APU Personal Statement

My name is Xavier Lira and I am a devoted, empathetic individual who has developed an earnest passion for helping others. I am the son of two hardworking immigrant parents who sacrificed the life they knew in Mexico with the hope of a better tomorrow for their children. I am the son of my softhearted mother and resilient father who taught me the importance of appreciating life and pursuing happiness. I was raised to use my morality as a better judgment and taught to be grateful for the life I was blessed with, especially when times were difficult. This lesson was mainly demonstrated to me when my family and I did not have a place to call home after nearly losing my father in a work-related accident. For the longest time, I was ashamed of my

To me, this comes in the form of attending APU’s Educational and Clinical Counseling program and pursuing a career that allows me to demonstrate my ability in helping others achieve their goals. The rigorous design of this program will be a challenge to my academic grit and a testament to the skills I developed during my three years as a UCR undergraduate. The teachings and standards of this program will serve as a means of evaluating my professional experience after dedicating the last four years to supporting low-income students of color in a school environment. Throughout my academic and professional journey, I have also grown as a person by developing my conscientious, agreeable, and inquisitive personality traits that allow me to create healthy relationships and remain optimistic for the future. My academic, professional, and personal characteristics have revealed a road leading to APU’s Educational and Clinical Counseling program and I wish to materialize my vision alongside this

My communication and adaptability serve as my greatest strengths while my selflessness acts as a double-edged sword that oftentimes hurts me just as much as much as it helps. Although communication was not always my greatest strength, I learned to be confident in my knowledge and discovered manners of conveying information, which is critical to being a team player. Similarly, my adaptability has been one of my greatest strengths because I am able to understand any environment and act appropriately based on what is required of me. Meanwhile, my selflessness and willingness to help others have allowed me to develop amazing relationships and take pride in the work I accomplish as an educator. However, these assets have also caused me to sacrifice my well-being for the sake of others, which is why I have adamantly been working towards finding a healthy median and not spreading myself too thin. My strengths and weaknesses will serve as my compass by pointing me in the direction that ensures that my student’s needs are met through my performance as a school