I am a first-generation Latino who will be attending UC Irvine this fall. In this poem, I wrote about my struggles with being a first-generation student and my battle with imposter syndrome. Acknowledging these emotions on paper is good and art is my therapy. I hope my poem makes people feel seen and gives others an insight into what it feels like to be a First Generation student.

I chose this category since I want my future self to have hope in themselves, to have goals, ambitions, to continue doing or strive for the things I enjoy or make me happy. As a result of writing this poem, I'm again reminded of who I want to become, and I feel more at peace with self-reassurance.

Our video is meant to show what others think hope is or what they are hoping for. We hope that people will feel encouraged by this to share their hope with the world and not be scared to show their hopes and dreams.

"Dear Me, What If" is about the power of having dreams, and making them come true. Right now we are young, but all of us can accomplish great things if we take care of our mental health now. There are no limits on dreams, and each one of us can do anything we set our minds to. No matter what we become, we have the ability to change the world - one “if” at a time.