1.

Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken
to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic
achievement? 350

Since moving to the U.S from Mexico in 9th grade, the biggest challenge I had to face
during my early time in high school was overcoming my language barrier. I never thought
that I would leave Mexico and live in a country where I would not be able to communicate
with others. Learning to speak English never even crossed my mind when I was young.

Not being able to talk to my teachers or other students gave me a rough start in this
country. I remember being full of questions but not being able to speak a single word to my
teacher or my classmates. I felt mute and incapable of doing anything by myself. My
grades were always low, and I started to believe that I would never achieve anything.
Being unable to express my feelings to others made things worse.

I decided to stick with a group of people that would only speak in Spanish to me which
made me feel less alone, but deep down I knew I was achieving nothing.

As time passed I started to ask myself “Am I going to let a bunch of sounds and letters
throw me down? After all the things I have gone through, why am I allowing such a thing to
defeat me?” My mother made huge sacrifices to give me a better life, and I was not going
to let her down.

I went from standing in front of a mirror to talk to myself and improve my pronunciation to
recording myself saying a word over and over again until I said the word properly. I spent
my free time listening to songs in English and trying to write down the lyrics.

In less than a year, I started to understand what other people were saying and I was able
to do my homework by myself. For the first time in a long time, I felt useful again.

Even though my English was not perfect, I was able to pass my classes and develop a
characteristic that is necessary at school and in life: Determination.
 1. Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered
this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.

There are two subjects that make me feel excited every time I wake up in the morning.
They are History and Mathematics. These subjects spark a curiosity and a desire to learn.
I always want to learn something new about them.

While I was taking Computer-Aided Drafting or CAD Mechanical in my junior year, I was
assigned the most exciting and ideal project. I had to design an airplane using the software
CAD. Little did I know that later on, the physics class students would eventually build my
model using wood.

Although our teacher asked us to keep our design simple, the first thing that came to my
mind was to create a design based on the legendary Supermarine Spitfire. I had almost an
entire semester to design my plane and build it, so I went out of my way to make my
design detailed and refined.

I started to make sketches when I was at home and accurate designs when I had the
software available. The most exciting part of making the sketches was that I employed the
knowledge I gained in my Geometry class to come up with measurements needed for
different parts of my plane.

Something that I did not consider while making my designs was that we were only
obtaining two pieces of wood and popsicle sticks to build our plane. What started as a plan
to recreate a Spitfire or a P-51, ended up as a plane similar to a Me 163 Komet, small and
full of defects.

When the time to test out planes came, my plane was not the one that flew the furthest; it
wasn’t even close to getting the third place, but no one could take away the joy I had while
I was creating my design. For a little moment in my life, I felt like Alexander Lippisch.
 1. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?

Throughout my time in high school I have always tried to help other people succeed
academically and reach their personal goals. Although I was not completely able to assist
other students in my early years of school due to my lack of knowledge of the English
language, I was capable of assisting my peers in a subject that shares its language in
many places around the world: Mathematics.

I started to find satisfaction in assisting others when I helped my classmates finish their
geometry assignments during 9th grade. I was unable to ask my colleagues if they were
having a hard time, but sometimes I was able to identify when they were struggling by the
expression on their faces or their change in attitude. I reached out to them and tried to
walk them through the assignment using the few English words I knew and pointing at the
steps I took to solve the problems.

Later on, when I was able to speak English better, I decided to spend time helping out
people who were going through the same situation I went through when I first arrived in
this country. I became the first volunteer in the English Language Development program at
Gardena Adult School where I met many people who have come to this country in search
of the American Dream. I gave my class all the support I could. Even though they still had
a long way to go, I became the support for them that I wish I had received when I first
arrived here.

Today, I work in my High School college center where every day is exciting to me because
I get to help other students apply to their dream school. My excitement will be
immeasurable if I find out that I helped my peers get accepted to a school of their dreams.
I know my action might not change the world, but I hope my actions created a significant
change for the better in someone’s life.
 1. Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or
worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.

During 9th grade I stayed away from many educational opportunities such as honor
classes, sports or leadership clubs, because I was afraid of others hearing my accent.
These problems did not only affect my social life but they also had a negative impact on
my academic performance.

As time passed, I began to hear more and more about clubs and organizations whose
main objective is to support students. The first club that opened its doors to me was the
Language in Action Program (LAP); a club that focused on helping students with difficulties
speaking English. The attention and support I got from that club helped me to improve my
English skills and was an introduction to the “after school life.”

The biggest educational opportunity that I have taken advantage of during my time in high
school was joining the Boys and Girls Club. I joined the club hoping to make friends who
would help me to improve my academic and social life, but I never expected to become
part of a family who is always there to support each other.

The staff of the club believes that we all are capable of achieving anything we want as long
as we put enough effort into it. Being surrounded by nice people and students that support
each other has increased my self-confidence and day after day I started to become more
open to people.

Thanks to the support I received from the Boys and Girls Club I was no longer afraid of
talking to strangers or speaking in front of an audience.These perks helped me out in most
of my classes and opened many doors to become a successful individual.This educational
program has helped me with language barriers and other issues I faced as a student, and I
am grateful to be a part of this amazing program.