UF ESSAY!

On April 25, 2008, my life took a drastic turn, for the better. This was the date that I received the news that I would be the 2008-2009 Student Body President/Student Government President/Secretary of the School Advisory Council of Pace High! It all started with a dream, however, this dream was not my own. Both of my parents were born and raised in third world countries, where voting is not a right, but rather a privilege that a select few receive. They have instilled in me the mind set that "knowledge is power" and have encouraged my efforts in Student Government for the past 3 years. When the notice was sent out that elections for 2008-2009 Student Body officers would shortly begin, I had no idea that in a few weeks, my name would be on that ballot. There were many factors that made it easy for me to think that I would not be good for this huge responsibility. My friends and family thought otherwise, and because of their unwavering faith in my ability to lead our school in a positive direction, I took a huge leap of faith and ran for office.

To my parents, this election was more than a surge of power for their daughter. Instead, it was a symbol of progress, a token that their struggles of the past have paid off, and an indication that where we came from will not dictate where we will go, unless we want it to. In my mother’s eyes, I had broken the glass ceiling that she was certain I was bound to hit, because I am a Hispanic female. Because of the huge honor that I received, my father felt that all of the sacrifices he had made over the years were finally justified, simply because I now have the opportunity to live the "American Dream" that he so badly wanted to provide for his children.

Over the duration of the past 4 months, I have been faced with many new challenges, but have been victorious in all of my endeavors. As President of the largest high school in Santa Rosa County, I feel that it is my duty and obligation to give the students what they want! It is my privilege to say that I preside over the organization that provides "government" for the students, by the students. In college, I will be introduced to new people virtually every day, and I feel that because I spent many weeks during my campaign personally meeting the people, I will have no problem adjusting to the very social, college life. An SGA member’s main priority is to relay the thoughts and opinions of the students to the other members, and officers, and address and questions and concerns that they may have. Because it is now my responsibility to lead these discussions daily, my mind has been opened tremendously. The new experiences I will come across at the University of Florida will always be met with an open mind.