Integrative Narrative
My freshman year of high school, I enrolled in my first Spanish class. I was immediately intrigued as I was finally able to use my native language by reading and writing and learning. I enjoyed each assignment, each lecture and even the assigned readings. Not only was I practicing and discovering my native language but I was also being introduced to my history and culture. This was the first time I ever got to learn and read stories about México and its culture. For the rest of high school Spanish was her favorite subject. The first assignments she completed every night were her readings. It was a time for me to learn about myself and my identity.
My goals after high school included college but my goals didn’t really go further than that. As I attended community college I was able to explore different aspects of myself. I explored many books that talked about the hundreds of first generation college students who, like myself, were trying to define their identity. I took courses from Latin American history to Mexican American history and I was bombarded with the rich history and culture that was included in it. In every class I took I managed to find a book that spoke to me and gave me motivation to continue my education. This made me want to share and educate others about everything I had learned, especially to the youth in my community!
CSUMB has only increased my passion for Spanish Literature and Culture. It has taught me to be able to use my knowledge of Latin American history and culture to teach and empower our youth. It gave me numerous platforms to advocate for an access to equal education for everyone. Through my leadership in the Service Learning Student Leadership program, I was able to learn about and support numerous social justice movements and advocate for my community. The Student Leadership program allowed me to learn many methods to hold and facilitate discussions about social justice issues.
The groups of youths I have had the privilege of working with continuously inspire me to fight for equal access to education. I love listening to their life stories and their hopes and ambitions.I hope to encourage them to continue their education to provide for their community. I hopes to leave an imprint in every community I serve that encourages others to educate and provide for their community.
My goals after high school included college but my goals didn’t really go further than that. As I attended community college I was able to explore different aspects of myself. I explored many books that talked about the hundreds of first generation college students who, like myself, were trying to define their identity. I took courses from Latin American history to Mexican American history and I was bombarded with the rich history and culture that was included in it. In every class I took I managed to find a book that spoke to me and gave me motivation to continue my education. This made me want to share and educate others about everything I had learned, especially to the youth in my community!
CSUMB has only increased my passion for Spanish Literature and Culture. It has taught me to be able to use my knowledge of Latin American history and culture to teach and empower our youth. It gave me numerous platforms to advocate for an access to equal education for everyone. Through my leadership in the Service Learning Student Leadership program, I was able to learn about and support numerous social justice movements and advocate for my community. The Student Leadership program allowed me to learn many methods to hold and facilitate discussions about social justice issues.
The groups of youths I have had the privilege of working with continuously inspire me to fight for equal access to education. I love listening to their life stories and their hopes and ambitions.I hope to encourage them to continue their education to provide for their community. I hopes to leave an imprint in every community I serve that encourages others to educate and provide for their community.