Hi! My name is Lara Garcia, and I'm so thankful to be part of this inspiring group of women as a Class of 2026 Baldwin Scholar. I was born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil. I'm a proud Brazilian: you can often find me cheering my heart out in soccer matches while eating my favorite dessert, brigadeiro. In my free time, I love reading (huge Stephen King fan), going on walks, spending time with people I care about, and exploring different foods.
My dad once told me that "Everything will be okay at the end. If it isn't okay, that's because it's not the end." Since then, that has become my motto: I never stop thinking of ways to improve. I know I can always do better. This tendency to prioritize endings has made me an avid problem-solver. Growing up, I loved being immersed in the thrills of problem-solving as I worked on "logic problems'' from crossword puzzle magazines. I often spent multiple days figuring them out. Today, as a prospective Computer Science major, I'm fascinated that coding is all about perfect results: a single typo can ruin all the code's progress. The code is never finished until it's perfect.
With maturity, I've come to realize that, in truth, each ending is an evolution. There is no end to transformation, and I’m sure that Baldwin Scholars will allow me to continue improving endlessly. I believe that being around people who bring out the best in you and challenge you everyday is crucial to a meaningful life, and I'm so glad to be able to do so in Baldwin Scholars. I can’t wait to be surrounded by women who inspire me and constantly teach me new things, whether that is about an Ethiopian dish or how to deconstruct the "myth of effortless perfection."