Photo credit: MTVMy academic achievements, my athletic achievements, problems I’ve solved that make me look like the premier candidate — these are all things I could talk about in this essay. But I think the most important thing I need to share is my background. My background is what has shaped me. Once you’ve understood what I’ve gone through, then you can truly understand me. Without explaining where I came from, my application would be nothing.
I was born in Round Rock, Texas, to a mother who is Puerto Rican born and raised, and a father who is a Colombian immigrant and came to America at 12 years old. My parents split when I was a year old. Through my early years, I constantly moved between Florida and Texas. When we lived in Florida, we lived in very bad parts of Orlando: Helicopters flew overhead and police raided the neighborhoods. We weren’t allowed to play outside because my mother feared for our safety.
Read Diego’s full essay via MTV: I Went From Borderline Homeless to College-Bound
