When I was in first grade, my dad drove me to a high school robotics competition 30 minutes away. My mom is the one who made it happen--she insisted on it, even though neither of them knew anyone there or what was going on. We sat on the bleachers and watched for hours. Then we left.
I don't remember much about the event. I don't even remember feeling particularly interested. I do know it was unlike anything I had seen before--and something that I wouldn't have seen if it weren't for the purposeful exposure.
Fast forward to my senior year of high school, when I was standing in the middle of a stadium where my team lost the world championship semi-finals of that same robotics league. That's the first time I recalled that coincidental trip my mom made me go on when I was 7 years old.
My life has been shaped by seeds planted by others--seeds that grew into a forest of opportunities, nurtured by those who believed in me. Moments of exposure, curiosity, and discomfort--often small and fleeting--later sprouted into something much larger. These experiences shaped the way I approach every choice I make today.
If my mom planted the first tree, it was my dad that watered it. Watching him work two jobs, often from early mornings until late nights, taught me the value of persistence and the lengths one must go to create opportunity. Growing up Latino in Woodbridge but exposed to opportunities and communities beyond it, I became acutely aware of the challenges that came with being part of a working-class, first-generation family. These early experiences, paired with the guidance of mentors and my own curiosity, shaped how I see the world: as a set of systems that can be questioned, understood, and improved through deliberate effort.
This is the story of how those seeds grew, how they withstood storms, and how they've shaped the direction I'm headed now. It's a story about the pursuit of knowledge, annoying persistence, and playing the long game.
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