Neverending Obstacles

As minorities, my family and I resemble ants. One tries not to be stepped on, one fights to bring home the maximum possible, and one constantly proves to be incredibly strong. Neverending challenges threaten to defeat us, however, with the support of a loving Mexican community, overcoming these obstacles seems effortless.
As a young Hispanic woman, being stereotyped is not something unfamiliar to me. Horrendous expectations are relentlessly bombarded at me, and I am constantly required to repel these expectations by reminding society that I am just as courageous, intelligent, and accomplished as others. I am often identified through stereotypical and judgmental eyes. For example, when television bestows its eyes on me, it visualizes drug cartels

and teen pregnancy. When school faculty notice me, they see a lost cause. Regardless of what I achieve, people merely view me as the ethnic girl who will fail somewhere along the way. As a matter of fact, even after going through challenges and succeeding in the end, I’m not sure if society will see me as deserving of my achievements or solely as a lucky shot.
Overcoming stereotypes was difficult for me, alone. The only way I was able to overcome these obstacles was by my family’s support. They never stopped believing in me, even when I stopped believing in myself. They reminded me that the stereotypes were not true even when I began to believe them myself.
Although being part of a minority community means working ten times harder than others to achieve the same goal, it also means doing it with the love and support from your community. Typically, having to go through hardships to pursue an aspiration may sound negative, but in actuality it to comes with its benefits. I want to be living proof for other minority students in my community and show them that it is possible to succeed through all the challenges. Even though these obstacles made me feel weak and hopeless at times, they taught me valuable lessons.
In conclusion, my ambition has greater power than any stereotype. I strive for higher goals than the day before, and with my self-discipline and desire to succeed, I feel capable of doing so.