Share the Dream: My Life, My Focus, My Goal Share the Dream: My Life, My Focus, My Goal: Beltran, Elijah

Talent Merit Scholarship Recipient

My name is Elijah Royce Beltran, and I was born on September 23rd, 2006. My parents are Oscar and Lindsay Beltran, and I have two siblings, my younger brother Evan and my older sister Victoria. I was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and grew up in Warwick, Rhode Island, and moved to Exeter, Rhode Island, where I live currently. My mom is from Providence, Rhode Island, and has lived here her whole life. My dad, on the other hand, was born in Medellin, Colombia, and moved to the United States when he was around 3 years old and has lived in Rhode Island since. I am a blend of Irish, American, and Colombian. Growing up, I and my family traveled a lot. Every year we would all think of places to visit, and whichever idea we liked the most, we would go with. We went on cruises and planes to other countries, traveled most of the east coast, and just had such a fun time doing so. In addition to these family trips, we would go somewhere else with all my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. Every year this gave me something to look forward to and made my childhood so much fun. My family are also big sports fans. Growing up, I and my brother played many sports; we shared sports like basketball, football, soccer, and futsal. I also played golf and wrestling, and I did karate. While most of these sports I played just for fun, one has always had a special place in my heart. That sport forever has a place in my heart. Soccer has always been a way for me to be able to enjoy myself and release any emotions I was holding back. It has also given me friendships that can last a lifetime, and some of my best friends came from soccer. My parents have always been the biggest supporters of my dreams and goals and helped me get to where I am today. About nine months ago a dream I've had since I was little came true. My hard work and dedication to the sport paid off, and now I am a freshman at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth playing on the men's soccer team.

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth was the school that I decided to enroll in because of what it offered and the opportunities it provided. I plan to focus on school, soccer, and having a good time. I want to leave here with a great understanding of my future career and memories that will last forever. Currently, my major is finance, but I plan to switch to a type of engineering. While I am good at math and understanding numbers, I cannot see myself having an office job when I am older. The reason for that is that I simply can't sit still for that long and would much rather be doing something hands-on or having to think about possible solutions to problems. I want to achieve good grades and have over a 3.2 GPA for myself, and also the fact that the college now program offers a scholarship if I maintain above a 3.0.

After college, when I start living my adult life, I hope that I am able to enjoy and like my job while also making good money to provide for my family. I also want to have a house and a car that I love. I hope that I will be fortunate enough to give my family and future kids a life like the one I had growing up. I want to be able to go on vacations and travel the world with the love of my life and wonderful family. Growing up is scary, and it comes fast, so after college is over, I hope that I leave with no regrets and enjoy every second of it. Over the last 19 years, I have made many friends, have had so many great memories, and have always just tried to live my life to the fullest. In addition to that, I have learned countless lessons about life. One of the most important things that I've learned is to never give up on a goal when it gets hard. Most of the time, people work so hard, but when a bump in the journey comes along, they give up. If you have your mind set on something, I believe that you should always chase it, no matter how hard the journey to get there is. In my future, no matter how hard something is or how many times I fail, I will continue to work through and reach my goal; whether it's in college, my career, or my goals and dreams, I will keep going.