Working at Southpaw Guitars, the biggest left handed guitar store in the world, taught me two important things: To be adaptable, and that I’ll never stop learning. Although officially I was a music teacher, I did everything from cleaning the bathroom and vacuuming the entire store, to selling prestigious instruments to customers worldwide and teaching students how to play guitar or the button accordion. My adaptability has made me confident in my ability to continue learning about anything in my path. The skills I learned while working at the family owned store have helped me in ways I never could have imagined, including helping me become one of the twenty four 2023 Terry Scholars. I feel blessed to be a proud Terry Scholar, and I will continue to work with others to “pay it forward” through acts of service and community. Currently, I’m the community engagement director for the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) chapter at UTD. Through this role, I strive to make members feel welcomed to our community and help provide them with volunteer opportunities so they too can “pay it forward”. Through my role in ALPFA and as the Academic Coordinator for the Terry Scholars, I hope to make everyone feel connected and motivated to learn.