乔纳森·莫拉
1. 是什么促使你申请罗梅罗奖学金?
小阿尔贝托·华雷斯. 促使我申请圣奥斯卡A学院. 罗梅罗奖学金. 我遇到了阿尔贝托，他是2022年圣奥斯卡a奖的决赛选手. 罗梅罗奖学金, 一个月后，他将参加AHANA峰会的奖学金仪式, which is a retreat the Thea Bowman AHANA Intercultural Center hosts for undergraduate students to talk about their identities. 通过这次经历, I got to meet Alberto as a friend and someone who I knew I could be comfortable with, given our shared experiences as Latino students at 电子游戏软件. 我没有听说他参与其中, 奉献, 并为拉丁裔社区提供服务，直到一个月后, 源自圣奥斯卡. 罗梅罗奖学金典礼. Hearing his story made Alberto an inspiration for me to become; someone who looks like me and strives to serve the Latino community. His commitment to leaving a positive impact at 电子游戏软件 inspired me to apply for the same scholarship because I wanted to be able to be recognized for my hard work and be perceived as more than just a friend, 而是为他人辩护, 特别是对非法的拉丁裔移民. 申请这个著名的奖学金, I developed a goal; I wanted the recognition given from this scholarship to highlight my contributions to the Latino community in order to affirm my goal as an aspiring immigration attorney. To be recognized for my hard work was something I strived for, so someone else like me can be inspired the same way I was inspired by Alberto.
2. What was the most memorable question from the interview and how did you respond?
The most memorable question from the interview was: is there something else that you did not tell us that you would like us to know more about? This question gave me the opportunity to share with the scholarship committee the reason why I aspire to become an immigration attorney. Without this question, one would still wonder why I strive to support undocumented Latino immigrants. 当我回答这个问题时, I shared with the scholarship committee a personal experience I did not share with anyone at 电子游戏软件 up until that point, given that I was raised to not talk about such experiences to people who were not in my immediate family. 同时，我知道我的回答很有价值. My answer talked about an interaction I had with a family member who wanted me to translate a US Immigration Court document from English to Spanish, 这样他们就能在庇护案上得到指导. 当我详细阐述这段经历对我的影响时, I became emotionally invested and discussed the feelings of uncertainty that come from living in a mixed-status household. I talked about how these experiences push me to support US citizen children who are in my position, and who do not know when the last day with their family members will be. Sharing this experience was therapeutic because I was able to formulate the memories and thoughts into words. 此时此刻, 我的申请更有分量, because not only did it highlight my current involvement with the Latino community on and off campus, but it also illustrated the experiences that ignited the flame for me to serve undocumented Latino immigrants in the United States.
1. How did you feel when you heard your name called as the award winner?
I felt grateful when I heard my name as the co-recipient of the Saint Oscar A. 罗梅罗奖学金. 然而，这种感觉变得更加强烈. Mariela Páez’s speech to introduce my biography in front of the packed crowd in the Murray Function Room. “To know 乔纳森·莫拉 is to know his family,” were the exact words Dr. Páez said that made me emotional while she shared with the entire room my involvement on and off campus. Dr. Páez’s recognition of my family during this scholarship ceremony made the announcement of the scholarship winners more meaningful. 被称为圣奥斯卡奖的共同获得者. 罗梅罗奖学金 felt like an honor to the hard work and sacrifices of my family. “It was all worth it,” were the words thought about after hearing my name. 我感到如释重负, and content that I was able to say hello to my mom and dad at the camera that was hosting a Zoom session during my speech.
1. What do you feel is your biggest responsibility as the 罗梅罗奖学金 recipient of 2023?
Now on the other side, my biggest responsibility as the co-recipient of the Saint Oscar A. 罗梅罗奖学金 is to encourage motivated students to apply to this prestigious scholarship. 作为电子游戏软件的大四学生, I have a couple of weeks to provide this responsibility directly to students on campus. Therefore, I aspire to leave a positive footprint on 电子游戏软件’s campus. This includes working closely with the Thea Bowman AHANA Intercultural Center, 人权与国际司法中心, 以及拉丁美洲事务组织. I want to contribute to the growth of students at 电子游戏软件 who strive to serve the Latino community. I aspire to see other students who look like me grow and thrive at 电子游戏软件.
1. What would you say to students who are thinking of applying next year?
尽你所能去申请吧! 不要犹豫，相信自己, and value the merit you accumulated during your time at 电子游戏软件. 和你的顾问谈谈, 导师, and professors who you think can help you formulate the story you want to create for this application. Be intentional and authentic with who you are during this process. While the application stages may be overwhelming to go through, 你将有机会展示真实的自己. 拥抱真实的自己也是可以的, even if it means talking about experiences that you did not usually share at 电子游戏软件. On another note, make sure you are punctual with the deadlines, and update your resume!