My name is Jose Cruz Robles Plascencia. I am a 19 year old naturalized Mexican immigrant curretly living in Blue Island, Il. I am now attending Saint Xavier Universaty, a prestigious Catholic university in the souther suburban area of Chicago. I am currently working on a Secondary English Ed. major in conjuction with an ELL endorsement and a possible Philosophy minor. I form part of the SXU Concert and Jazz band and have been in musical and theatrical groups since 2005. I have won many distinguished awards throughout my musical and theatrical experiences. My love for the liberal arts have promted me to become an English teacher. In addition, though the motivation and aid from my amazing high school teachers I was able to win the Golden Apple Scholarship. This scholarship is only givien to approxametly 135 out of a few thousand applicants each year and only in the state of Illinois. Through Golden Apple the scholars receive not only scholarship money, but also an array of classes designed to address particular problems in the classroom which a traditional college degree does not prepare you for. I am certain that through Golden Apple I will become the best English teacher I possobly can.