Into A New by Jesus

Into A New by Jesus - May 2023 Scholarship Essay

Following the completion of high school, I always dreamed of attending a university, majoring in a field that I was truly passionate about, to obtain my college degree and establish a career in that field. Being that both my parents immigrated from Mexico, they have this cultural belief that in order to be successful, people have to either become a nurse or doctor. Although I see their emphasis on healthcare, the thought of pursuing this field seemed wrong for me. Personally, I knew I wanted to create and innovate future generations. It wasn’t until I began taking Computer Science (CS) courses offered at Marco Antonio Firebaugh, did I finally find a field that aligned with the beliefs of what I wanted to pursue. In CS, I see the ability to design various programs that could help people, for instance, reminder apps for the general population. It will be with a deeper understanding of CS that I will be able to create different innovations that will help for various aspects of life. My teacher, Mr. Giaffoglione saw my passion for my work and encouraged me to pursue higher courses via dual enrollment in the field, further solidifying my decision.
Henceforth, I will be attending the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the fall to major in Computer Science and Engineering in order to receive my bachelors degree in CS. My enrollment at UCLA will be the first step toward my dream of becoming a software engineer. I will not only limit myself to courses offered at UCLA, but additionally, I will branch myself out to take classes offered elsewhere to exhaust my knowledge of CS and be prepared for the responsibilities of a Computer Science career. During this period, I will also begin to apply to internships to help me gain hands-on experience and further familiarize myself with the industry. Through these internships, I aim to establish my presence in the tech industry through networking with individuals who have already established themselves in the field. Moreover, I will obtain various tech certificates from online courses, from companies such as Google, Apple, INTL, and other accredited institutions certification to further my comprehension of software engineering. In the long term, I hope that these accomplishments will help me when I apply to graduate school to achieve a masters degree to distinguish myself in the CS field. After which, I will aim to become a senior software engineer, or create my tech company, to achieve my goal of helping people around the globe in my way. Achieving this will demonstrate to me and my community that higher goals are achievable when you are passionate about your career, search for resources in your community, take advantage of all the opportunities given to you, and allow yourself to be helped.