Personal Experience: My Road To Attending University

Since a young age I have been determined to attend college. As a first-generation student, the road to attending a university was not easy, but I have always had a passion or learning and college was something I looked forward to. In high school, I worked very hard to be able to attend a prestigious university taking a rigorous curriculum with AP classes, participating in extracurricular activities, and working a part time job saving up for tuition. Although I was certain I wanted to attend college, I questioned what I wanted to major in and what university would be the right fit. Halfway through my senior year I started to struggle with severe health issues which lead to surgery and a month-long hospital stay While I was at Seattle Children’s

I live in a single parent household and I am responsible for any education or outside expenses. Attending Gonzaga is a lot of financial responsibility, but I have been able to overcome these financial challenges with academic and community scholarships. As a result of my high school performance I received a merit scholarship which helps a great deal with my tuition and the rest I attempt to cover with outside scholarships. I have taken out loans, but I am hoping to pay these off before I graduate. In addition, to cover other school and housing expenses I work part time during the school year and full time during the summer. This academic year and over the summer I work at Northeast Youth Center which is before and after school care for low income students in Spokane grades preschool through 6th. As a recreation leader, I pick up the kids from school, lead activities, and interact individually with all the kids. The center can be hectic at times with over 100 kids, but I have formed friendships with all the them and I look forward to work every

Campus Kids is a yearlong program in which I mentor a 5th grade girl who is struggling academically, family-wise, and socially. Every week, the kids visit the GU campus where we work on homework, games, and reflection time. In addition, as mentors, we visit our mentees at school and eat lunch with them or play at recess. My goal as a mentor to my mentee, Taylor, is to lead by example and build a relationship founded on trust, so she has someone to confide in. Taylor struggles with family conflicts similar to situations I dealt with at her age, so we have been working on how to emotionally handle these difficulties. My favorite moment from Campus Kids this year is when Taylor told me her dream was to go to Gonzaga and be a Nurse, just like me. This leadership role has helped me to develop patience, understanding, and I have learned to appreciate what I have. Outside of schoolwork my spare time is devoted to my many passions and being involved within the Gonzaga Community. I spend a lot of time working on fitness and living a healthy lifestyle this helps with the stress and anxiety I face as a student. I exercise multiple times a week and attend yoga classes at my university. I wanted to try something new and yoga was something I found to be challenging, but also relaxing. In addition, I am a member of the Boundless Dance Club where I attend weekly dance classes where we choreograph and learn from each