I am another new yes 18 years old and a student here at Santa Catalina who has
student here at Santa Catalina who has
student here at Santa Catalina who has been doing a lot of thinking this might
been doing a lot of thinking this might
been doing a lot of thinking this might be because of my philosophy class for
be because of my philosophy class for
be because of my philosophy class for obvious reasons and it might also have
obvious reasons and it might also have
obvious reasons and it might also have to do with college apps and me
to do with college apps and me
to do with college apps and me procrastinating over my college has by
procrastinating over my college has by
procrastinating over my college has by either watching all the romantic
either watching all the romantic
either watching all the romantic comedies there are on Netflix or by
comedies there are on Netflix or by
comedies there are on Netflix or by reflecting over in my life but the one
reflecting over in my life but the one
reflecting over in my life but the one question that has sort of taken over my
question that has sort of taken over my
question that has sort of taken over my life since I started the college
life since I started the college
life since I started the college application process what’s that question
application process what’s that question
application process what’s that question of it’s really really scary it’s a
of it’s really really scary it’s a
of it’s really really scary it’s a question of what makes you different
question of what makes you different
question of what makes you different what makes you you more specifically
what makes you you more specifically
what makes you you more specifically what makes you stand out from the
what makes you stand out from the
what makes you stand out from the millions of students applying to this
millions of students applying to this
millions of students applying to this institution please elaborate and make it
institution please elaborate and make it
institution please elaborate and make it a hundred words that’s just it’s
a hundred words that’s just it’s
a hundred words that’s just it’s terrifying and then after thinking a lot
terrifying and then after thinking a lot
terrifying and then after thinking a lot I came to the realization that it was
I came to the realization that it was
I came to the realization that it was not the phrase that was scaring me it
not the phrase that was scaring me it
not the phrase that was scaring me it was that it made me doubt myself
was that it made me doubt myself
was that it made me doubt myself it made me ask myself a question that I
it made me ask myself a question that I
it made me ask myself a question that I had never asked before am I really worth
had never asked before am I really worth
had never asked before am I really worth it am I really that different
it am I really that different
it am I really that different am i valuable am i interesting and so as
am i valuable am i interesting and so as
am i valuable am i interesting and so as I was working on my college apps on a
I was working on my college apps on a
I was working on my college apps on a Sunday afternoon I stopped and I cuz I
Sunday afternoon I stopped and I cuz I
Sunday afternoon I stopped and I cuz I got really frustrated and I looked out
got really frustrated and I looked out
got really frustrated and I looked out the window and I asked myself I’m not
the window and I asked myself I’m not
the window and I asked myself I’m not knowing newness
knowing newness
knowing newness what makes you who you are and so today
what makes you who you are and so today
what makes you who you are and so today I want to talk about one of the
I want to talk about one of the
I want to talk about one of the attributes that has shaped the way I see
attributes that has shaped the way I see
attributes that has shaped the way I see the world and that what allows me to
the world and that what allows me to
the world and that what allows me to write college essays about myself that I
write college essays about myself that I
write college essays about myself that I am proud of and what will continue to
am proud of and what will continue to
am proud of and what will continue to shape my character as I grow older and
shape my character as I grow older and
shape my character as I grow older and that is my voice I speak two languages
that is my voice I speak two languages
that is my voice I speak two languages English and Spanish I was born in Mexico
English and Spanish I was born in Mexico
English and Spanish I was born in Mexico City moved to Acapulco Guerrero which is
City moved to Acapulco Guerrero which is
City moved to Acapulco Guerrero which is a city in the southern part part of
a city in the southern part part of
a city in the southern part part of Mexico and then I moved to Monterey
Mexico and then I moved to Monterey
Mexico and then I moved to Monterey California when I was around 14 years
California when I was around 14 years
California when I was around 14 years old my voice your voice his voice her
old my voice your voice his voice her
old my voice your voice his voice her voice their voices that’s what makes us
voice their voices that’s what makes us
voice their voices that’s what makes us all different
all different
all different you know it’s that human characteristic
you know it’s that human characteristic
you know it’s that human characteristic what what unites the world’s what
what what unites the world’s what
what what unites the world’s what connects the world and what creates
connects the world and what creates
connects the world and what creates positive and negative relationships it
positive and negative relationships it
positive and negative relationships it is pretty pretty pretty amazing and so
is pretty pretty pretty amazing and so
is pretty pretty pretty amazing and so there are around seven point six billion
there are around seven point six billion
there are around seven point six billion people in the world so it is very
people in the world so it is very
people in the world so it is very important to never forget what you are
important to never forget what you are
important to never forget what you are made of not you know literally what
made of not you know literally what
made of not you know literally what you’re made of but emotionally which is
you’re made of but emotionally which is
you’re made of but emotionally which is something I’ve struggled a lot with and
something I’ve struggled a lot with and
something I’ve struggled a lot with and remember the phrase what makes you
remember the phrase what makes you
remember the phrase what makes you different well it isn’t the times that I
different well it isn’t the times that I
different well it isn’t the times that I have to face that question that I am so
have to face that question that I am so
have to face that question that I am so thankful that I never let my roots out
thankful that I never let my roots out
thankful that I never let my roots out of my life that was hard because I was
of my life that was hard because I was
of my life that was hard because I was growing up I had this sort of inner
growing up I had this sort of inner
growing up I had this sort of inner battle between the person that I was and
battle between the person that I was and
battle between the person that I was and this other idea that I wanted to show I
this other idea that I wanted to show I
this other idea that I wanted to show I remember when I was at Disneyland I was
remember when I was at Disneyland I was
remember when I was at Disneyland I was very little and only my father really
very little and only my father really
very little and only my father really spoke English and so we would always
spoke English and so we would always
spoke English and so we would always just speaking Spanish and I remember
just speaking Spanish and I remember
just speaking Spanish and I remember feeling feeling out of place
feeling feeling out of place
feeling feeling out of place feeling feeling that I did not belong
feeling feeling that I did not belong
feeling feeling that I did not belong and let me tell you I’m a very very
and let me tell you I’m a very very
and let me tell you I’m a very very proud of Mexican and all my family’s
proud of Mexican and all my family’s
proud of Mexican and all my family’s from Mexico they all grew up there but
from Mexico they all grew up there but
from Mexico they all grew up there but it was that feeling of shame that that
it was that feeling of shame that that
it was that feeling of shame that that didn’t let me go beyond and so I’ve gone
didn’t let me go beyond and so I’ve gone
didn’t let me go beyond and so I’ve gone over that moment in my mind a million
over that moment in my mind a million
over that moment in my mind a million times and I thought to myself becoming a
times and I thought to myself becoming a
times and I thought to myself becoming a person you’re proud of becoming that
person you’re proud of becoming that
person you’re proud of becoming that person you’re proud of takes work and
person you’re proud of takes work and
person you’re proud of takes work and it’s becoming that person takes time and
it’s becoming that person takes time and
it’s becoming that person takes time and it’s a constant battle between your
it’s a constant battle between your
it’s a constant battle between your present and the past between the things
present and the past between the things
present and the past between the things you learned yesterday and the things you
you learned yesterday and the things you
you learned yesterday and the things you learned today and for me that’s my
learned today and for me that’s my
learned today and for me that’s my ultimate goal in life to become someone
ultimate goal in life to become someone
ultimate goal in life to become someone I am proud of and so I do this all the
I am proud of and so I do this all the
I am proud of and so I do this all the time and I always ask myself on a Leon
time and I always ask myself on a Leon
time and I always ask myself on a Leon what makes you different and that is my
what makes you different and that is my
what makes you different and that is my voice my voice is Who I am
voice my voice is Who I am
voice my voice is Who I am my voice is my past
my voice is my past
my voice is my past my friends my present and most
my friends my present and most
my friends my present and most importantly my culture I usually tell
importantly my culture I usually tell
importantly my culture I usually tell myself I’m a very proud immigrant
myself I’m a very proud immigrant
myself I’m a very proud immigrant because not all immigrants have the
because not all immigrants have the
because not all immigrants have the privilege that I do because of their
privilege that I do because of their
privilege that I do because of their color of their skin because of the
color of their skin because of the
color of their skin because of the thickness of an accent and because of
thickness of an accent and because of
thickness of an accent and because of their legal status and so I’m presented
their legal status and so I’m presented
their legal status and so I’m presented with two options I can either do
with two options I can either do
with two options I can either do something about it or nothing at all and
something about it or nothing at all and
something about it or nothing at all and so I chose to do something I’ve chosen
so I chose to do something I’ve chosen
so I chose to do something I’ve chosen to use my voice to use my stories to
to use my voice to use my stories to
to use my voice to use my stories to improve the world if I have the
improve the world if I have the
improve the world if I have the privilege to do what I love I also have
privilege to do what I love I also have
privilege to do what I love I also have the responsibility to change the world
the responsibility to change the world
the responsibility to change the world and in order to change the world in
and in order to change the world in
and in order to change the world in order to become someone I am proud of I
order to become someone I am proud of I
order to become someone I am proud of I have to come to the realization that I
have to come to the realization that I
have to come to the realization that I have to embrace my culture I have to
have to embrace my culture I have to
have to embrace my culture I have to embrace my past I have to embrace my
embrace my past I have to embrace my
embrace my past I have to embrace my voice I have to embrace Who I am and so
voice I have to embrace Who I am and so
voice I have to embrace Who I am and so to do so I keep this picture in my room
that’s my mom and I we were in hootchie
that’s my mom and I we were in hootchie done which is this really small town
done which is this really small town
done which is this really small town near the city of Oaxaca that’s where all
near the city of Oaxaca that’s where all
near the city of Oaxaca that’s where all my my dad’s family’s from and it’s this
my my dad’s family’s from and it’s this
my my dad’s family’s from and it’s this really big party celebrating a specific
really big party celebrating a specific
really big party celebrating a specific family and we would walk down the
family and we would walk down the
family and we would walk down the streets with an orchestra and and just
streets with an orchestra and and just
streets with an orchestra and and just have a good time and my great-grandma
have a good time and my great-grandma
have a good time and my great-grandma actually would make the dresses for us
actually would make the dresses for us
actually would make the dresses for us she would ask me what color I wanted and
she would ask me what color I wanted and
she would ask me what color I wanted and what color I wanted to flowers to be and
what color I wanted to flowers to be and
what color I wanted to flowers to be and when I look back at this picture I just
when I look back at this picture I just
when I look back at this picture I just remember the joy and the happiness of
remember the joy and the happiness of
remember the joy and the happiness of being there and I look back at it and I
being there and I look back at it and I
being there and I look back at it and I mean it is a perfect example of my
mean it is a perfect example of my
mean it is a perfect example of my culture you really can’t get any more
culture you really can’t get any more
culture you really can’t get any more Mexican than that
Mexican than that
Mexican than that so when I whoops when I look at that
so when I whoops when I look at that
so when I whoops when I look at that picture I remember my mom and I think
picture I remember my mom and I think
picture I remember my mom and I think about my dad my sister my friends here
about my dad my sister my friends here
about my dad my sister my friends here at school and how they are all part of
at school and how they are all part of
at school and how they are all part of my story
my story
my story part of my voice I make mistakes even as
part of my voice I make mistakes even as
part of my voice I make mistakes even as a senior who thinks she knows it all I
a senior who thinks she knows it all I
a senior who thinks she knows it all I don’t and I fail and I learn and that’s
don’t and I fail and I learn and that’s
don’t and I fail and I learn and that’s how I grow so when I look back at this
how I grow so when I look back at this
how I grow so when I look back at this picture and I look back a bad girl who
picture and I look back a bad girl who
picture and I look back a bad girl who had no idea she would be here today and
had no idea she would be here today and
had no idea she would be here today and who really has no idea what the future
who really has no idea what the future
who really has no idea what the future holds her I am reminded of my culture
holds her I am reminded of my culture
holds her I am reminded of my culture and of how lucky I am and I think about
and of how lucky I am and I think about
and of how lucky I am and I think about the question about the terrifying
the question about the terrifying
the question about the terrifying question of what makes you different and
question of what makes you different and
question of what makes you different and then I’m not afraid anymore
then I’m not afraid anymore
then I’m not afraid anymore I know I won’t hesitate to answer and I
I know I won’t hesitate to answer and I
I know I won’t hesitate to answer and I really hope you won’t either thank you
”
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