I was born in the ‘City ofAngels’ also know as Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the UnitedStates, a city that supports various cultures, traditions, and beliefs. Manypeople throw around the term the “American Dream,” the idea that everyone hasan equal opportunity for success regardless of social class, race or ethnicity.I believe that I am a byproduct of the American Dream, and I am lucky enough tobe able to express my diverse background in a city as accepting and inspiringas Los Angeles.

I was raised in a multi-culturalfamily: my mother is Ecuadorian and my father is Italian. Growing up, myparents taught my brother and I to represent our diverse cultures andtraditions with pride. One thing I value most about my upbringing is that I amnow fluent in three languages: Spanish, Italian, and English. I believelanguages hold so much value when it comes to traveling to different places andembracing the diversity that the world has to offer.

When I was six years old, I wasfortunate enough to move to Sicily with my family. Little did I know I wouldassimilate the European culture, something I am very thankful for. I spentseven years of my life in the beautiful, small beach town, of Cefalu`.This place did not only make me grow as an individual but it also opened myeyes to new cultures, flavors, sounds, and feelings that I have never feltbefore. Given the opportunity to have traveled, lived and experienced differentparts of the world, I have learned to look at the world in a differentperspective, which has shaped me into the person I am today.