Poor. Uneducated. Lazy. While these adjectives are not an integral part of most people’s consciousness, they nonetheless had a profound effect on my development and identity.  Living in Kensington, a north Philadelphia neighborhood with a large Latino population, I heard these words every day and in many cases in reference to what I could hope to become. Was this my future? Two events changed my thinking. First, when I was seven years old my mom became a Philadelphia councilwoman. To my seven year old self she remained just mom; however, I soon realized that she was now a powerful voice of thousands of Philadelphia residents who for so long had been disconnected from the political process. This realization profoundly affected me. I now had a clear example that one is not defined by a singular set of stereotypes, but rather by the choices one makes. The second was my introduction to Du Bois’s theory of the Talented Tenth by my father. Du Bois emphasized that it is up to the top ten percent of a community to lift the entire community up. Guided by my mother’s example and Du Bois’s theory, I embarked on a path that sought to break stereotypes and re-define my identity through a dedication to helping to better the lives of those in my community.

Throughout high school I dedicated much of my time and energy to community involvement. As a freshman I joined a club called the Spanish and Latino Student Association (S.A.L.S.A). While the club already had a strong cultural orientation, dedicating much of its activities to the exploration of Latin culture through music and dance, I thought that it could do much more.  I arranged a meeting with a member of my mom’s staff and discussed the various needs of the community. She put me in contact with a middle school whose after school program was struggling due to a lack of funds to pay teachers. I introduced my S.A.L.S.A club members to the school and soon our members were helping with homework and running other activities for the kids. Our partnership was a great experience for members of my club and for the students. My continued community involvement also made me realize that involvement was not enough, rather that these experiences afforded me opportunities to hone my leadership skills. As a sophomore I ran for Public Relations officer of S.A.L.S.A. and became the club’s youngest president as a junior. When I arrived at Penn State, I came across the student government and knew that I could not pass up the opportunity to get involved. After a two part interview process, I was nominated to be a representative and now I proudly serve as your Freshman Representative in the University Park Undergraduate Association. 

I believe that when you are blessed with a great education, it is up to you to bring your community up with you.