Olivia Vada Camacho Scholarship

I come from a household that has spent nearly the last 8 years surviving solely on social security checks and government-funded aid. My mom was diagnosed with cancer around the very same time that she was pregnant with me. Unable to continue work due to her long recovery periods, heavy medications, and chemo treatments, my mother was forced to quit her job as an OR technician. Little did she know that this predicament would become a reoccurring nightmare. Even though she recovered from her initial bout of cancer, throughout the course of about 13 years, my mother has been diagnosed with four different types of cancer. Each time, my family and I have had to go through the same troubling emotions and routine as we try to provide her with the best possible care. Looking after my mom and making sure that she was comfortable in the midst of unbearable pain was a very difficult task to undertake. Yet despite the difficult circumstances, my mother has always pushed me to dream big and work hard. I want to pursue a college degree and become a doctor so that I can honor my mother and everything that she stands for. My career aspiration for the future is to become a psychiatrist. Becoming a psychiatrist and being able to help people overcome their adversities is a very rewarding job to pursue because it offers hope to many. I will be able to help a lot of grieving and misunderstood people, as well as study the effects of mental illnesses on everyday life to find ways to overcome them. Going to college and getting a good education will be a vital part of my journey. Once I start college, I plan on majoring in biochemistry and neuroscience. I think these two majors will help me prepare for my future as a psychiatrist. I am optimistic about my future and the possibilities that lay before me because I know that I have the power to choose my own destiny. One goal I am currently working on is to apply for as many scholarships as possible because I know that my parents can't afford my college tuition on their own. Although the process is very tedious and requires a strenuous amount of time and effort, there hasn't been a single moment where I've felt like giving up. Applying for scholarships and being dedicated to the process is something that I am willing to do a million times over if it means that I am able to learn and get a good education. This scholarships truly mean a lot to me and my family and I sincerely wish that I am given a chance to go to a good college and make a difference in the world. I’m not going to be that poor kid who builds her life on a foundation of broken dreams and unfulfilled aspirations. I want to be successful in life and will continue to work hard to achieve my dreams.