Becky G Says She Sold Cheetos at School for '75 Cents' as She Works with Brand to Help Latin Students (Exclusive)

The "Mamiii" performer tells PEOPLE about the "full-circle" experience of working on Cheetos' "important" Deja tu Huella campaign

Cheetos have always been an important part of Becky G's life.

After growing up eating the iconic cheesy snack, the "Mamiii" singer-songwriter is working with Cheetos as the face of the brand's Deja tu Huella ("Leave Your Mark") campaign to award 500 Hispanic students with college scholarships in partnership with the Pepsi-Co Foundation.

"I feel like I was manifesting this since I was a little girl," Becky G, 26, tells PEOPLE. "Cheetos has been such a part of my family experience, growing up and stuff. So, it just felt very full-circle when the opportunity came about."

Related: Becky G Says She's Learned That Being Latina Is a 'Blessing': 'So Much More' Than 'Checking a Box'

While this campaign marks her first time officially working with the brand, Becky's love for Cheetos goes back to her childhood. Her mom used to buy the mini bags in bulk boxes at Costco, and she'd use them to make a quick buck.

"I was very smart with it. I would sling them at school. I would literally sell them for 75 cents out of my backpack," recalls the Latin Grammy Award nominee.

"I was like, 'Yep, we're all having Cheetos for breakfast. We're all having Cheetos at lunch. Do you want the hot Cheetos? Do you want the lime hot Cheetos? Do you want regular Cheetos? What do you want? I've got it," says Becky with a laugh, noting that the partnership is "very, very full-circle."

Related: Becky G Recalls Feeling Embarrassed When She Marked 'Homeless' on Her Lunch Applications as a Child

The Deja tu Huella campaign will see Cheetos visit community colleges across the country and distribute scholarships to students looking to attend schools classified as Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). Becky's role is referred to as the world's first fingertip sponsorship, referring to the orange dust from the crunchy snack.

"I thought it was really fun because as an artist, to be the face of a brand or something, sometimes it's really intense, and you're just like, 'Oh, this is actually really funny. It's literally just the fingertips,'" she explains.

Coming from a Mexican-American background, the campaign's goal is also near and dear to Becky's heart: "The mission really aligns with what mine is, in the industry that I'm navigating, which is how do we lessen that gap between my community, the Latin community, and all of the hardworking youth and the talented youth that exist?"

Related: Becky G Is Making 'Mi Casa, Tu Casa' on Her First-Ever Headlining Tour — See the Dates

She emphasizes not only the "lack of opportunity" that can exist for Latin students, but the "lack of resources for us to even get to that opportunity."

"The way that these scholarships can come into play for a lot of our students is just life-changing, and sometimes in ways that aren't so typical for a scholarship. It's everything from academia to housing," says Becky. "It's important."

More information about the campaign can be found at Cheetos' website, and Becky's fans can use #DejatuHuellaTour and #Entry on TikTok for a chance to win meet-and-greets as well as tickets to her upcoming tour.

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Read the original article on People.