If I had nine hours to chop down a tree, Id spend the first six

sharpening my axe, Abraham Lincoln. Citizens, politics, students can all take
this quote by President Lincoln a different way, I take it as the way you
prepare yourself will cause an easier path towards success. I have one
amazing family that will back me no matter what with some amazing
backgrounds. I have encountered countless obstacles throughout my life that
I have overcome. You know what they say; give back to where you came
from. From childhood dreams all the way to teenage dreams, I have always
worked toward no matter the change.
First of all, my family, to have an amazing pair of parents and a brother
and sister that have always been there through school, personal life, and
sports. My dad is Pantaleon Villagomez; he never got past a high school
education coming from Guanajuato, Mexico. He worked most of his life in
warehouses and fields always showing me hard work pays off, he is now a
janitor at Center High school. My mother is Maria Villagomez, coming from
the same background coming from Chihuahua, Mexico, graduated from
Sargent High School and got a certification as a Para-Professional and now
works with students at Center High School. My brother is Christopher
Villagomez, he has a degree in mechanics from UTI is Phoenix, Arizona; he is
now married and works setting up internet and TV for Charter
Communications, he has shown me many life skills and everything I know
about sports. My sister is Monique Villagomez she has an Associates in
Nursing, getting her LPN and now works for Mental Health in Alamosa, she
has shown me to never give up no matter what life throws at you. During my

teenage years I learned I was going to become an uncle to my sisters child,

she was only 15 at the time, this was affecting me through the relationship
with my parents and the way that they reacted. I was able to see the way my
sister still pushed through life, graduated high school, and went to college for
a tough degree; this has shown me to always push towards my goals no
matter what obstacles show up.
An aspect of life that I have come to notice it causes many obstacles
compared to others, coming from a low income Hispanic family. Not only
does this affect me physically, mentally, but also limits my access to certain
educational systems. I have learned to live with only what I need and not on
what I want, this has made me very bold, grateful, and self-controlled
individual. I believe that living with what you need increases the chances to
getting something you want in the future. I have witnessed this first hand;
my father had always wanted to own a newer model truck, but with working
in potato warehouses most of his life made it hard. After he showed many
employers his hard work he was hired as a custodian and he saved what he
could to finally consider getting something he wanted. This will allow me to
choose paths wisely throughout my life, I will be able to cherish the little
things as much if not more than the big things in life, and I will be able to live
life astutely and not take wrong paths.

Another opportunity to help others,

even without pay, always gives a sense of accomplishment. I have

volunteered at the church and the school for many youth programs. At the
church I was in charge of running the youth part of a retreat teaching them
about god and doing activities. At the school I was part of a mentoring

program; in this program I was one of the leaders, this meant I had to help
plan what the group was going to do the next time they meet while having
my own mentee to guide. One time while planning the mentoring program
we played a game where you had to choose a group of people that you
would save, while doing this I helped my group see other perspectives that
they didnt see, then while sharing I helped other groups see from many
perspectives. Since I want to be an Officer in the United States Marine Corps
I will mentor and help many other Marines through many obstacles, this will
help me improve on that quality in my life.
The traditional interpretation can be that we were all put here on earth
to serve a purpose. I believe I was put here to serve a purpose that is not just
about myself but much larger, to help out many more than just a little but
the whole nation or even beyond that. I want to become part of the elite
group that call themselves Marines. Not only do I want to be part of the
group I want to lead them, become an officer and acquire the leadership role.
To get there I need a Bachelors Degree in my field of study, Engineering or
Aerospace Sciences. Consequently I come from a low-income family and I
need all the help I could get, so I can be that great leader, a hero, and an
inspiration to others.
In school, clubs, athletics I push myself beyond my limits, when my
body or mind say no more; but then I think of my future and it allows me
punch all the negative out and press on me past my barriers. With the help
of my amazing family they have always helped out when they could, but
college is so much more than a meal or a cloth, thats where I need the

scholarship to come in. All of my obstacles that I have been through have
made me grateful, self-controlled, and bold; these are attributes that should
be considered to place me as a high candidate. I know my future and I have
always pushed myself to get where I want in the past, becoming someone to
lead and protect the United States would be an honor, but I still need the
assistance to get there. I have always been at the top of my class, always
working hard with both my parents in the same building at school, with
athletics I have put in hard work, but along with that hard work and busy
schedule I still stayed on top of my academic work. Consequently my
boldness, my gratefulness, and my self control would make me a top
candidate for the scholarship.