Meet Hispanic Fund Scholar Karen Guzmán

Karen Guzman

One of our newest Hispanic Fund Scholars is Karen Guzmán, who just graduated from high school in Maryland and will be entering college at the University of Maryland, College Park this fall.

Her wide-ranging extra-curricular activities and academic achievement in high school caught the attention of our scholarship reviewers, but it was her essay that moved and inspired us. I want to share her story with you.

"When I first came to America, I lived in a shabby apartment in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Washington, DC — Columbia Heights. But as I would soon realize, Columbia Heights is also one of the most culturally enriched neighborhoods in the DC Metropolitan Area.

"In my neighborhood, you will find El Salvadorians, Mexicans, Guatemalans, Nicaraguans, Dominicans, and then there's us — Bolivians. We are the minority group among the other Latin American ethnicities in DC. And although there were many differences, I realized that that there were also many similarities in my culture and the culture of my friends from school. "For example, we were all terribly afraid of "el cucu" at one point in our lives (no, not the boogeyman!) And we all admired our mother's cooking — things like tamales, arroz, carne asada, and chicharron are not only staple food in most Latin American countries but they are also things we simply couldn't survive without. This is nuestra cultura — our culture!

"Being Latina allows me to experience a side of me that is thrilling, exotic, mysterious, and lively. This is why I appreciate my Hispanic heritage so much. I especially love the fact that I'm bilingual and that I'm able to have a much broader view on life. My Hispanic heritage has filled me with admiration for my people because of their strength and the united force we all share. Without any of these things I would not be able to be who I am today.

"Being Latina made me the strong, confident, family-oriented, determined, culturally enriched, and the ambitious young lady I am today. My heritage has a very strong impact in my personal and my academic life as well as impacts my career plans. As a doctor in psychology, I hope to bring families together and keep everyone united just like the people in my community are.

"One of my main goals is to make sure I work with a diverse group of clients, and be available to anyone who needs my assistance. Because I've always gone to schools where there is a diverse student population and have made many friends that give me insight into their culture and I appreciate them for it. Sadly, not everyone has experienced this and my only wish is to be able to provide this for other people.

"Today, Latinos have become the 'majority minority' group in America and it is important for us to become the leaders in creating a more diverse America. I know that I can be the next leader and that's exactly what I hope to achieve one day. When I go to college next fall I hope to receive the education and knowledge to be a great psychologist and leader in my community.

"My ultimate goal is to travel throughout all of Latin America and build clinics where women and children who have disabilities, have been abused, and have lived in poverty can be educated and achieve their dreams of becoming the next doctors, teachers, lawyers, and leaders of the world without having to give up their culture or their identity."

Because of so many caring people like you, we are able to give Karen a hand up as she embarks on her ambitious educational and professional journey. Thank you.