Alexandra Juliett Velasquez-Lara
I grew up in a low-income, agriculturally based town in Central Washington. I am proud to say that I grew up in Mabton, since my experiences have shaped me into the person I am today, and I don’t think I would have been able to be where I am today without them. My community, including my family, have always worked in the agricultural industry, whether it was in dairies, warehouses, fields, or orchards, all sharing similar traits of harsh, unfair conditions. Coming from my background, I have always wanted to play a role in bettering the lives of my family and others who have lived similar lives. In the United States, migrant workers are not protected and are often targets of discrimination and unfortunately violence. Having witnessed these things firsthand is what ultimately motivated me to pursue a higher education, even if it meant being apart from my family for some time. I was drawn to the Public Health major because although it focused on healthcare, it also had an aspect of social and ethical justice, which I am passionate about. Before I came to the UW, I was a member of the United Farm Workers Labor Organization, which has been working towards spreading awareness of the cruelty that Ostrom Mushroom Farms employees had faced. During this time, I was also the co-founder of a student organization called Farmworkers Aid Club, in which I was able to raise funds to give back to farm workers in the Lower Yakima Valley. While here at the UW, I have not been able to physically aid my community back home, but I have volunteered at El Centro De La Raza at their legal clinics, helping cases be heard and shared with lawyers. I was motivated to apply for this scholarship, as I believed it would help fund my academic and future endeavors.
Goals
My near-term goal is to graduate with my Public Health - Global Health degree. My longer-term goal is to either attend Law School or pursue a Masters degree in Public Health. I wish to gain more experience and knowledge of the injustices our government is built off of and how to work towards reversing the damage that has been done, while addressing it as well. In the far future, I hope to work in the legal field, helping to adjust and create new policies aimed at protecting and reinforcing the rights for all individuals residing within this country.
Tips
Don’t worry so much about the competitive aspect of scholarships! Be true to yourself and feel confident in your application materials, giving yourself the proper amount of time to refine your short responses, resume, personal statement, etc. Also, you are so much more than your GPA, don’t let it define who you are as a person! Instead, think about all the good you have done for those around you - and even the good you have done for yourself. At the end of the day, people will remember you more for what you did rather than what your GPA was during undergrad.
