Why You Should Fight for Funding, Scholarships, and Opportunities

Funding, sponsorships, and scholarships are notoriously difficult to obtain, especially when you're broke, overlooked, or stuck in circumstances you didn't ask for. I know that reality firsthand. When you're in survival mode, having direction seems optional, and quick money feels like the only way out.

I reached a point where I hated being poor so much that I immediately took the first jobs I could get. Quick money felt like freedom. But looking back, I really wish I had guided myself differently. If I had known where to go or who to ask to find out how many opportunities actually existed, so many things would have been different, guaranteed. But I didn't have that knowledge, so I traded long-term growth for immediate income. Don't make that mistake.

As Puerto Ricans, we already have short tempers, and being denied approval can discourage many applicants, BUT WE OWE IT TO OURSELVES TO AT LEAST TRY HARDER! Education, training, and skill development open doors that "just surviving" can never open. Your knowledge base is your power base. And every loan, grant, scholarship, or program you apply for is a step toward a future where you're not ruled by crisis, debt, or despair. KEEP APPLYING. KEEP GOING. GO TO THE LIBRARY, IF YOU HAVE TO.

And listen: being denied doesn't mean you stop. It means you APPLY AGAIN. Over and over again. People don't get ahead because they're lucky; they get ahead because they keep going when everyone else gives up. Life is serious business. You only get one shot at building the future you want. So use every tool available, every resource, every single opportunity.

Apply for funding. Apply for grants. Apply for scholarships. Take advantage of the programs I wish I had known about. Your future self will thank you, trust me. GO AND APPLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GET YOURS ON