The Rose That Grew from Concrete “Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete?Proving nature’s law is wrong, it learned to walk without having moving feet.Funny it seems but by keeping its dreams it learned to breathe fresh air.Long live the rose that grew from concrete when no one else even cared!” -Tupac ShakurI was born and raised in a place where going to college isn't a priority. A place where physically demanding and exploitative labor was all that was available to our parents or grandparents. A place where it’s not uncommon to hear gunshots, police sirens, or be pregnant before you graduate high school. There are many dark sides in South Central, Los Angeles but there is also a multitude of good. As a first-generation Latina and the oldest of four sisters. I felt an innate responsibility to uplift and support the youth and people in my community. Although, I didn’t always feel that I was good enough and like many suffered from imposter syndrome. When I was in high school, I gave up on the idea of being able to attend a four-year school. I was unaware of scholarships, financial aid, and didn’t want to burden my family with extra expenses. So I opted for community college and got my first job at Mcdonald’s. I would wake up at 5:30 am and commute via bus from South Central to Santa Monica. I was embarrassed at the time of my school and job but later realized that I was working way too hard to be ashamed of my journey. To this day I am not embarrassed but proud of where I came from and what I have been able to achieve. I have now completed my bachelor’s in public relations and advertising and have landed a paid internship out of college at EC Hispanic Media. In my free time, I also play Kris Jenner to my younger sister and manage her acting career. Her most recent role is on Netflix as the kid version of Selena Quintanilla’s older sister Suzzette Quintanilla. My mission in life is to inspire and provide resources to the youth in underprivileged communities.