In your application, you may have mentioned an extraordinary

talent/skill or academic achievement. This may include participation

in Junior Olympics, national debate competitions, recognition for
musical talent, etc. Please take this opportunity to share with us
more detailed information about the level of your achievement,
depth of participation, and passion for this particular area.

I've always wanted to major in biology because I like to step into rigorous academic
challenges and break the stereotype that the STEM field is only for men. However, I
never saw representation of people who looked like me in this field, so I assumed this
career path was not meant for me. For example, during an introductory engineering
course, I noticed more guys than girls, and it was very intimidating. When I explored
Computer Science, I noticed it was male-dominated, so I was scared, and imposter
syndrome kicked in. I quickly realized that gender was not the only dominant identity in
STEM. When attending the summer coding camp Kode With Klossy, I was the only
Latina in the program, so I felt even more out of place. These experiences have been a
driving force toward my passion for STEM because I want to be a role model for other
young girls interested in this field.

Finding solutions to these challenges further ignited my passion for STEM. I became
heavily invested in my school's Robotics team as a sophomore. I dedicated four hours
daily, including weekends, where I spared an additional four hours, especially during
competition. My commitment was rewarded when I was selected by our teacher
advisers to become a Logistics Manager and Driver. As a logistics manager, I was
tasked with recording the number of laps four race cars took during competitions and
practices. I also monitored our hydrogen fuel cells' charge levels, which were vital
throughout the competition since they allowed our race cars to run efficiently. Lastly, I
managed inventory for competitions and negotiated pricing with the Robotics admins for
more expensive parts.
My drive proved to pay off as I was promoted to a Driver 1 position my junior year. Since
this was a new role for me, I trained five hours after school to improve my conduction
skills with the remote control car. We would lay out a replica track and continuously
practice to better our techniques and strategies. There were days my head pounded
from exhaustion after a long day of school and balancing my family obligations as the
eldest child became overwhelming. I would come home late to my regular chores and
babysitting my three younger siblings. I embraced the challenges and remained resilient
because I strived toward completing my educational goals.
Having these leadership roles reminded me of my position as a role model for younger
students. I began facilitating semester presentations for my Robotics lab during school
outreach events by speaking to a hundred 8th graders. I exposed students to hands-on
learning by allowing them to see a 3D Printer and test driving the remote control cars.
Specifically, I encouraged a timid group of girls by handing them the remote and
reassuring them that even if they didn't know how to use it, I could teach them.
Following this exposure, students felt enthusiastic about potentially participating in our
robotics program and attending my high school. Therefore I used my platform to
represent women in STEM and encourage them to enter this field because I have also
battled imposter syndrome and overcome it with a strong support system that I hope to
be for another young girl's one day. (538 words)

-
QUALITIES UCLA LOOKS FOR:
Leadership, dedication, responsibility, consistency

Please describe any special circumstances that you would like us to

consider that may have affected your ability to achieve academically.
This may include personal circumstances, family experiences, and
opportunities that were or were not available at your school or
home. If you participated in an educational preparation program (i.e,
EAOP, Talent Search, Upward Bound, PUENTE, etc.) please describe
your level of involvement and how each program was beneficial to
you
Growing up, I lived in a traditional, Hispanic household alongside my
mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, two younger sisters, and brother.
In my household, we are a total of eight where my dad is the sole income
provider. He is a construction worker who has eleven hour shifts and works
6 days a week to provide for us. Unfortunately, the amount of time he
dedicates to work sometimes is not enough to feed a family as big as ours.
As the eldest, my father's worry about not providing for us devoured me on
top of my already busy schedule. I sometimes feel powerless because my
options for assisting him are limited. Eventually, I developed severe anxiety that
caused me to eat less and experience episodes of complete sadness slowly eating me
away. Furthermore, this affected my academic concentration because it caused me to
do poorly on tests, prevented me from completing extra credit assignments, and
prevented me from fulfilling my school work quality.

As a first-generation aspiring college student, I have not gone through the

picture-perfect college application process. Due to my parents' lack of knowledge, I
recognized that I had to pick myself up if I wanted to pursue higher education, so I
discovered Upward Bound at California State University Dominguez Hills during the
summer of my junior year. Through my UB participation, I have been able to attend
Saturday academies, college readiness workshops, and academic advising that has
provided me with positive reinforcement to stay focused on my goals. Discovering how
expensive college can be inspired me to take advantage of scholarships and internships
as a high school student to earn savings for college. I intentionally enrolled into dual
enrollment courses and college courses so I can transfer these courses when I attend
college and save money in the future. I also participated in the virtual Job Shadowing
month-long program that focused on STEM such as electrical engineering and biology
where I was compensated with a stipend that has contributed to my college funds.
Lastly, UB has allowed me to develop my public speaking and communication skills
through taking a college course at their summer bridge program. Overall, receiving
mentorship and guidance from my UB program coordinator Katherine and my instructor
Mr.Rosales I have seized power in my educational journey to become the first person in
my family to attend and graduate from college. As the firstborn in my family, I did not
see a lot of representation with people who looked like me going to college. As a
minority in STEM, I will become a role model, and I will inspire my siblings not to be
afraid of pursuing their passion.

(444 words)
9th-10th grade: Go Green,
9th-10th grade: Book club, Treasurer,
10th-12th grade: Robotics Club, Data and Logistics, Driver
11th grade : Student Poll Worker,
11th grade: Animal Care Center Volunteer

FALL 2020 GRADES

Carson Senior HS, Environmental Studies, Grade = B
Carson Senior HS, AP English, Literature Grade = B
Carson Senior HS, Economics, Grade = A
Carson Senior HS, Pre Calculus, Grade = A
Carson Senior HS, AP Computer Science Principles, Grade = A
Carson Senior HS, H Physics, Grade =A
Carson Senior HS, Biotechnology, Grade= A

SPRING 2021 GRADES

Carson Senior HS, Environmental Studies - IP
Carson Senior HS, AP English Literature - IP
Carson Senior HS, Pre Calculus - IP
Carson Senior HS, AP Computer Science Principles - IP
Carson Senior HS, H Physics - IP
Carson Senior HS, Biotechnology - IP
(Government, second-semester credits validated by Political Science Los
Angeles Harbor College course)