Dana

Hi! My name is Danna and I am a Junior at the Preuss School UCSD. I come from a Latino family of five, with both of my parents immigrating to the United States for the same reason millions of other immigrants do – for a better life and the countless opportunities this country could provide for their children. Originally, my mother comes from Sinaloa, Mexico and my father from Yoro, Honduras, but they both share the same hardworking and humble qualities that have influenced the person I am today. Unfortunately, due to financial issues, they both couldn’t pursue school after finishing elementary and instead endured extremely hard labor to provide for their families. For over two decades, they made countless sacrifices, worked a plethora of hours, and returned home with bodies that only felt exhaustion and soreness for days, all for their children to receive a good education and have the opportunity to pursue a career they were passionate about.

As the youngest child of three, I was put under immense pressure not only to succeed for myself, but for my family as well. My two older brothers did not attend college or university after high school, so I was constantly told to pursue a different path and achieve higher education. Seeing my parents’ faces light up upon viewing my report cards as well as recognizing other academic achievements has always brought me a special type of joy and pride that is irreplaceable. My ultimate dream of paving a relaxed life for my parents where they don’t worry about money, has pushed me to strive in academics and build discipline within myself.

Since eighth grade, I have participated in the Access Youth Academy, a non-profit organization that has given me several opportunities, from being able to learn and practice squash to providing me with any academic help I need – all at the expense of nothing. Through this organization I have also found a love for volunteering which greatly influenced my participation in clubs with similar goals of doing community service: the Interact Club (which Iam the current vice president), and Key Club, a promising community service based addition to our school. Through these clubs, I have participated in various fun and insightful opportunities from practicing foreign languages in conversations with our sister schools in Japan and Mexico, to engaging in cleanups around the community.

Additionally, other extracurricular activities I participate in are the La Gloria Latina Club and ASB. Both of these extracurricular activities have gotten me closer to the faculty staff and students from all kinds of grades at my school, and have provided me opportunities to express my creativity through school events like school dances and fundraisers. This year, as ASB’s director of store, I am constantly striving to improve my school’s “Snack Shack” and increase profit by strengthening my skills regarding leadership, research, and marketing. My past experience in the committee has helped me develop an efficient team in both high school and middle school ASB where we communicate concerns and share potential additions to the store and the money handling system.

For the longest time I was conflicted in what I wanted to pursue as a career, but I knew I had a desire to be in the STEM or medical field. This has led me to commit a tremendous amount of research, but ultimately my love for animals and my desire to improve their quality of life has made me interested in pursuing veterinary medicine. Above anything else, I strive to continue my studies in a prestigious college/university that is well fitted for me and my wants – a few of them being Boston University, Brown University, Cornell University, and UC Davis.

Outside of academics, I practice squash, indulge in travel and, recently, have taken up learning languages, specifically Brazilian Portuguese. The idea of traveling the world and being exposed to a variety of diverse cultures excites me and I aspire to have that as a component in my future career or in my life. If given this scholarship, I hope to buy a desk so I can finally have a solid study area in my newly acquired room. In addition, to enhance my language comprehension skills both in Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese (and perhaps other languages), I would use this scholarship to buy work books and chapter books, as well as to compensate for language tutoring sessions and basic school necessities. My participation in this program would also expose me to various opportunities like the SAT prep, Advanced Placement course help, college tours, and interactions with other amazing people that would greatly benefit me and my development.

Thank you for reading my personal statement. :)