Coca-Cola #DestapaSuFuturo campaign!

Not only did my heritage greatly influence my decision to attend post secondary school, but it also influenced my career choice, or what was supposed to be a career... I say "supposed to be a career" because I received my degree, had a great job offer, but decided to travel instead...and when I got back, I went into the complete opposite field.

But anyways, being a minority, at least here in Vancouver, I was often the victim or witness of racial discrimination. As I grew older I realized that my ethnic group wasn't the only one that faced discrimination; especially throughout the levels of the justice system. During my high school days, I thought I wanted to be an officer, so I could have that connection and compassion with the most vulnerable of minorities. Then in my first year of college I realized that if you want to be a cop, you have to be ok with potentially killing someone. And that's when I decided being a cop wasn't for me,lol. So I started volunteering with at risk youth, who were prominently ethnic minorities. I knew that education can steer someone's life in the right direction, so I often encouraged youth to attend school, help with their homework and talk to them about what I was getting my degree in. When some of the youth showed interest in attending post secondary in the future, they mentioned how it would be close to impossible for them to afford it.

I informed them that they weren't alone, that like myself, probably half of post secondary school students can't really "afford" school, but thanks to working one (or more) jobs, scholarships  and going at a steady pace, were able to attend university/college. 

Scholarships are life savers, they come in as little as a couple hundred dollars, to thousand(s) and even a full ride. And there are scholarships for everything; grades, sports, service to community, ethnic groups, clubs, etc. If you are wanting to attend or are attending a post secondary institute, I highly recommend you apply for every single scholarship out there, that's how I received mine, lol. I say the more you apply for, the higher probability you get one...

And speaking of scholarships, the #DestapaSuFuturo/ Uncap Their Future Scholarship deadline is on October 31, 2012; that's in 12 DAYS. If you are a student aged 16 and above, you must apply for this great scholarship, that awards over $300, 000 in scholarships during Hispanic Heritage Month. You can apply by clicking HERE. Also, if you know someone who is a student aged 16 and above, don't hesitate to send them the application link for this scholarship. Please don't wait until the last minute to answer how your heritage affects your career goals, the importance of education in your life, and your community service experiences. For more information on the #DestapaSuFuturo / Uncap Their Future Scholoarship, check out www.hsf.net/cocacola. 

Remember a scholarship can save a life.

This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Coca-Cola and Latina Bloggers Connect. However, all opinions are 100% my own.