Two teachers who have profoundly influenced my academic and personal growth are Ms. Marquez and Ms. Fernandez. Their unwavering support, guidance, and encouragement have played an essential role in shaping my educational journey and aspirations. Ms. Marquez was my World History teacher during my junior year, and I formed a strong connection with her by frequently staying after class to seek help with assignments. Over time, my best friend and I developed a close bond with her that extended beyond the typical student-teacher relationship. She created a safe and welcoming environment where we could confide in her about personal challenges or seek academic guidance in other subjects. Her support was not limited to the classroom—she invited us to her home to try her son’s brisket and even included us in her birthday celebration at a restaurant, making us feel truly valued. Additionally, she would take us to girls' football games to support her students and then treat us to a meal afterward. In class, she always ensured that we felt acknowledged and appreciated, never allowing us to feel overlooked. Ms. Marquez played a pivotal role in shaping my career aspirations. While she inspired me to consider a teaching career, she consistently encouraged me to follow my true passion. Knowing my interest in nursing, she actively sought out opportunities to help me gain hands-on experience that would strengthen my college applications. Her guidance not only boosted my confidence but also provided me with valuable insights into my chosen field. Equally impactful has been my senior-year teacher, Ms. Fernandez. She has been an incredible source of support, especially during the college application process. She has helped me navigate the complexities of college admissions, ensuring that I make the right choices for my future and stay on track with necessary applications and scholarships. Her dedication has played a crucial role in my acceptance into competitive colleges, particularly considering the challenges of my desired major. Beyond academics, Ms. Fernandez fosters a warm and welcoming classroom environment. She greets us with enthusiasm and engages with us in a way that makes us feel like more than just her students. As one of her college peer counselors, I have experienced her kindness firsthand—she always has snacks prepared for us as a token of appreciation for our help. Her genuine care and encouragement have made a significant impact on my academic journey, often in ways she may not even realize. Both Ms. Marquez and Ms. Fernandez have provided me with unwavering support, guidance, and a sense of belonging. Their influence has shaped my ambitions and given me the confidence to pursue my dreams, and for that, I am truly grateful.

I would love to become a nurse, specifically a Pediatric or Maternity Child Health nurse because of what I recently experienced this summer. First, I have had many experiences with little kids and have always helped them when they got hurt or something along those lines. Even when I used to go to the doctors when little my pediatric nurses always made me feel welcome, they always knew me by my name and just made me feel comfortable which is what I want to do with other kids. So recently I did an internship with Kaiser Permanente through an internship program from my school that is for juniors called EXP. With EXP, we did workshops after school on Tuesdays and we would work on how to write resumes, cover letters, how to dress properly for an interview, and we had practice interviews to get ready for our real ones with different companies. Thankfully, for myself, before we even had mock interviews I had already been interviewed by Kaiser since it had to be an early application. Once done with all the process came many things like drug tests and many screenings to be considered. Once we were in, we were instructed to download an app called Meetings for video chat meetings on Fridays where many nurses and doctors came to talk to us about their journey into their position. During Mondays through Thursdays, we worked in person at the hospital for four hours. During the application process, we had the chance to choose which department we wanted to work in and I chose pediatrics, Labor and Delivery, and Family Medicine. I got chosen to work in Maternal Child health which is Labor and delivery, NICU, and Postpartum. I got partnered with another student from a different school and we both reported first to the managers of all three departments then we went together to all the three departments and asked all the nurses if they needed any help and they usually did have stuff for us to do and sometimes didn't so we did mini projects for the managers. If we weren't doing any work for the nurses we usually asked them about their journey of how they became who they are now. Most of them went to private schools and spent all their time in school, some didn't even have summers off. They even recommended we not waste our time in private schools and just go to community college because it'll be cheaper and we would get the same education in any school. My most memorable moment in that whole internship was getting the chance to watch a Cesarean Section. We had to get permission from our parents as well as our advisors and of course the patient. The mom had I believe two natural births before this one but I guess she just couldn't so she had to resort to a Cesarean Section instead. It was very amazing seeing how the surgeon had to cut through 7 layers from the skin to the uterus. Once it got to the uterus the baby just simply came out and to see a newborn baby come out to the world felt like a blessing. After the baby was born it was interesting seeing how thorough the nurses were to make sure nothing got left behind inside the mother. Experiencing all of this made me want to become more of a nurse than ever before and I'm glad I got to experience it in person.