Scholarship Application 2020

Please answer the following questions in about 250 words per question. Please have your responses single
space, 12 point font.

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Yamelle Gonzalez, and I am an ambitious sophomore student pursuing
a degree in Business Management with a minor in Spanish at the University of
Arizona’s Eller College of Management. If I were to describe myself in a few words, I
would say that I am a person who strives to go beyond the ordinary. My life
experiences have taught me that many lessons are learned when one escapes their
comfort zone. In other words, I want to create a better version of myself and the best
way to do this is by putting my limits to the test. Simply put, I consider myself to be an
over achiever who always wants to give their best effort. I am also a non-conformist,
because I know that there is always room for improvement. This mindset slowly
evolved when I realized that staying in my comfort zone would not allow me to achieve
my goals and aspirations. I like growing emotionally, socially, and spiritually, and
embracing that discomfort. I want to develop skills and abilities that will strengthen my
focus, creativity, pace and drive, which in turn, will help me overcome challenging
situations. I deeply understand that this will not be simple and will involve many
failures and discouragements, but failure will be an excellent steppingstone to my
successes. As long as I stay motivated and surround myself with open-minded people
who support me, I know I can accomplish anything.

2. What are you passionate about?

I grew up in a border town where I had the privilege of being immersed in two
marvelous cities rich in culture and tradition. I was constantly having one foot on the
American side and another one on the Mexican side. Through my experience, not only
did I learn two diverse languages and cultures, but I was also exposed to the
inhumane and unethical problems that migrants face.
In my sophomore year in high school I joined the Kino Teens Organization, a youth
group of high school students whose mission is to help deported migrants with their
basic necessities, such as food, clothing, and medicine. Besides, we lend them
cellular devices where they can call their family members and friends whom they have
left behind in their country of origin. In addition, and what I believe to be the most
important responsibility is, taking our time to listen to their stories. By carefully
listening to them, we as an organization in a sense give them back the dignity that
was stripped away from them, by making them feel safe and like a part of our family.
Essentially, the participation of this club transformed my ungrateful and close-minded
mentality from a small Catholic institution to one filled with gratitude and love. It
educated me on the U.S.-Mexico border crisis including the separation of families, the
enduring inhumane conditions at detention facilities, and the trauma or cruel treatment
from the U.S. border patrol. In essence, I discovered that I have a passion for helping
others, especially those who are underrepresented and do not have a voice in society.
This experience taught me that the material things in life do not matter, rather it is the
mark that you leave on people’s lives that truly makes a difference. To put this into
perspective, I did not receive a single materialistic good, I received something with
value and that something is love.
Ultimately, because the directors of the program saw my spark for many years,
observing that I actively participated in all of the meetings and events as the vice
president, I was invited three years ago to San Francisco. In San Francisco, I gave a
number of institutions a conference talk explaining the issues and the injustices that
migrants are constantly facing. In summary, I shared the migrants’ impacting and
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heartwarming stories, in the hope that the students and professors would learn that
the myths and stereotypical ideas heard from politics can be biased and false. My
overall goal was for the group of people to gain a new understanding of what the
situation on the border is really like.

3. How would the McCord Scholarship help you make an impact on your future career
and the Eller community?
My parents have always been my greatest supporters in life and have given me the
greatest gift anyone could give another person; they believe in me. They have taught
me that I could achieve anything with a good education, a solid goal, and an
unfaltering determination. Therefore, my ultimate goal in life is to make them proud,
because they have given up on a lot of their own hopes and dreams for my siblings
and I to receive an education. Hence, this scholarship will serve as a reminder to keep
pursuing my dreams and harvest satisfaction, freedom, happiness, and abundance,
along the way, and will serve as a gift to my parents, making them feel proud for
rightfully trusting me and my vision. I want my parents to witness me grow up-
financially stable, working in a well-known corporation or owning my own small
business with a family and children, and most importantly, I want to be in a place
where I can reciprocate all the great feelings that they once made me feel.
Consequently, the Eller College of Management takes pride on the personal
qualities of its students, such as integrity, dedication, leadership, and an eagerness to
learn, and they have all been qualities that I fostered and will continue do so.
Therefore, if I am given this opportunity, I will unquestionably bring my leadership and
team building skills that I have mastered in my professional and leadership experience
not only every time I step into McClelland Hall, but on every outside encounter,
including my future workplace. There is no question that I will adequately represent
this prestigious business school and all the phenomenal qualities that you all embody.

4. Where do you see yourself after graduation? What about in five years?
I want to pursue a career in Business Management because I would like to master
the art and science of working with people and be a leader in strategy and decision
making. In the next few years, I envision myself holding a managerial position in a
respected and reputable Fortune 500 company, effectively leading and managing a
group of individuals as well as assisting them in meeting their full potential. The
attainment of this degree will also allow me to explore many other options, including,
but not limited to, entrepreneurship, where I would be able to live my dream in owning
my own business. However, I am well aware that the only way my dream will come to
light is if I continue working hard and have a positive and determined mindset.
Therefore, I will be working a little extra every day to strengthen my skillset and own a
small business that aims to give back to my community and give minorities the
opportunity to work here. Essentially, my business will be built around passion, and I
will be passionate about the process too. Most importantly, I will never give up or be
discouraged, because this is something that I have manifested and will work hard until
I accomplish it, and above anything, I will never be afraid of failing.