I was raised by my grandmother who was born in Guadalajara Mexico. She had seven siblings and cared for her younger brother almost all of her youth, religion was her only constant. Like many others from a poor town, she was extremely malnourished and had to dig through trash cans to feed herself and her siblings. I remember one specific story she shared with me about having to steal an orange and eating only the orange peel so her younger brother could eat the fruit. He died young and after his death, my grandmother decided to flee to California to survive. On her journey across the border, she was raped, beaten, and starved. She reached Rainbow Valley and picked strawberries until she met my grandpa. She said she knew she would marry him when he gave her his rations of food. They saved and eventually moved to Santa Ana and started their family. My father was born in Tangancícuaro Michoacán, his three brothers and his mother left him behind and fled to California he and my grandfather sold milk in town until he decided to leave at the age of 20 to California. He thought it would be easier but soon realized he would always have to cower in fear from authorities and always work harder than average to earn the little he did to send back home to his dad. He lived in a room and worked 18 hour days until he met my mother and not once did he ever complain. I share these two stories because they've influenced my life the most. They endured the unimaginable and are still moving forward. My grandmother taught me resilience and compassion through empathy, prayer, love, and acts of kindness. I met my father when I was 18, he taught me optimism, critical thinking, courage, and self-worth. Although my parents knew nothing about education, I still managed to attend my current university as a first-generation student. My family has influenced my pursuit of research medicine. However, It wasn't until my grandfather died of a heart attack, my mother was diagnosed with cancer and heart arrhythmia, and my grandmother had open heart surgery that forced me to see the biological aspects of medicine. Here, my interest reached its peak, and when I decided I wanted to be a cardiologist. My extended family doubts my ability, but my parents look at me with such pride it warms my heart and encourages me to move forward for them. I know, everyone goes through challenges, and that this world is not easy, but I believe in my religion, love, and purpose. One of my purposes is to bring my family out of poverty to thank them for all the sacrifices they've unconsciously made for me. I plan to graduate medical school and open a clinic with my minor in business and provide free healthcare for underserved communities. A lot of people have told me I will never be financially stable doing my passion for free, but This fact is why I've worked since the age of 15 to save for my parent's retirement. You see I do not yearn for my success through money in the long run, for I've lived through poverty as did my parents and I love who've I've become because of it. We don’t think that life equals ultimate stability. We believe in giving back to those below us. Any education grants I now receive will be paid forward. My true passion is medicine itself, and the underlying diseases that we can cure. I owe everything to my family.