“Simply put, thank you for taking the chance on us undergraduate students. As a first-generation student, I have trodden through the waters of getting to university alone. I have figured out FAFSA documentation, applications cycles, Organic Chemistry, and more through my own initiative. Nevertheless, being received at the Gator Guayabera Guateque showed me the community that I have now become a part of – a network of Hispanic/Latinx Gators, many of whom were first-generation students, who climbed up the same steps and cemented their spots as achieved Gators. I was welcomed with an applause, with encouraging comments from alumni at the photo booth and in the bathroom, by committee members for the work I have embarked on – I felt embraced by the encouragement and appreciation embedded in  the very energy of the Guateque. For this and much more, I thank you.

Thank you for seeing yourself in me. Thank you for granting me the ability to use a scholarship for my studies. Thank you for pushing me one step closer to my dreams. I am eternally grateful for the UF Association of Hispanic Alumni in more ways than one. Not only has this enriching organization provided me with a new community, but it has also granted me the opportunity to be a 2022 Dr. Rafael and Mrs. J. Fe Padron de Angulo Scholarship Recipient. This scholarship
will allow me to look into post-undergrad opportunities as I finish up my last year at the University of Florida. As a double-major in Health Science and Women’s Studies with a minor in Health Disparities in Society and on the pre-medical track, my goal in life is to work with underrepresented communities in order to facilitate treatments, screenings, and access to care.

More specifically, this scholarship will push me in the right direction in being able to attain a Master’s of Public Health before heading to medical school. The positive impact this will bring me is undeniable as I will be able to explore opportunities, pay for my academic responsibilities, and navigate the different layers of the last year of my undergraduate degree.

Thank you endlessly for this amazing scholarship! As always, go Gators!”