Section I. Personal Background and Statement

My name is Jessica Pina. I’ve lived in Roxbury for the first nine years of my life. I then moved to Dorchester, where I currently reside. My parents emigrated from Cape Verde, in search for a better life. I grew up with two older sisters and two older brothers. I am the youngest; therefore, I’ve had positive role models all my life. Guidance and advice wasn’t a problem or something I lacked. My goals are to finish high school and continue my journey onto college, where I plan to study psychology and sociology. I am curious about how the world around me affects me, and how I can help people in any way I know how. My dream is to one day become successful enough to own my own business where I can not only help people, but also motivate them to become all they can be.

 I have gone through a lot of struggles to get to this point of my life. I have learned life lessons that could’ve only been taught to me through hard times. I have learned to take problems not as a downfall, but instead transform them into a stepping stone towards success. I can sometimes be stubborn, and at times I don’t believe it’s a bad thing, because believing in myself is something that takes people years to figure out how to do.

I am honored to be raised in the city of Boston. I have seen so much in this city from success to the reality of poverty. I have witnessed what can happen to me with negative influences, and I am now proud that I can say I have overcome the bad pressures that society forces upon me. I am a youth of the city of Boston. I still have a lot to learn about where I fit into this world. There is a lot of struggle, and pain happening right now, and it’s affecting people’s health, lives, and future. I hope to someday be able to fix some of these problems, and help my city raise above all its negative aspects.