“Listen to your own voice, your own soul. Too many people listen to the noise of the world, instead of themselves.“

I grew up in a tight community where traditions meant everything and change was unattainable. Growing up I learned about many injustices in the world. I quickly learned about how unfair the world could be. Many times I came face to face with injustices myself. Often it led me to face challenges I never thought to prepare myself for nor did I believe I could overcome them. I learned from my mom that in order to overcome these challenges you had to find the root of them. Learn why they are challenging for you. Then when you are ready, create a goal for yourself. When things get tough, remember why you are doing it and thus it will lead you to your destination. I stuck with this all my life, in and out of school whether it was at my job or in extracurricular activities. In many cases, my root was that I was afraid to be my own person, with my own thoughts and feelings. I was afraid to stand out. As I got older it made me learn about how much people valued similarities between one another and how unfair it could be to those who weren’t afraid to show their differences. This way of living made me believe that’s why I was so afraid. I was afraid of what it would be like to not be a follower but a leader. I was afraid to love things for my own pleasure and joy. I was afraid to step outside of what society considered normal. But this only made me realize why the world has yet to change. We as people are too afraid to be the cause of a movement or change, which is why we are so silent. This is what made me learn at a young age how important it was to use my voice. I began to learn how powerful my voice could be when it was only speaking my mind. This led me to a journey of leadership positions and opportunities that I never thought I could receive. I begin to explore the things that I love and the things I am passionate about. It led me to truly open up my eyes to the society that we are living in. I became very passionate about the inequalities that many in our community have been facing. I learned to choose my words to help benefit those in need. I learned to use my voice in my community. This is what led me to follow my education at UT. They celebrate the differences in all. They crave change for the world and encourage those to create change in many ways. I want to change my community and I hope to create an effect in the world where change seems unrealistic.

Major
Youth and Community Urban Social Studies

Other Academic Interests
Minor in political science

What drew you to the Forty Acres Scholars Program?
My goal when applying to UT Austin was to find a community where diversity, uniqueness, and compassion are their goals. When coming across the programs they had to offer and the programs that help make UT so unique I found the Texas Exes. When learning about what Texas Exes are, it became clear what their goals were. They focused on the success of their students, the compassion they hold for their students to exceed in their time here at UT as well as in their future is what drew me to their programs. That’s when I came across the Forty Acres Scholars Program. I started to really examine what the Forty Acres was and what they stood for. When learning about how much they strive to help each and every one of their students achieve their goals and aspirations in life, that's when I knew that I wanted to be in this program. Not only did it provide full financial support, which felt like a dream to me, but it also ensured me a family who would help support me to achieve my goals. It would also give me many opportunities to be the best that I could be. I wanted to be a part of this program because not only did it help you to succeed, but you created bonds along the way with other Scholars. Together you strive to be the best that we could be for our futures and for our community here at UT.