Expecting to Be a Voice by Diego

Expecting to Be a Voice by Diego - April 2025 Scholarship Essay

The expectancy theory insinuates that if one believes that they can and are willing to invest in the effort to achieve a valued outcome, then one is more likely to be successful. It is straightforward. Given access to networks of mentors and benefactors, I believe I will ultimately become an entrepreneur and an artist as a positive representative of the Latino community.

I have been accepted into a highly competitive Business School and will concurrently minor in Theater. As a passionate participant in the film and television industry and a business student, I plan to bridge art and commerce to tell stories. It is an exciting and foretelling fact that Coco, the Disney Film, falls in the top 25 highest-grossing animated films of all time. The banknotes provide the testimony that there is a demand for Latino stories to be told. Storytellers are the vehicle for cultural transmission. Our community benefits from platforms that encourage morals, customs, and traditions especially as statistics indicate that Latinos are the most likely group to be transient.

I am deliberate with my plans and am most proud that I have concurrently worked on both prongs relevant to my goal while in high school. In 2022, I took and passed the California High School Equivalency at the age of 16 but continued to pursue a traditional high school diploma in Texas that provided me with opportunities to earn endorsements in business related software and complete college level classes in collaboration with both the college board and community college. Simultaneously, I have pursued professional opportunities in film taking classes from industry leaders and gaining professional representation with a talent agency that I have maintained for nearly 4 years. It is the momentum and clarity that I have begun this journey that align with my chosen course of study and career goals. I am not waiting for college graduation to start my career. I am already “rolling”. With humility, I understand that I am still a student and am seeking continued opportunities to learn but the specific skill I must maintain is fortitude as the road I am choosing by nature is always changing and will not end.