Hispanic Climb to Success Scholarship

I am a first-generation Hispanic student, and my educational goals are centered around becoming a dentist—specifically, an orthodontist. Growing up in a low-income immigrant family, I’ve witnessed firsthand the challenges that come with limited access to quality healthcare, particularly dental care. My mom’s struggles with dental issues due to lack of proper care in her home country have motivated me to pursue a career in dentistry. I want to make a difference in people’s lives by providing affordable, high-quality dental care to underserved communities, particularly those who face financial barriers to receiving proper treatment. I’ve always had a passion for helping others and an interest in healthcare, and becoming an orthodontist would allow me to combine both. I want to provide people with the confidence that comes from a healthy smile and the peace of mind that they’re receiving the care they deserve. In order to achieve this, I plan to attend college to major in biochemistry, which will provide me with the foundational knowledge needed for dental school. After dental school, I hope to specialize in orthodontics and open my own practice where I can serve low-income individuals and families. The cost of college is a significant barrier for me, and it has made me realize how difficult it is for many students in similar situations to afford higher education without taking on large amounts of debt. My family has worked incredibly hard to make ends meet, but we still face financial challenges that make it difficult to save for college. This scholarship would provide the financial support I need to pursue my educational goals without the constant worry of overwhelming student loans. It would allow me to focus on my studies and work towards achieving my dream of becoming an orthodontist, a career that will allow me to give back to my community. I believe I should win this scholarship because I am committed to using my education to help others, especially those who may not have access to quality healthcare. My passion for dentistry and my desire to make a difference in underserved communities motivate me every day. I am determined to work hard, overcome any obstacles that come my way, and eventually contribute to making dental care more accessible for people who need it most. Winning this scholarship would be a crucial step in helping me achieve these goals and create a better future for myself and others.

My life has gone through many obstacles and challenges that have changed my perspective on certain topics. At a very young age my mother and I became accustomed to being in our own bubble, growing up together with a 15 year old gap between our ages. During those isolated times, my mother found that television shows were entertaining to both her and myself, seeing as this was a common interest between us, she began watching a medically dominated show called Grey’s Anatomy. Watching this show repeatedly with my mother began to form a large interest in myself to help all people and make a difference in this world. To further insert this ideology in my brain and future, my mother mentioned how she always hoped for me to become someone important; a dream she wished to pursue. After continuous years went by I found myself in the hospital as well due to stones found in my gallbladder leading to me having to spend a long week hospitalized without control. Living through this traumatic and painful experience opened my eyes to the aching discomfort that takes place in the pediatric department, so as a result I set my life's purpose to help as many children as possible. I felt there has been an invisible string tying me together with the medical field and every moment in my life added to this conclusion. My character further adds to this conclusion seeing as I feel the need to help everyone around me before I can help myself. To make this dream of being a pediatric surgeon, this string has led me to different paths. Coming from a younger generation, the strong urge to break ongoing cycles that the older generations have set in stone for us is prevalent. Being a part of an impactful group of teenagers, I have built many bridges colliding with groups of various kinds. To add to my enthusiasm for bonding with others, this began with the large influence my mother had on me throughout my life. She has taught me that though we are a part of a small community, we should create a lasting impact on others. Following in her footsteps, I found myself volunteering to help children in my local church every Sunday for 3 hours. During this period, I learned to build bridges with kids who were about 8 to 10 years younger than me. As an older sister of now 3 siblings, I find it easy to build a connection with children younger than me but slowly I began to realize that the children I was working with looked up to me as a role model. Seeing as my mother built this ideology that everyone should be treated the same, I found myself using the same lessons she taught me to further educate the following generation to do the same. Creating this lasting bond with children who were new to the world and looked to me for answers was a way I built a bridge I am hoping is as meaningful to them as it is to me.

Growing up I was in a Dominican household where the cheers of bingo and the smell of rice and beans would permeate your mind. I was always told that I had immense potential but never knew what field to apply it to. One day when we all were dealing with masks my teacher clammered taking research to the point where I decided to. That one choice changed my life forever because it gave me a purpose. I went from not knowing to wanting to pursue a career in the STEM field. Writing papers, citing sources, and doing results in excel files helped find what I want to do. My goal is to be a neurologist and help the people who need it most. I have met so many people who suffer problems mentally but people “never get it”. I want to make their grievances heard and know that they have a voice. The research I would be able to conduct comes back to comfort. Whether it is hearing “BINGO” on a Sunday night or being in your room while that occurs, everyone has their own version of comfort. However I want people to have comfort with whatever they struggle with mentally. This is alongside the fact that I want people younger than me to see someone who looks like them be in a situation where you spend thousands of hours of hard work and that it can pay off. My goal will take time but the desire to help someone, the euphoria of seeing a smile after doing a significant amount of effort motivates me exponentially to reach my goal. Most people see a student from Brentwood High School and believe they can not make it, they want their communities to “Not be a Brentwood” and I want to change that. I want to show that someone from a predominantly Latino school district, a place where every store you go to someone speaks Spanish can produce someone special. With the money received from this scholarship my goals will be significantly closer to achieve because my family is not rich. My mom had to stop her goals of college in order to raise me which led to a change in my life where I could not always get everything. The sacrifices she made for me I want to pay back with my work to the point where she has a house in her name thanks to work that I accomplished. Everyone has a “why” behind what they do which is a phrase Dr. Rebecca Grella PhD told me. My way is to help and with this scholarship I would be able to achieve my goal thank you to whoever is on the receiving end of this essay for trying to help out people like me. Saying it means the world would be underselling the work here that is being done.

I am a motivated individual who has set high goals for my future, and I believe that I am a deserving candidate for this scholarship. I am currently pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice, with the ultimate goal of becoming an FBI Special Agent. This scholarship would greatly aid me in reaching this goal and help me overcome the financial challenges that come with pursuing higher education. Growing up, I was always fascinated by the idea of serving my country and helping to make a difference in my community. This curiosity led me to explore careers in law enforcement, and I soon discovered my passion for the FBI. I have since dedicated myself to reaching this goal, and I am confident that with hard work and determination, I will succeed. My educational goals are to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, and then go on to complete the necessary training and education required to become an FBI Special Agent. This is a challenging career path, but I am eager to face these challenges and prove to myself and others that I have what it takes to succeed. I am also aware that being bilingual will be an asset in this line of work, and I am actively working to improve my Spanish language skills. One of the biggest challenges I face in reaching my goals is the cost of higher education. I come from a low-income family, and paying for college has been a struggle. The Hispanic Climb to Success Scholarship would provide much-needed financial support and help to ease the burden of tuition and other expenses. This scholarship would allow me to focus on my studies and not worry about how I will pay for my education. Aside from my educational goals, I am also actively involved in my community. I volunteer at local schools, mentoring students and encouraging them to pursue their dreams. I also volunteer at a local homeless shelter, helping to provide meals and other necessities to those in need. I believe that giving back to my community is an important part of my journey and helps to create a positive impact in the lives of others. In conclusion, I believe that I am a deserving candidate for the Hispanic Climb to Success Scholarship. My commitment to education, my dedication to serving my community, and my passion for law enforcement make me a strong candidate for this scholarship. Receiving this scholarship would greatly aid me in reaching my goal of becoming an FBI Special Agent and make a difference in my life and the lives of those around me. Thank you for considering my application.