DACA’s passing has left administration at colleges and universities with differing approaches on how to support, or not, undocumented students attending their institution. However, there are still holes in the support for undocumented students in pursuing higher education. The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief overview of the undocumented student experience, discuss how it relates to Mount Holyoke College, offer viewpoints from the student and dean perspectives, and provide analysis of how the director of multicultural initiatives can support

As a testament to the next discussion point of opportunities, especially within the realm of college admission, I have experienced firsthand the opportunities presented by affirmative action. As a low-income, first-generation college student, Virginia Tech had offered me a full scholarship based solely on merit and financial need. As a “minority” according to Virginia Tech, I had an

Through my leadership experiences at SCSU, I have grown into a strong, independent, and courage woman. This past spring semester, I took the opportunity to apply and be accepted to present at M.E.Ch.A.’s national conference about my independent studies course that I developed. I never imagined to share my cultural experiences on that level and have professors comment afterward about how they enjoy my presentation. There have been opportunities where I was able to discuss with administrators among other students and our concerns on campus issues facing students of color directly to them. I have met strong, academic leaders and students at conferences that have exposed me to love and embrace my cultural identity, indigenous roots, femininity, strength, and personal struggles. The education program gave me the opportunity to continue learning in another location for student teaching, which again has exposed me to new experiences, people, environments, and academic challenges. I no longer view challenges as obstacles, rather I view them as tests to help me remember how worth it, the path I am on and pursing, is to me. When I first started my freshman year in fall 2012, I could have never imagined that I would do and come as far as I have. I remember when I began this journey, I said to myself that I would graduate