You can call her Taco — and find her as @AnEmotionalTaco on Twitch! A full-time college student studying computer science who is “high-key obsessed with her cat, Sosi,” this JBL Quantum Grant winner has loved gaming since she was a young child, playing PS2 with her dad.

What is your dream in gaming and/or esports? 

My dream is to get signed to a T1 Esports Organization for the game Apex Legends as a pro player. I also have huge dreams to become a beloved streamer and make a career as a full-time streamer. I want to build a loving and welcoming community.

How will this award from the 1,000 Dreams Fund help you reach your goals? 

This award will help me reach my goals by allowing me to build a PC which I can use to improve my technical skills in Apex while also improving my streams.

What does being a 1,000 Dreams Fund – JBL Quantum Grant recipient mean to you? 

This grant means everything to me. It means that others believe in my esports/gaming dreams just like I do. It can be hard to keep pushing when I doubt myself, but I will always think back to this moment and how I was chosen because someone believed in me. It’s also like having a weight lifted off my shoulders because I haven’t been able to achieve a lot of things due to not having a PC. But now I don’t have to worry about those things anymore and I can just thrive.

Women are underrepresented in gaming and esports. What can we do to change this? 

Women deserve to have a spotlight and more opportunities in gaming and esports. Listening and learning from women when they speak up about how they’re treated in gaming and esports is also important and will help us all grow.

What are some of the challenges you have faced along the way? 

I’ve faced the challenges of not having the right equipment, doubting myself, feeling alone, comparing myself to others, and not knowing what exactly it is I want to do at times.

What advice do you have for women who want to work in the gaming or esports industry? 

My advice is to find a nice support system of people you can really trust and connect with. Also, never be afraid to take a break; your mental health is the most important.

How do you stay motivated and focused on your goals? 

Seeing others succeed makes me really happy and gives me a huge boost of motivation. I also try not to push myself too hard so that I can stay motivated and not get burned out. I really enjoy streaming and gaming, so it is easy to stay focused on my goals because I just enjoy it all.