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Being Adopted
I was born in Bogota, Colombia on May 15th, 2001. Many people say their birthday is the most important day of the year, mine is my adoption day. I was adopted from an orphanage in Colombia, FANA, by my parents on September 25th, 2001 at 4 months old. My mom and dad flew to Colombia, just after the incident of 9/11 and stayed in Colombia with me for a month before taking me home. They tell me that while it was a very scary time in the US, it was also a beautiful time in their lives adopting me. -
My Parents Divorce
Although it is a common event, I experienced my parents becoming divorced at a very young age. While I don't remember much of the actual divorce, it has affected my life today more than I would have ever imagined. I moved with my mom 3 times, all while still sharing time living at my dads house. Ever since I can remember, I have been living in two homes. My dad remarried in 2008, then my mom remarried in 2010. Thankfully, my parents divorce was never a negative feeling in my life. -
Tranferring to Brewster
After my parents divorced, I had switched schools before. I originally went to North Salem, then went to Byram Hills where my mom was a teacher, finally in 5th grade I transferred to Brewster Schools. I had lived in Brewster since I was 6, and had friends in my neighborhood, so the thought of switching schools never scared me like it had before. Transferring to Brewster has allowed me to make many friends, and have many experiences I know I would have never had at another school. -
Surgery
In middle school, I had many physical problems. I had broken my ankle once, and a year after healing I had broken the opposite ankle. While breaking my second ankle, I had to go through surgery. It may seem ridiculous, but there was a time where hospitals and surgery especially were my biggest fears. Going into the surgery, I felt extremely terrified, but coming out, I felt like I had more support from my friends than every before. They made me get well gifts, and watched me heal. -
Sleep-away Camp
At the age of 14, I was very shy and kept to myself. It had worked for me for most of my life, until everyone around me started to become more social. Something in me said I needed to get out, and experience more with new people. I brought the idea to my parents to let me go away to camp. It was the first time going away, and was one of the best experiences of my life. I keep in contact with all my friends I made in the two summers I went there, and know they will be apart of my life forever. -
Women's March
After the 2016 presidential election, I was at a loss for words. For months I had felt hopeless, and fearful. In January, my mom had told me there was a Women's March in the city for people to come together. Going into it I was nervous, I had never been to a protest, and was unsure of what to expect. The day that I went, everything changed. I bonded with people who were able to relate with me. It was an empowering experience that helped me come out of my shell and become more passionate. -
Travel to London
The most eye opening travel experience I've had was traveling to London, England. I had been to tropical places before, but visiting London was my first trip abroad. It was my first real vacation where I had something to learn about the city everyday, and was able to see many historical sites. This vacation was the first time I could really see how another culture lives, and is what made me now feel so interested in traveling and learning more about the world. -
College Visit
The summer going into senior year was when all of my college visits started. I visited school after school, but still could not find one that I felt I would belong to. After months of being stressed, I went to the University of Delaware. I was nervous and not that excited because I figured it'd be similar to every other college I'd seen. However, going on that campus and meeting students, was an unforgettable experience. I knew when we walked onto the quad, it was my dream school. -
High School Walkout
After the tragic Parkland, Florida school shooting, I felt inclined to do something. I came in contact with new peers, and we discussed things to do to create a change. There was an event posted about a nationwide walkout of schools to bring awareness to gun violence. While we faced many angry parents, students and teachers, the five of us were able to get support from our administration to organize a school wide walkout with over 300 people, and even held a convention afterwards. -
UN Speech
I was lucky enough to be invited to speak at the United Nations on Gun Violence at the age of 17. I spoke as a part of a Youth Forum and while it was an honor, it was also the most terrifying thing I was asked to do. Before this, the only public speech I made was to the School Board to approve the High School National Walkout that I was a member of organizing. However, once I spoke in front of those 250 guests, I felt more confident than I ever had in my life.
