Andrew Lopez Anesthesia Scholarship

I am a DACA recipient and first-generation college student whose lifelong goal has been to serve in the medical field. My interest in healthcare began at age ten, when I witnessed the compassionate care doctors and nurses provided to my sister after her first seizure. That experience left a lasting impression and inspired my commitment to healthcare. In high school, I intentionally pursued healthcare-focused coursework, including anatomy and physiology and exercise science. I earned my Associate Degree in Nursing by age 20 with the support of both merit- and need-based scholarships, understanding early on that my parents would not be able to financially support the college education of all three of my siblings. These circumstances instilled in me a strong sense of responsibility and gratitude for educational opportunities. After obtaining my nursing license, I focused on achieving financial stability by saving to purchase a home and support my family after living in the same apartment for 15 years. To further prepare for nurse anesthesia school and overcome the financial barriers associated with my DACA status, I pursued travel nursing to build savings while gaining diverse clinical experience. Although access to traditional student loans remains limited, I have remained committed to advancing my education and professional development. I later joined the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at a Level I trauma center, where my experience as a float pool nurse allowed me to adapt quickly to a high-acuity environment. While working full-time, I completed my Bachelor of Science in Nursing online with hospital sponsorship, graduating with a 3.92 GPA. Through close collaboration with surgical residents and CRNAs, as well as shadowing experiences at two hospital systems, I gained valuable insight into the role of the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist and confirmed my commitment to this specialty. This commitment was further solidified when I witnessed firsthand the care my wife received during the birth of our daughter, Valentina. Observing the CRNA place in my wife's epidural and seeing her immediate relief reinforced the profound impact nurse anesthetists have on patients and families during vulnerable moments. I have been accepted into Bellarmine University’s DNP–Nurse Anesthesia program and am prepared to meet the academic and clinical rigor of this training. Receiving this scholarship would directly support my ability to pursue doctoral education despite financial and systemic barriers, allowing me to continue serving patients at the highest level of practice. I am committed to using my education to advocate for vulnerable populations and am proud to be on the path to becoming the first doctoral graduate in my family.