I hope to pursue pediatric psychology and therapy to help people in need and to help them fix things that they may be struggling with. I have learned from personal experience that it is better to talk to someone rather than to bottle things up inside. Sometimes all you need is someone who will listen and provide support. When I was 7 years old, my sister was diagnosed with brain cancer at 8 years old. She was immediately admitted to the hospital and stayed there for many months with my mom. As a young child, I was confused and unsure about what was happening. How did my sister get sick? Where was my mom? Why does my sister have a scar in the back of her head? Why can't my sister, walk, talk, or swallow? This and so many more questions filled my head. But, I had so many amazing supportive people around me to help my brother and I through the challenging time. My elementary school counselor let me eat in her office to provide a safe space for me in case I needed to talk. My grandparents came to visit and always made my brother and I feel special and seen, they were always there to help and in case we needed someone to talk to at home. While my mom was away, I learned to take care of my brother and watch out for him to make him feel supported and loved by playing games and spending time with him. When my mom and sister came back home from the hospital, I learned how to take care of my sister and her medicine and equipment. My parents were stressed trying to transition my sister back home, so I learned how to take care of her to take something off their plates. She had a feeding tube inserted through her stomach to eat, so I learned how to hook it up, fill the bag with the food, and start the machine. I also learned how to do her nightly growth hormone shots, this way, when we were at camp or away from our parents, I could do her shot without us worrying about her missing a dosage of her medication. As they say, laughter is the best medicine. In the hospital and at home, I joked around with her and made her laugh to bring some joy, happiness, and fun into her life when she was going through so much pain and fighting for her life everyday. An organization for cancer families called Candlelighters sent a Parent Consultant to my mom while she was with my sister in the hospital. These Parent Consultants were mothers who had gone through the same thing and who previously had children in the hospital. These kind and supportive people provided a space for my mom to talk through her stress and worry to someone who went through the same thing. This outstanding organization provides a base and support to allow families to get through the hard times. My sister is now a strong eight-year brain cancer survivor and her sickness has inspired me to become a pediatric therapist to help children through hard experiences in their life. I want to provide a safe space where kids can feel comfortable. I want to be able to help a child build a strong base to build their life on and have a positive effect on the community. This scholarship will help me achieve these goals by allowing me to pursue my dream and successfully make it through college education to get my psychology degree.