Denise Morales

Personal Statement:

Before pursuing my undergraduate degree, I had no-set vision for higher education, as it was not instilled in the standards of my Latin culture. However, once I embarked on my journey to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Leadership from the University of Texas at Austin, my “no-set vision” allowed me to become self-aware and motivated me to move forward in my journey.

Upon beginning my journey, there were a multitude of  experiences I encountered that have shaped me into the strong and courageous woman that I am today, which came in the form of mentorship, counseling, and leadership. I recall a time when I was confronted by bullies and decided to take into action the counsel of my nurturing youth leaders by walking away. These leaders remain the closest friends that I have and serve a daily reminder of the amazing feats that nurturing can give to an individual. On another occasion, I can recall and give thanks to my AP English teacher who taught me the necessity of being humble for the sake of myself and those around me. The seeds I sowed into me by others and myself from these lessons blossomed into me understanding my calling as a social warrior who can achieve any dream and goal in my way. These lessons continued into my undergraduate education from the likes of Dr. Jones Barbour who instilled in me the necessity of ethical leadership and how to foundationally uplift a wide range of organizations and businesses. Moreover, as a founding member of the Eta Chapter of Pi Lambda Chi Latina Sorority, Inc. and serving member of National Board, I can attest to the importance of integrity and empathy and how these can affect individuals and organizations as a whole. All of these experiences are interwoven into my everyday interactions with people in my community. Since I received my bachelor’s degree, I have given a lot of thought about what it means to be a professional Latina in a world that turns a cold shoulder toward education and mental health. Through the array of experiences that I have gone through, I have been afforded that knowledge and understand what that means and how to achieve these goals and ambitions. I have discovered the gift which is the eagerness to spread positivity and help individuals overcome obstacles within myself. 

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 I started a new project to build a brand called Be Nurtured. During the last three years of my undergraduate career, I was a motivational public speaker for young girls on breaking cultural norms, accomplishing their dreams, and striving for a higher education. Moreover, I facilitated discussions on the importance of ethical leadership within the Greek community and how it affected the campus at large. With this in mind, I aspire to seek a graduate degree in counseling to elevate the magnitude  of Be Nurtured. 

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Be Nurtured holds the values of transparency, growth, and perseverance. The overall mission of Be Nurtured is fruitfulness, as a result of self-growth and personal investment. This mission can inspire change within one’s self and in their communities. On the other hand, my maternal instinct, to nurture and facilitate growth in others, testifies to my career goals in counseling and how transformational it can be for those that seek it. I will fill the gap in my community that stigmatizes seeking counseling by normalizing it with the use of my bilingual skills, thus becoming appealing to a greater audience. A true example of the power of Be Nurtured is that of my father, who comes from a culture where misogyny was practiced; and, therefore kept my aunts from living fulfilling lives; however, my father stood up to my grandfather and demanded that the woman in their household be allowed to pursue their passions. My father, a courageous migrant, continues to be a constant reminder of my pursuit towards success. As he once told me, “don’t be lazy” and “tienes mi apoyo” (you have my support), I continued on with the constant reminder to him that his only daughter will break these norms across communities.

As I pursue my career planning, I have remained proactive to identify and turn my passion into a fulfilling profession. The transitional stage to post-graduation was an eye opener for readjustment and re-positioning on how I was going to make my vision for Be Nurtured a reality.  Through furthering my own education, this mindset and brand will reach the magnitudes I aspire it to be.