Growing up in my neighborhood is hard, there is so much temptation for someone to fall into the life of drugs and hard core partying, dropping out of school, teenage pregnancies, to come out on top is very rare. I was always thought of as some typical valley girl that was going to end up pregnant or in some messed up situation. I never thought I had the motivation or qualities needed to be in such a great institute like UCLA. I didn’t really think much about my college applications because I always sort of looked down on myself when it came to my intelligence and abilities.
To prove to myself that I can do it, is what these last couple of years of my life have been about. When I first received that admissions letter from UCLA I thought it was some sort of mistake. I first came into UCLA as freshman I had many doubts about my success as a student. Going in not knowing what to expect, I felt like a fish out of water. As the days passed I began to see that I was surrounded by a lot of smart individuals of many cultures. Everyone I met had done extraordinary things already and they were only 18! I felt like an outsider, like I didn’t belong. Especially being a minority, I felt even more alone. I constantly asked myself what I was doing here next to such ambitious people.
But I wanted to prove to myself and my peers that anyone can make it out from our community and do good with their lives. With the thought of bettering myself and having different opportunities from the rest, I realized that the key to my success was overcoming my own fears. I had to overcome the negative thoughts about me and my abilities to uncover my own motivation. The only person I had standing in my way was myself, I was the only person I had to really prove anything to. I had to prove to myself that I could do it, I can make a difference.
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