I have one older brother who recently had his daughter in June of 2023. She is the most beautiful, happy and healthy baby ever; however, I understand that this is not the case for many families. Having a baby around for the first time in my life changed my perspective on a lot of things. There is such joy in small things in life, to her it’s playing with a half empty water bottle for 20 minutes. Childhood development was always intriguing to me- but it has been so different than how I imagined it would be to watch her grow up these past 8 months. It truly is a privilege to spend all of the time with her that I get. My life took another intense turn when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer later that same summer. With my dad living in another state and my brother with a newborn, I was left to take her to appointments and help with post surgical drainage. Which means yes, she has been cancer free for almost 2 months! I’ve always been in love with everything biological science and anatomy related, so it really was a learning opportunity for me- intertwined with mental health tolls. Interacting with her doctors and other medical professionals only confirmed what I want to pursue. A career where I will be in a position to give the joy to families of what I have experienced these past few months. The immense joy in seeing a new mother and father with their first child, a woman beating cancer after months of struggles. A feeling I’ve learned to love. I have been a multi sport athlete all my life. I’ve always been passionate about health and fitness. Through pursuing a career in biological sciences, such as genetic counseling, a postpartum physicians assistant, or within the cancer treatment or research fields, I plan to help others achieve a happy and healthy lifestyle. And bring people joy by doing such. I understand how blessed I have been with the opportunities that I have been given. I am forever grateful for the experiences I have had, both positive and negative as I believe that everything happens for a reason. I only hope that I can give back by educating myself as much aa possible so that I can help others and continue to learn and grow as the science field does. I know that there is going to be new innovations specifically regarding cancer treatment and I want to be a part of that.

My dad has the best work ethic out of anybody that I know. The primary qualities he has instilled in me have been drive and ambition. He had high aspirations and has always emphasized that all of his successes in life have come from hard work rather than God-given talents or gifts. I, more than anything, want to complete all of the goals on my bucket list. The most notable items on it include raising a big family, graduating college with honors, and being a D1 athlete (just like my dad). My life took its biggest turn during COVID when I moved to Arizona to live with my Grandma. Being without my dad who is my biggest supporter, teacher, coach, and role model, felt like my individual work ethic and drive were put to an extreme test. With no structured environment, everything I did was a true reflection of who I am, not what someone told me to become. Adversity only increased in the 3 years since I moved here. My life took another unexpected turn when my brother became a father at only 18. Seeing the RNs rush in and out of the room to attend to my new niece was what initially sparked my interest in nursing. I also became curious about the role of a Physicians Assistant (PA) after seeing their work on my mom who was diagnosed with breast cancer. Which pathway I decide to pursue will likely be determined by whether I can be in the BSN program at a school while playing D1 sports, or not. Before figuring out how well aligned my interests are with both nursing and PAs, I found so much joy in learning, specifically through science classes and a few very influential coaches. Learning WHY things happen and HOW things work brought comfort to me. In my junior year of high school, I attended the West-MEC Southwest campus physical therapy program to dive deeper into anatomy and healthcare. There I confirmed (through many career development HOSA essays) that I truly wanted to pursue a career in health science. I believe that when one finds something that they are passionate about, it no longer becomes a chore. Waking up early is exciting when you have something to look forward to that day! The same joy I feel through my biggest passion, sports, I felt through learning in subjects I was excited about. Although some other subjects were greatly uninteresting to me, I know the kind of person I am is dedicated to being the best I am on all accounts; therefore, I give my all in every class, no matter how emotionally, mentally or physically taxing it may be. Education is the primary stepping stone in pursuing my career of choice. To me, both nursing and PAS are the perfect balance between my academic interests: anatomy, biochemistry, and health sciences. I hope that in the future I use the knowledge I have gained through my academic career to better the lives of others. I know that staying dedicated to my passions will have lasting results in the lives of others, my own, and make my dad proud.