Alexia

My name is Alexia , and I am currently an eighth grader studying at the Preuss School UCSD. I am an active participant in several extracurricular activities, including squash, ASB, and various community service programs. I am passionate about squash. I am also a part of the Associated Student Body (ASB) and actively participate in organizing events and activities for the school. I love to volunteer for community service programs like Feeding San Diego.

A challenging experience that has significantly influenced my life was growing up trying to learn two languages simultaneously. I remember struggling to read and write in Spanish and English as a little girl. My parents, who are from different countries, spoke to me in their respective languages, which created a confusing mix of languages in my head. As a result, I found it difficult to comprehend either of those languages, and I often struggled to express myself effectively. When I started kindergarten, I was placed in an all Spanish classroom, which was a difficult transition for me as it was a challenging environment for me to learn in. Moving to first grade, I was placed in an English classroom, which was another significant change. Since I had previously been in an all Spanish classroom. I had to learn a new language and do it quickly to keep up with my classmates. Unfortunately, this made me fall behind my peers, who had already begun learning to read and write in English. Another setback was that I moved a lot. My parents are separated so if one parent moved, I would move schools also. This also affected my ability to learn like my peers did. Over time, I taught myself to read English through children's books. This helped me catch up to my classmates and be on the same curriculum level. Although this was challenging, moving a lot from school helped me build a character where I could adapt to different situations in a matter of time, and helped me build a personality where I could make friends wherever I went.

I am actively involved in several extracurricular activities, including squash, ASB, and various community service programs. Squash is my passion, and I hope to continue practicing it. I am also a member of the Associated Student Body (ASB) and participate in organizing school events and activities. Additionally, I love volunteering for community service programs that allow me to give back to my community. I believe that this program will offer me an incredible opportunity to learn and grow as an individual, both academically and personally. I am grateful for this opportunity and hope to make the most of it. I also have a great passion for writing and English, and am trying to keep my academics up. This year is my first year playing squash for Preuss and I enjoy it and am trying to become the best player I can become in squash. I am also a current ASB member at my school and I truly love representing my school. I also like to write stories during my free time. Another interest of mine is helping my community out by participating in community service such as Feeding San Diego. I like to participate in as much as possible but it is a challenge to balance everything out. While having all these extracurriculars is good, it can be a challenge to manage my time correctly to balance my school work and have fun.

Juggling squash, ASB and homework has pushed me to communicate with teachers. At times, I get stressed and worked up but when that happens my safe space is writing, so I put on my headphones and I just write and try to forget about my problems in the world. I have had to learn to balance all my activities and navigate how long I can practice squash, how long I can work on homework and ASB but also find time to destress. Although I still struggle with planning out my entire schedule, I have learned to find a balance between work and my activities.

Although I am currently in middle school, I have set my sights on achieving academic success in high school by becoming the valedictorian and graduating with honors. In order to achieve this, I am working hard to cultivate good study habits and discipline. I have also given some thought to college and my future career aspirations. I am interested in attending Harvard or Yale to study law, as these institutions are renowned for their law programs. Additionally, I have a passion for teaching and aspire to become a teacher. I am considering studying at Stanford, Brown, the University of Michigan, or UCSD to achieve this goal. Teaching is a profession that I would truly love to do, as I believe it is often undervalued and underappreciated. Having been inspired and influenced by many of my own teachers, I am keen to become a positive influence on future generations of students. It is an incredibly rewarding feeling to know that you are making a difference in someone's life by helping them reach their full potential. I want to be that person for someone else and make a significant impact on their life. Achieving this dream would be the ultimate goal in my life.

This partnership would make a great difference in my life and help me throughout my academic years in order to pursue my passion in education. A Bridge for Kids will help me accomplish and pursue my goals and I am very grateful for this.