I came to United States from Venezuela in spring 2010 with only what I was able to fit in my luggage and fear of the unknown. Two days after arriving my parents enrolled me in high school where I had to take the writing portion of one of the standardized tests that I had to pass in order to graduate. I passed it and that was my first surprise. This was the first sign that anything was possible in this land. I had always lived in the same house since I can remember, so moving to another country was even more of a shock. I chose HCC because my family could not afford my college tuition and out of all the colleges I researched, this seemed like the best fit. I did not know how much HCC would change my life until I heard about the Honors Institute and SGA. While the Honors Institute taught me leadership skills, the SGA allowed me to go even further and I learned to apply those skills in politics. I got to travel to different cities such as Tallahassee and Washington D.C. where I met with other student leaders. As senators, we learned different team building techniques that I currently use in my career. I could go on and on about my experience at HCC. This college shaped me into the person I am today. During a time when my family and I had no clue how to succeed, we had no money and we were getting accustomed to a new culture and lifestyle, this school was my refuge.