A Story Centering Confidence

Mariana Chavez Ontiveros was a My Story Matters: LISTEN Scholarship recipient in 2022. Our team worked closely to help Mariana prepare to share her story for our PLUS ME audience at the 3rd annual LISTEN event. We checked in with Mariana last month and learned that her story provided her a powerful sense of confidence that she carries to this day. 

“PLUS ME was incredibly helpful as I prepared college applications and scholarships. Even with the most competitive scholarships like international ones, I was able to really communicate my story and that’s what made me stand out. If I hadn’t had the opportunity to craft my story and speak it aloud through PLUS ME I don’t think I would have shared as much as I did.”

After graduation, she was set to attend USC—a dream school for Mariana. The summer before, she caught the COVID-19 virus which affected her very intensely. Reeling from the physical and mental toll of that illness, she decided to defer her enrollment for one year. Mariana was worried about disappointing her family and herself by not going straight to college. 

“Initially taking a gap year felt like a major blow especially since I was a high-achieving, straight-A student involved in extracurriculars and thinking about career a lot. I was doing a lot of inner work and physical healing and I learned so much. Thankfully, I’ve been able to completely recover and I'm doing great physically and much better mentally.”

With the support of her family, as well as mental health and medical professionals, she overcame the virus and the mental toll this delay had on her wellbeing. Like we share in the PLUS ME curriculum, she reflected on these struggles and found the lesson at the heart: her own resilience.

“I’m confident that I will know how to deal with any adversity, when it comes. I can do the best I can to prepare for any challenge, but I’m not going to stress or lose that energy, I feel more grounded. I’m working hard, but with more intention, not simply working for the sake of being busy. I came back with even more resilience and am really enjoying my first semester of college through this different perspective.”

That deep foundation of confidence has allowed Mariana to lean into her curious instincts, taking different college classes at USC, getting the most of her college experience, and following her instincts for learning. Her horizons have broadened, thanks to the knowledge that she is able to weather any challenge that comes her way. Her confidence to address and work through this challenge inspired her mother and sister to do the same. They saw her investing tremendous energy and resources to care for herself and followed her example. 

Mariana’s story is a powerful reminder that confidence is often born out of struggle, the lessons we make of adversity serve us for a lifetime, and that boldly leading by example can have exponential impact on the world around us.