Do it for the people who couldn’t. by Betshaida

Do it for the people who couldn’t. by Betshaida - April 2020 Scholarship Essay

When I remember my childhood, the stories my parents told me about their lives in México stand out the most. Conversations that brought me to tears; hearing everything my parents dreamed of pursuing in college, and learning how they had to let it all go.

My mom wanted to be a doctor. My dad was a natural at math. They were brilliant students, but they were forced to drop out of school to work and earn money that their families needed to survive. For my parents, education was a luxury they could not afford. Their situation defined their futures for them, leaving them stuck settling for less. But when it came to my siblings and I, they sacrificed everything to give us the opportunities they never had.

Year after year, the same goal pushed me forward to be the best student I could be: a better life for my family. At a young age, I knew I couldn’t help ease my parent’s struggles just yet. I had to wait until I could.

I’m eighteen now, graduating second in my class with an acceptance letter to my dream school. Every moment of struggle has led me here: the point where I can look back at how hard I fought to make something of myself and know I made my parents proud.

Education to some means a fulfilling career. Financial stability. Success. A happy future. It means the same to me, but also so much more.

It’s the joy on my mom’s face when I buy her the house she’s always wanted. Small, in a safe neighborhood, with a yard big enough for a garden.

It’s the relief on my dad’s face when I can help him lift the weight of thousands of dollars of debt off his back.

It’s the accomplishment in my sister’s eyes when I help her pay for her last two years of college so that she can get the degree that she has worked so hard to earn.

Everyday I remind myself that college is a privilege many people, like my parents and sister, could not pursue because of situations beyond their control that defined the paths of their lives. I was given the chance to pursue my degree with the help of the people who love me. They instilled in me the drive and passion to succeed so that I can create a better life not only for myself, but for the communities left voiceless by a system that held them back from their dreams.

A degree is a platform I will use to better other people’s lives because I know all too well how it feels to be underprivileged and the hardships that come along with it. We as a collective should refuse to let those hardships limit us or others. College is a chance to break free, which is why attending is one of the most important decisions you can make, because for some, it is a decision they will never have the chance to make.

We as students have the power to work towards something bigger than ourselves through our education. And when we make that choice to attend college, it is not only for ourselves, but for the people who were never presented with the same opportunities.