Changing the World

          Who am I? That's hard to answer. I am smart. I am enthusiastic. I am patient. I am a lot of things. No matter what words I use to describe myself they truly cannot capture my essence and give you a better picture of who I am. Instead, I have created a more thoughtful presentation of myself that conveys where I come from, what has shaped me, who has affected me, and how I see myself. This quick explanation of myself is called an I Am From poem. Enjoy!

I am from my best friend's fierce attitude, loving soul, and curious mind.

I am from being like a treasure; a rare beauty, hard to find, but worth the search.

I am from THE Ohio State University, home of the Buckeyes.

I am from my mother's soft hands, sensitive heart, and bold character.

I am from my father's stern looks, decisive personality, and patient temper.

I am from a family of past generations who build a pathway for my future out of nothing.

I am from vibrant Latin music, hot tortillas, and a Spanish-speaking house.

I am from taking risks without weighing the consequences, and not regretting my decision.

I am from a Noble familia, Alpha Psi Lambda.

I am from being a daughter, best friend, confidant, aunt, student, sister, teacher, and leader.

          I am from my surroundings, my relationships with people, and my associations with others. In general we are all from our experiences. With that simple thought I plan on changing the world with my experiences. I have already found a basis in which I can change the world and it is where I learned how to use my experiences and the knowledge I have taken from them to enlighten the experiences of others.

          For the past two years I have taken on the position as an Alumni Leader for a non-profit organization, College Summit, that is designed to build the capacity of high schools to raise their college enrollment rate and build the kind of college-going culture that helps all students in the program stay on track academically and graduate college ready. As an Alumni Leader I volunteered for their intensive summer workshops to support and encourage high school seniors through the College Summit process by facilitating activities to help the students achieve the goals of the workshop: (1) completing a college application; (2) learning about financial aid; (3) compiling a list of recommended colleges; (4) writing a personal statement; (5) learning what it means to be a “Peer Leader.” I have been able to share my collegiate experiences with students that are so eager to know more about all the aspects of college life. But the way in which I changed the world the most was by making a connection with the students that really thought college was not for them because of their poor grades, low tests scores, and because they thought they were "dumb". I was able to change their perspective on what intelligence really entails, and after a few days they came to the conclusion that college work is more of putting forth an effort and working hard than it is having a high IQ. I want to change the world by sharing my experiences.