Vera
My name is Vera, and I am a freshman currently attending Herbert Hoover High School. As I watched my parents struggle endlessly to make ends meet, I’ve been trying to make them proud by achieving the best grades possible. My mom was diagnosed with cancer when I was in fifth grade, and even though I was very young at the time, I still understood that my mom was in pain. Even though she quit her job, she worked tirelessly til this day. She takes care of her family and gets paid for taking care of my grandma. My father is a technician for AT&T. During the summer, he comes home sweating and sunburnt from being out in the field all day. I want to end the cycle of my family being in poverty. I don't believe we deserve to work laborious jobs, and we are capable of doing amazing things and making changes.
I hope that one day I can help my dad retire so that my parents can stop worrying about whether the bills can be paid and instead spend more time with family and friends. I plan on making this goal come true by attending UCLA or UC Berkeley, and although I am not quite sure what exactly I want to do in the future, I know I have amazing parents who will support me no matter what. If there is one thing I’ve always noticed about myself, it is my relationship with nature. Because I was outside so often, I took a liking to the outdoors and how relaxing it can make me feel. In middle school, I joined my first club, Cesar Chavez Service Clubs. During my time there, I attended community service events like picking up trash around my school and neighborhood, and planting in nearby canyons. This would later lead me to join an internship.
During the first semester of my freshman year, I got introduced to CCI- Canyon Connections Internship, which is a non-profit organization whose goal is to restore and protect green spaces. This was perfect for me because I had already gotten a head start from my previous club. I can now confidently say that during my time with CCI, I have learned many useful skills. For example, when I used to go out, I would just say “Those are pretty flowers”; now I can identify what plant I am looking at. I have also made strong connections with the team and my peers, who help me when I'm stuck on something. Not only am I cleaning canyons or planting natives, but I also get time to express myself by writing in my journal about what I learned, saw, etc. After talking to many people, my confidence has gotten better. Due to COVID, back then, I got used to just talking to people behind a screen, but now I can go out and start conversations.
As I end my second semester, I realize that it's totally different from middle school; there is more diversity and people themselves. In Hoover’s VAPA academy, I meet many people who love music just as much as me. I started playing the flute in the 6th grade and have never stopped loving it. I remember dressing up for concerts and even the 7th-grade trip to Knott’s Berry Farm that we spent months practicing to perform there. I also made many speeches, which introduced me to public speaking in front of dozens. I know I probably won't pursue music, but I am thankful for the many experiences it has given me that I will definitely use.
Regardless of the struggles that a lack of money caused me, I knew I would have to improvise. My first sport, volleyball, wasn't an easy task to deal with. I didn't have proper clothes or any equipment, and it was selfish to ask my parents to buy me these things because everything was so expensive, and it still is. Many people would've just quit, but I was and still am passionate about this sport. I even spent my weekends playing with my friends at the park or at open gyms, and I got hand-me-downs from other family members.
Although I have mostly been independent my whole life, A Bridge For Kids sponsorship would definitely help me. The valuable resources given, like tutoring, will highly benefit my grades. As my high school years come closer and closer to an end, I can be ready for what life throws at me with the support of A Bridge For Kids.