Sierra Mena Nova
Gorton High School
I am 17 years old, and attend Charles E. Gorton High School where I am a Gear Up and Smart Scholars student. My wish is to attend Mercy College to pursue the field of education and become an English or Spanish teacher. I am a leader; a helping hand; a good listener and advice giver. My family is hardworking, whom I am extremely proud of and thankful to have. My mother had to make sacrifices in order to give my brothers and me a better life. Therefore, I learned that we can make sacrifices to better the life of the people we love. I have become someone who is resilient and I dream BIG. One of my goals is to become a motivational speaker and to be a role model that inspires others. I would like to be able to give back to the homeless, to travel the world, and to buy my own home. I want to give back to my family, and especially to my mother. I want to be able to look back and be proud of my accomplishments and accept my struggles.
Yamil Eliza Baez Galvez
Gorton High School
I am an immigrant from the Dominican Republic. I moved to the United States when I was eight years old. My mother who had a career in the Dominican Republic, left it all behind to provide a better future for my brothers and me. Upon settling in the US, I struggled to connect with others because I could not speak English. I spent years learning the language, facing challenges but I know that all my hard work paid off. Now, I am one of the top students in my class and I am receiving acknowledgements from the Senate. I look forward to pursuing a career in Nursing at the College of Mount Saint Vincent. And later, I want to become a Physician’s Assistant. I want to be able to help my community, one that faces many challenges and sometimes unfair treatment. One advice I can give is that there is no age or obstacle to stop you from achieving your goals and dreams.
Annastassya Segovia
White Plains High School
I cannot express my gratitude enough for giving me the opportunity to receive this scholarship. I am 18 years old, and have been raised in a Hispanic household with parents who are immigrants. Attending college was always expected of me. I now understand that it was for a good reason, because an education can get you far and you can achieve anything as long as you work hard towards your goals. With this scholarship, I feel one step closer to achieving my biggest dream in life. I now know that college is possible for me, in spite of the economic difficulties. I am happy that I will be attending college in the fall and will eventually pursue my career in psychology, which I love so much! I hope to thrive in college and represent hardworking, Hispanic women in whatever campus I attend. Thank you so much for helping make my dreams come true!
Noemi Pedraza
White Plains High School
I am grateful to the 100 Hispanic Women of Westchester who provides a platform for Latina women to share their stories. By receiving this scholarship, I hope to encourage younger relatives that college is an attainable goal. I want to show them that an individual’s economic status should not deprive them of their career goals. I can proudly say that my parents raised a resilient Latina woman. I strive to be a beacon of hope for younger Latino students. I also know that by fully assimilating to the American ways and identifying myself as American is not the only way to triumph in life. I can also proudly show my roots that can bring me a myriad of opportunities.