Alumni {sequence}

   “We should join this program, I’ve heard amazing things about it,” says my friend. I was a little timid, and not an outgoing girl most of high school. I struggled with trying to figure out what type of group I fit in. This was up until I joined 20/20 Leadership, in which my school has a whole class dedicated to the program. In that class, I met incredible people who all shared similar goals. We had a huge support system and legacies to continue. I’m a first-generation Hispanic student so leaving a legacy is a huge thing to me. I have to be the one making that footprint in the dirt so my younger sibling can walk into it.

  Joining 20/20 Leadership was a door full of opportunities being opened for me. Being a part of the 20/20 Olympics was something out of my comfort zone, I would have never thought I would ever agree to be a part of it. Yet I was able to overcome that fear with the amount of support and courage the program had to offer. The whole process leading up to the Olympics was very stressful but very worth it. I got the chance to work in a team where we all had to consider everyone’s opinions, take direction, and be fully accountable for our actions. It was such an amazing learning experience for not only me but for my team as well.

   Being asked about the program around school now as a senior is a good feeling because now I get to encourage underclassmen to join. I get to influence them in a good direction for good opportunities and better options. When I was a freshman I would look up to the seniors and try and see what type of footsteps I wanted to follow. I took snippets of different people I looked up to and created my type of path. Now that I feel like underclassmen are doing that I want them to have me as an example to look up to.  I can now help them prepare for their 20/20 Olympic competition and guide them through it so they won’t be as nervous. Give them a little description of how it’s going to be and that they’ll do amazing. 

   I plan to major in nursing at Missouri State University, Nursing has always been my top career choice. It’s always been a dream of mine to become a nurse and help people in need. I have always been interested in healthcare from a very young age. Growing up I would play doctor with my parents and from the stethoscope to the syringe, I would catch myself watching the nurses and doctors at every doctor’s visit. As I got older, I began doing my research on different types of nurses. There was one that caught my attention: labor and delivery I can help these tiny humans get better and thrive for the rest of their lives. 

   By me simply wearing a sense of style or a way of talking I notice my sister copies me, it’s her current way of following my steps. So making those footprints clear and sturdy for her to follow is something that haunts me but in a good way. I want to lead by example that anything you put your mind to is possible, the sky is your limit. I want her to keep in mind that if my sister can do it, so can I. She will be my legacy that I will be leaving behind and she will lead someone else.