My name is Yesenia Paz, and I identify myself as a Mexican-American woman, born and raised in San Jose. I will be the first person in my family to seek and obtain a college degree in hopes to break down the barriers that stand in my family’s way to achieving a different life. My goal is to be a role model to my younger family members and provide a path that strays away from gang involvement, drug addiction, intimate partner violence, and dropping out of
