I am writing to highly recommend Jason Reguero as a compassionate person whose need for justice and ability to confront and accept difficult truths makes him an outstanding candidate for your college scholarship program. Throughout my interactions with Jay, I've consistently been impressed by not only his eagerness to act on injustices, but also his remarkable ability to not let things go under the radar. As he uncovered the hard truth about the loss of his late cousin, he discovered the recent drug war in the Philippines. Jay became shock-ridden and filled with anger and guilt “The possibility that Jun died like one of the people in this article transforms my sorrow into white-hot anger.I feel like I have the opportunity to do something that…show more content… What really sets Jay apart from others is his empathy and commitment to making a difference in his community and the lives of people around him. Seeing people struggling, and living on the streets left him feeling defeated “I reach for my wallet again, traffic finally starts moving. The boys jog alongside the vehicle, but we leave them behind before I can take out any money. I give Grace a pleading look” (Ribay 77). When Jay goes to the Philippines, he almost feels like he’s letting them down by not being able to offer something to them, proving just how sympathetic he truly is. He can empathize with people from all backgrounds with an open mind, and an open heart, as seen in the previous quote. His guilt made him feel like he owed it to them, desperately trying to relieve the remorse he felt for not acting earlier. Jay is a remarkable young individual who has overcome challenges and shown tremendous growth in his personal and academic life, starting as early as grade school. While visiting the Philippines, he had a chance to revisit some childhood memories, and reflect on who he used to be “Like me, Jun was in the fifth
