I was born in Los Angeles and raised by my two parents, both of whom migrated from Mexico to the U.S. They raised my older sister, myself, and my younger sister, teaching us the importance of honesty and integrity. As a low income first generation student, academia hasn’t been the most welcoming. Yet, I’ve managed to build a second home at Agnes Scott where I’ve built friendships and relationships on campus. I would love to stay in Atlanta after graduation, but eventually I’d have to return home. Though there are a number of issues in my community, the issue I have taken to most is lack of college and technological access for low income and at-risk students. I believe my purpose is to build community with others and focus on love as a framework for social justice and human rights
Two summers ago, I had an amazing opportunity to learn from Google Engineers for 3 weeks. Being there confirmed to me that I wanted to become a software engineer and major in Computer Science. However, I noticed that most corporations don’t make things accessible for communities like mine. In order to combat this, I decided to double major in Africana Studies to better grasp the social, political, economic, and cultural forces that have shaped my and other communities. I want to learn all I can and give back by teaching and advocating for those that shaped me into who I am. I wouldn’t have been able to start my academic career without their support. I owe my community everything.