Luisanny Torres Sánchez – Harvard University
Being at Esperanza has taught me the value of community. Students really learn and grow with one another, whether it be students collaboratively working together to help understand the concept better or studying together for finals, or teachers working persistently to create a safe environment for students to openly discuss and share their ideas and experiences. Being a part of a school that really embraces and values every one’s identity and culture, has encouraged me to embrace my own identity and use it as a strength to build confidence by understanding who I am, and who I want to be in the future.
I decided to pursue higher education because as a first-generation Dominican-American, the value of education has always been something that has been heavily instilled in my life thanks to my parents, and while I acknowledge that higher education can be a door towards more opportunities, I also value that through pursuing higher education this can be a path towards helping me build a more open-minded and empathetic perspective in society, learning from others different than myself, helping me better understand the world around me, and make decisions to spark the change I want to see in the future.
I will be attending Harvard University. Besides it being every “nerd’s» dream, when I first viewed their online MBA Case Method Classroom, it was the first time I had seen students that come from such diverse backgrounds, with incredibly positive attitudes towards learning, who valued and enforced a culture of tolerance, engaging with one another to answer difficult questions about the world around us. This was the first time I had seen such a keen resilience against conformity in a classroom. I saw faculty and students constantly striving for a higher standard for their lives and futures, and I said I want to be a part of that.
I am planning on majoring in Economics with a minor in Ethnicity and Migration studies. Later on in the future, I plan to study different economic trends and be cognizant of the obstacles facing low-income communities in order to challenge the attitudes of mass-consumer-focused industries blind to injustices, like the current housing crisis, gentrification, the unfair distribution of wealth and income, etc.
The advice that I would give to other students would be to not trap yourself inside the bounds society has made up for you. The only limits that we should have are the ones we place on ourselves. And don’t let others define success for you, you have the power to shape your own future.
Mebelyn Urena, Boston University
Esperanza has prepared me in several ways as I approached the end of my Senior year. I took all the hard classes I could get my hands on. Taking AP’s, Honors, and even dual enrollment classes. I was exposed to numerous after school activities where I was able to connect to my peers and enjoy baking! I was surrounded by amazing teachers who pushed me when I was feeling out of it. They all helped me get into summer programs that exposed me to new things and motivated me to keep pushing past the finish line of high school. I have loved this school and the family environment that it has created with all of us. Esperanza is not just a school, but my other home.
I plan on majoring in BioChemistry which always requires me to essentially follow a pre-med track without actually declaring Pre-med as my major. I’m looking into going to med school after my undergrad or working in biological research. Attending a higher education like Boston University will give me the opportunity to explore my interest in both these fields and connect me to various amounts of people who could potentially link me up with job opportunities as I finish college.
Advice that would give to other students looking to pursue a higher education is to do it! Don’t limit yourself to small schools because you think that you are not good enough. This was a mistake I made in the beginning. You get into a good school that will give you the skills needed for your future career and life can go nowhere but up.
