I am a nineteen-year-old second-year college student who has been playing Minecraft since third grade. Minecraft has been there for me through thick and thin. This game has gotten me through the losses of my uncle and my father. It has also gotten me through days where I wanted to pass the time and be able to express my creativity with friends and family by being able to play together online no matter how far away we may be. Minecraft has a special place in my heart especially since it was the reason I met my soulmate. Me and my boyfriend had very different friend groups in middle school and college. I would hang out with athletes and he would hang out with bookworms. One day we were in the same group and I saw him playing Minecraft, so I asked to join him. We played Minecraft every day after that, and have now been together for over three years. We have traveled all around the US and Mexico together, and none of this would have happened without Minecraft. Whenever I think of Minecraft, I think of all the friendships I've made and resonate with it with happiness. My favorite aspect of the game is that it appeals to everyone. The game appeals to people who want to play hardcore survival, build amazing things in creative, and animal lovers who play to build and save the animals within the game. Personally, I am not the best builder, but I always make sure the animals in the game have a mansion or house or stables 10x better than what I live in. Minecraft truly does offer limitless possibilities, and it has changed my life for the better.

Ever since I could remember, I was always striving to help others. My late uncle who had muscular dystrophy, was one of the main people whom I would help daily. Muscular dystrophy is a rare disease that eventually causes total muscular immobility and those who have it have a life expectancy of at most thirty years. I would help my uncle with whatever he needed, which was mainly using a machine that would suction his saliva when he couldn't swallow it. He was the smartest person I knew, and I adored him. When I was fifteen, I started helping my community by going to plant tomatoes early mornings in the fields before school with my grandparents. I would work to make money to buy my school supplies and help my grandparents financially since they would give me rides to school. I made sure that I did not miss a single hole for planting the tomatoes since the machine moved at a fast pace. I believed that I was doing the community a favor by planting tomatoes that would eventually grow and land in people's homes. As the years went by, I worked in many fast food jobs and retail jobs because I like helping people and making their days enjoyable. I still have that same mentality and am studying to become a pediatrician because I want to continue helping more people. I recently lost my father in a fatal motorcycle accident, and he suffered from depression and anxiety. I would always help him as well. I did so by sticking by him and keeping him company to enlighten his moods. I would also help him with his diabetes medication and shots, along with my grandpa who is also diabetic and blind because of that. Despite all the low points in my life, these people, the people I love most, have driven me further into pursuing my lifelong goal in attaining a doctorate degree and helping potentially save lives and free children of illness. I am taking a special interest in helping children because I am the oldest of three and have a younger sister that is ten, and a younger brother with autism that is six. My mother is a bilingual elementary school teacher and has always told me to achieve my dreams and reach for the stars no matter what life may throw at me. All of these special people give me the strength to keep going and working hard even after I reach my destination. I plan to dedicate my life to making sure my loved ones are set in life and to helping others' loved ones stay healthy. I hope to do research on muscular dystrophy in hopes of coming closer to finding a cure or treatment for it because those loved ones are taken away from us too soon.

Ever since I could remember, I was always striving to help others. My late uncle who had muscular dystrophy, was one of the main people whom I would help daily. Muscular dystrophy is a rare disease that eventually causes total muscular immobility and those who have it have a life expectancy of at most thirty years. I would help my uncle with whatever he needed, which was mainly using a machine that would suction his saliva when he couldn't swallow it. He was the smartest person I knew, and I adored him. When I was fifteen, I started helping my community by going to plant tomatoes early mornings in the fields before school with my grandparents. I would work to make money to buy my school supplies and help my grandparents financially since they would give me rides to school. I made sure that I did not miss a single hole for planting the tomatoes since the machine moved at a fast pace. I believed that I was doing the community a favor by planting tomatoes that would eventually grow and land in people's homes. As the years went by, I worked in many fast food jobs and retail jobs because I like helping people and making their days enjoyable. I still have that same mentality and am studying to become a pediatrician because I want to continue helping more people. I recently lost my father in a fatal motorcycle accident, and he suffered from depression and anxiety. I would always help him as well. I did so by sticking by him and keeping him company to enlighten his moods. I would also help him with his diabetes medication and shots, along with my grandpa who is also diabetic and blind because of that. Despite all the low points in my life, these people, the people I love most, have driven me further into pursuing my lifelong goal in attaining a doctorate degree and helping potentially save lives and free children of illness. I am taking a special interest in helping children because I am the oldest of three and have a younger sister that is ten, and a younger brother with autism that is six. My mother is a bilingual elementary school teacher and has always told me to achieve my dreams and reach for the stars no matter what life may throw at me. All of these special people give me the strength to keep going and working hard even after I reach my destination. I plan to dedicate my life to making sure my loved ones are set in life and to helping others' loved ones stay healthy. I hope to do research on muscular dystrophy in hopes of coming closer to finding a cure or treatment for it because those loved ones are taken away from us too soon.

Ever since I could remember, I was always striving to help others. My late uncle who had muscular dystrophy, was one of the main people whom I would help daily. Muscular dystrophy is a rare disease that eventually causes total muscular immobility and those who have it have a life expectancy of at most thirty years. I would help my uncle with whatever he needed, which was mainly using a machine that would suction his saliva when he couldn't swallow it. He was the smartest person I knew, and I adored him. When I was fifteen, I started helping my community by going to plant tomatoes early mornings in the fields before school with my grandparents. I would work to make money to buy my school supplies and help my grandparents financially since they would give me rides to school. I made sure that I did not miss a single hole for planting the tomatoes since the machine moved at a fast pace. I believed that I was doing the community a favor by planting tomatoes that would eventually grow and land in people's homes. As the years went by, I worked in many fast food jobs and retail jobs because I like helping people and making their days enjoyable. I still have that same mentality and am studying to become a pediatrician because I want to continue helping more people. I recently lost my father in a fatal motorcycle accident, and he suffered from depression and anxiety. I would always help him as well. I did so by sticking by him and keeping him company to enlighten his moods. I would also help him with his diabetes medication and shots, along with my grandpa who is also diabetic and blind because of that. Despite all the low points in my life, these people, the people I love most, have driven me further into pursuing my lifelong goal in attaining a doctorate degree and helping potentially save lives and free children of illness. I am taking a special interest in helping children because I am the oldest of three and have a younger sister that is ten, and a younger brother with autism that is six. My mother is a bilingual elementary school teacher and has always told me to achieve my dreams and reach for the stars no matter what life may throw at me. All of these special people give me the strength to keep going and working hard even after I reach my destination. I plan to dedicate my life to making sure my loved ones are set in life and to helping others' loved ones stay healthy. I hope to do research on muscular dystrophy in hopes of coming closer to finding a cure or treatment for it because those loved ones are taken away from us too soon.

I have only ever lost two close people so far throughout my nineteen years of life. I've always thought I'd lose loved ones due to old age since that's all I've ever heard of happening to my classmates around me. But somehow, these two deaths of my loved ones were very traumatic for me. Since I was little, I grew up with an uncle I didn't know was different from the rest. This uncle was always laying in his bed and had a machine attached to him throughout his body. He acted as any normal other person would act, he would get angry while playing video games, would play music and watch movies, and was always up to date with new technology and world events. He made sure to always spoil me and my family. The only difference was that he couldn't walk and would often be fed through a tube in his throat. As I got older, I came to realize he was different because he had this extremely rare uncurable disease and a genetic disorder called muscular dystrophy. The life expectancy for someone with muscular dystrophy is at most thirty years of life. As my uncle reached the age of twenty-nine, his health rapidly decreased, but we had hope that he would surpass the expiration date that the doctors labeled him with. Soon after his twenty-ninth birthday, he had more frequent hospital stays until he had to stay in the hospital for good because, at this point, he was only alive because of the machine he was hooked up to. I was thirteen when my uncle and my grandparents along with the rest of the family decided it was time to say goodbye. Ever since this death, I had panic attacks every other night for years. I had this thought stuck in my head that I am going to die young and my family will die young and how I don't want myself or my family to die at all. I truly thought this thinking and severe anxiety was normal at this age since I never talked to anyone about it until I met my boyfriend in my junior year of high school. He and my cousin helped my mental health astronomically and my panic attacks were then very rare and less frequent until it completely halted and I finally felt complete happiness and tranquility. I am now in my second year of college and lost my father in April right after my birthday, due to a motorcycle accident. My father has always struggled with depression and anxiety because of his childhood trauma and recent slight separation from my mother who was giving him space because he turned to relying on alcohol to keep him happy. He had finally given up drinking before my birthday in an attempt to win my mother back and was in the process of finding himself again by driving his motorcycle with his friends and family to beautiful places. My father always encouraged me to do what makes me happy and reach for the stars since he was a Mexican-born, American citizen, who was also a high school dropout. Despite this information, disregard the stereotypes, my father's appearance was a tall white color man with green eyes who spoke fluently in both Spanish and English, and despite having little education, he understood quantum theory and astrophysics because he enjoyed and dedicated much time to watching scientific documentaries in his free time. He was a very smart man with a big heart. He and my uncle taught me to never judge a book by its cover and to help anyone in need no matter the situation, especially if I may be needing help myself. Paying kindness forward would eventually give me the same karma back in life. After my father's tragic death at age forty-two, I again started having panic attacks every night and worried about death once again. This lasted for only a couple of months because I had the support of my whole family this time, especially now that I had younger siblings to console. My ten-year-old sister and my six-year-old brother helped me out of my anxiety and I am now more determined and driven than ever to achieve my goal of attaining a doctorate degree and becoming a pediatrician so that I can help as many others in need and make sure they stay healthy and happy.

Ever since I could remember, I was always striving to help others. My late uncle who had muscular dystrophy, was one of the main people whom I would help daily. Muscular dystrophy is a rare disease that eventually causes total muscular immobility and those who have it have a life expectancy of at most thirty years. I would help my uncle with whatever he needed, which was mainly using a machine that would suction his saliva when he couldn't swallow it. He was the smartest person I knew, and I adored him. When I was fifteen, I started helping my community by going to plant tomatoes early mornings in the fields before school with my grandparents. I would work to make money to buy my school supplies and help my grandparents financially since they would give me rides to school. I made sure that I did not miss a single hole for planting the tomatoes since the machine moved at a fast pace. I believed that I was doing the community a favor by planting tomatoes that would eventually grow and land in people's homes. As the years went by, I worked in many fast food jobs and retail jobs because I like helping people and making their days enjoyable. I still have that same mentality and am studying to become a pediatrician because I want to continue helping more people. I recently lost my father in a fatal motorcycle accident, and he suffered from depression and anxiety. I would always help him as well. I did so by sticking by him and keeping him company to enlighten his moods. I would also help him with his diabetes medication and shots, along with my grandpa who is also diabetic and blind because of that. Despite all the low points in my life, these people, the people I love most, have driven me further into pursuing my lifelong goal in attaining a doctorate degree and helping potentially save lives and free children of illness. I am taking a special interest in helping children because I am the oldest of three and have a younger sister that is ten, and a younger brother with autism that is six. My mother is a bilingual elementary school teacher and has always told me to achieve my dreams and reach for the stars no matter what life may throw at me. All of these special people give me the strength to keep going and working hard even after I reach my destination. I plan to dedicate my life to making sure my loved ones are set in life and to helping others' loved ones stay healthy. I hope to do research on muscular dystrophy in hopes of coming closer to finding a cure or treatment for it because those loved ones are taken away from us too soon. I would use my education to help my community stay healthy.

The dream version of myself is free of worry financially so that I can provide for my family. I also picture myself continuing to help others in the medical field, particularly in keeping children healthy since I am working hard to become a pediatrician. My dream self would also do research on muscular dystrophy due to losing an uncle because of that cureless disease. My future dream self would also have a big yard to rescue and foster dogs in need of help.

Ever since I could remember, I was always striving to help others. My late uncle who had muscular dystrophy, was one of the main people whom I would help daily. Muscular dystrophy is a rare disease that eventually causes total muscular immobility and those who have it have a life expectancy of at most thirty years. I would help my uncle with whatever he needed, which was mainly using a machine that would suction his saliva when he couldn't swallow it. He was the smartest person I knew, and I adored him. When I was fifteen, I started helping my community by going to plant tomatoes early mornings in the fields before school with my grandparents. I would work to make money to buy my school supplies and help my grandparents financially since they would give me rides to school. I made sure that I did not miss a single hole for planting the tomatoes since the machine moved at a fast pace. I believed that I was doing the community a favor by planting tomatoes that would eventually grow and land in people's homes. As the years went by, I worked in many fast food jobs and retail jobs because I like helping people and making their days enjoyable. I still have that same mentality and am studying to become a pediatrician because I want to continue helping more people. I recently lost my father in a fatal motorcycle accident, and he suffered from depression and anxiety. I would always help him as well. I did so by sticking by him and keeping him company to enlighten his moods. I would also help him with his diabetes medication and shots, along with my grandpa who is also diabetic and blind because of that. Despite all the low points in my life, these people, the people I love most, have driven me further into pursuing my lifelong goal in attaining a doctorate degree and helping potentially save lives and free children of illness. I am taking a special interest in helping children because I am the oldest of three and have a younger sister that is ten, and a younger brother with autism that is six. My mother is a bilingual elementary school teacher and has always told me to achieve my dreams and reach for the stars no matter what life may throw at me. All of these special people give me the strength to keep going and working hard even after I reach my destination. I plan to dedicate my life to making sure my loved ones are set in life and to helping others' loved ones stay healthy. I hope to do research on muscular dystrophy in hopes of coming closer to finding a cure or treatment for it because those loved ones are taken away from us too soon.

Ever since I could remember, I was always striving to help others. My late uncle who had muscular dystrophy, was one of the main people whom I would help daily. Muscular dystrophy is a rare disease that eventually causes total muscular immobility and those who have it have a life expectancy of at most thirty years. I would help my uncle with whatever he needed, which was mainly using a machine that would suction his saliva when he couldn't swallow it. He was the smartest person I knew, and I adored him. When I was fifteen, I started helping my community by going to plant tomatoes early mornings in the fields before school with my grandparents. I would work to make money to buy my school supplies and help my grandparents financially since they would give me rides to school. I made sure that I did not miss a single hole for planting the tomatoes since the machine moved at a fast pace. I believed that I was doing the community a favor by planting tomatoes that would eventually grow and land in people's homes. As the years went by, I worked in many fast food jobs and retail jobs because I like helping people and making their days enjoyable. I still have that same mentality and am studying to become a pediatrician because I want to continue helping more people. I recently lost my father in a fatal motorcycle accident, and he suffered from depression and anxiety. I would always help him as well. I did so by sticking by him and keeping him company to enlighten his moods. I would also help him with his diabetes medication and shots, along with my grandpa who is also diabetic and blind because of that. Despite all the low points in my life, these people, the people I love most, have driven me further into pursuing my lifelong goal in attaining a doctorate degree and helping potentially save lives and free children of illness. I am taking a special interest in helping children because I am the oldest of three and have a younger sister that is ten, and a younger brother with autism that is six. My mother is a bilingual elementary school teacher and has always told me to achieve my dreams and reach for the stars no matter what life may throw at me. All of these special people give me the strength to keep going and working hard even after I reach my destination. I plan to dedicate my life to making sure my loved ones are set in life and to helping others' loved ones stay healthy. I hope to do research on muscular dystrophy in hopes of coming closer to finding a cure or treatment for it because those loved ones are taken away from us too soon.

If I could have everyone in the world read just one book, it would have to be "Divergent" by Veronica Roth. This book is about change and the struggles of being different than the rest. The majority of humans are afraid of change, which is why we adapt to our environments. Throughout this book, the main character, Beatrice Prior, is navigating her world by doing what her heart tells her to do and not in the way that regulators want her to act. Because of these regulators, the people that are different, in this case, the divergent, try to blend into the others, fearing that they may be caught if they show their true colors. Eventually, the divergent comes to find out that they are the prodigy and are examples of what everyone should be. I believe everyone should read this magnificent book because, in today's society, it is hard to be different and show the real you. If more people read this book, then it could perhaps open their eyes to being more open and understanding with others instead of bringing them down for not acting in the way that they expect them to which would be to stay quiet and copy the personalities of the people around them. Furthermore, people are so used to changing their personalities to mirror the different groups that they are with at the time. This shouldn't be the case. People should not be changing the way they are, to appear more likable to different people. If they don't like you the way you are, then they don't deserve you. This is why I would choose Divergent as a single book that everyone in the world should read.

Since I could remember, I’ve always had a soccer ball at my side. This love started when my late uncle with muscular dystrophy would be in his room watching a soccer match between our favorite team and their rivals. I would know when he was watching a soccer game because he would be yelling at the tv screen or cheering our team on very loud. Whenever our team scored, I would stop what I was doing whether it was eating or mid conversation and go running to his room to watch the beautiful goal that was made. Growing up whenever someone would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer was always the same, “A professional soccer player”. But now as I’ve grown up my professional goals have changed, and I am now working towards the path of becoming a pediatrician. I have been working so hard throughout my life by managing multiple things at once such as my mental health, high school soccer, club soccer, high school tennis, homework, my part-time job, watching my younger siblings, and social life. Then after all of that, I would go to my grandma’s house at the end of each day and spend time with my uncle. I never knew what muscular dystrophy was, I just assumed everyone's uncle couldn’t walk or move himself around, but after reality hit me is when I truly saw how special he was. I never treated him differently than anyone, still had arguments and laughs, but I would also have to tend to him in a way is unusual for others such as use his straw machine to suck his excess saliva or mucus from his mouth, and move his head or legs around for them to not get too sore. Besides all that, he was the smartest man I’ve ever met, he only lived up to 29 years old, but he outwits everyone in the family till this day. I still like to talk to him as if he was here since his room hasn’t been touched since he left us about 4 years ago. His legacy left and continues to leave a big impact in my life and has further encouraged me to be in the medical field to help see the signs for other children like him, and help children in general get the right nutrients they need. His name was Victor Barragan, the son of immigrant parents, and he would spend hours researching why he was one of few with muscular dystrophy only to find out that scientists were still running tests and researching and that their best guess was that it happens randomly. I want to eventually study and figure out how muscular dystrophy starts and how we can prevent it or expand the life expectancy for those who have it.

Since I could remember, I’ve always had a soccer ball at my side. This love started when my late uncle with muscular dystrophy would be in his room watching a soccer match between our favorite team and their rivals. I would know when he was watching a soccer game because he would be yelling at the tv screen or cheering our team on very loud. Whenever our team scored, I would stop what I was doing whether it was eating or mid conversation and go running to his room to watch the beautiful goal that was made. Growing up whenever someone would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer was always the same, “A professional soccer player”. But now as I’ve grown up my professional goals have changed, and I am now working towards the path of becoming a pediatrician. I have been working so hard throughout my life by managing multiple things at once such as my mental health, high school soccer, club soccer, high school tennis, homework, my part-time job, watching my younger siblings, and social life. Then after all of that, I would go to my grandma’s house at the end of each day and spend time with my uncle. I never knew what muscular dystrophy was, I just assumed everyone's uncle couldn’t walk or move himself around, but after reality hit me is when I truly saw how special he was. I never treated him differently than anyone, still had arguments and laughs, but I would also have to tend to him in a way is unusual for others such as use his straw machine to suck his excess saliva or mucus from his mouth, and move his head or legs around for them to not get too sore. Besides all that, he was the smartest man I’ve ever met, he only lived up to 29 years old, but he outwits everyone in the family till this day. I still like to talk to him as if he was here since his room hasn’t been touched since he left us about 4 years ago. His legacy left and continues to leave a big impact in my life and has further encouraged me to be in the medical field to help see the signs for other children like him, and help children in general get the right nutrients they need. His name was Victor Barragan, the son of immigrant parents, and he would spend hours researching why he was one of few with muscular dystrophy only to find out that scientists were still running tests and researching and that their best guess was that it happens randomly. I want to eventually study and figure out how muscular dystrophy starts and how we can prevent it or expand the life expectancy for those who have it.

Since I could remember, I’ve always had a soccer ball at my side. This love started when my late uncle with muscular dystrophy would be in his room watching a soccer match between our favorite team and their rivals. I would know when he was watching a soccer game because he would be yelling at the tv screen or cheering our team on very loud. Whenever our team scored, I would stop what I was doing whether it was eating or mid conversation and go running to his room to watch the beautiful goal that was made. Growing up whenever someone would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer was always the same, “A professional soccer player”. But now as I’ve grown up my professional goals have changed, and I am now working towards the path of becoming a pediatrician. I have been working so hard throughout my life by managing multiple things at once such as my mental health, high school soccer, club soccer, high school tennis, homework, my part-time job, watching my younger siblings, and social life. Then after all of that, I would go to my grandma’s house at the end of each day and spend time with my uncle. I never knew what muscular dystrophy was, I just assumed everyone's uncle couldn’t walk or move himself around, but after reality hit me is when I truly saw how special he was. I never treated him differently than anyone, still had arguments and laughs, but I would also have to tend to him in a way is unusual for others such as use his straw machine to suck his excess saliva or mucus from his mouth and move his head or legs around for them to not get too sore. Besides all that, he was the smartest man I’ve ever met, he only lived up to 29 years old, but he outwits everyone in the family till this day. I still like to talk to him as if he was here since his room hasn’t been touched since he left us about 4 years ago. His legacy left and continues to leave a big impact in my life and has further encouraged me to be in the medical field to help see the signs for other children like him and help children in general get the right nutrients they need. His name was Victor Barragan, the son of immigrant parents, and he would spend hours researching why he was one of few with muscular dystrophy only to find out that scientists were still running tests and researching and that their best guess was that it happens randomly. I want to eventually study and figure out how muscular dystrophy starts and how we can prevent it or expand the life expectancy for those who have it.

Since I could remember, I’ve always had a soccer ball at my side. This love started when my late uncle with muscular dystrophy would be in his room watching a soccer match between our favorite team and their rivals. Whenever our team scored, I would stop what I was doing whether it was eating or mid conversation and go running to his room to watch the beautiful goal that was made. Growing up whenever someone would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer was always the same, “A professional soccer player”. But now as I’ve grown up my professional goals have changed, and I am now working towards the path of becoming a pediatrician. I have been working so hard throughout my life by managing multiple things at once such as my mental health, high school soccer, club soccer, high school tennis, homework, my part-time job, watching my younger siblings, and social life. I have become accustomed to this life at such a young age, that I can multitask effortlessly now and believe that I can overcome any challenge that is thrown my way. I understand that I am not the only one with this schedule, maybe there are others dealing with the same things I do, but the one thing that sets me apart from the rest is my determination. This is recognizable not only on the field, but on my report cards and who I am as a person. I never knew how people became doctors or any career that made good money. My dad was a high school dropout, and not because he wanted to, but because he had to go work in the fields to help his parents raise money to provide for their family. My mom was a first-generation high school graduate and went to sac state college where she became a teacher and after years and years of hard work, she then got her bachelor's degree. With that said, my mom is the only one that has entered college in my family and even then, it is hard for her to help me with thinking about my future considering things have changed since the time she went to college. When I was around 15 years old, my grandma took me out to the fields with her to plant tomatoes to see how my dad lived his everyday life, and by the second day of working, my back was killing me, and I was sore all over. I can’t imagine the pain he had to go through mentally and physically. This opened my eyes and taught me the valuable lesson that money is earned with hard work and not provided or guaranteed. So, this led me to believe that I must enter a career where I can help others while still giving back to my family for raising a humbled kid. This is when I decided to become a pediatrician because of my passion for helping others and taking care of kids, I know how it feels when kids are ill such as my sister getting pneumonia when she was 3 and almost losing her life, so I want to help as many other parents as possible to make sure their kids are getting the right nutrition and care. I also want to eventually study and figure out how muscular dystrophy starts and how we can prevent it or expand the life expectancy for those who have it, to honor my uncle who is the smartest man I know and who passed a couple years ago at age 29.

Since I could remember, I’ve always had a soccer ball at my side. This love started when my late uncle with muscular dystrophy would be in his room watching a soccer match between our favorite team and their rivals. I would know when he was watching a soccer game because he would be yelling at the tv screen or cheering our team on very loud. Whenever our team scored, I would stop what I was doing whether it was eating or mid conversation and go running to his room to watch the beautiful goal that was made. Growing up whenever someone would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer was always the same, “A professional soccer player”. But now as I’ve grown up my professional goals have changed, and I am now working towards the path of becoming a pediatrician. I have been working so hard throughout my life by managing multiple things at once such as my mental health, high school soccer, club soccer, high school tennis, homework, my part-time job, watching my younger siblings, and social life. Then after all of that, I would go to my grandma’s house at the end of each day and spend time with my uncle. I never knew what muscular dystrophy was, I just assumed everyone's uncle couldn’t walk or move himself around, but after reality hit me is when I truly saw how special he was. I never treated him differently than anyone, still had arguments and laughs, but I would also have to tend to him in a way is unusual for others such as use his straw machine to suck his excess saliva or mucus from his mouth and move his head or legs around for them to not get too sore. Besides all that, he was the smartest man I’ve ever met, he only lived up to 29 years old, but he outwits everyone in the family till this day. I still like to talk to him as if he was here since his room hasn’t been touched since he left us about 4 years ago. His legacy left and continues to leave a big impact in my life and has further encouraged me to be in the medical field to help see the signs for other children like him and help children in general get the right nutrients they need. His name was Victor Barragan, the son of immigrant parents, and he would spend hours researching why he was one of few with muscular dystrophy only to find out that scientists were still running tests and researching and that their best guess was that it happens randomly. I want to eventually study and figure out how muscular dystrophy starts and how we can prevent it or expand the life expectancy for those who have it.

Since I could remember, I’ve always had a soccer ball at my side. This love started when my late uncle with muscular dystrophy would be in his room watching a soccer match between our favorite team and their rivals. I would know when he was watching a soccer game because he would be yelling at the tv screen or cheering our team on very loud. Whenever our team scored, I would stop what I was doing whether it was eating or mid conversation and go running to his room to watch the beautiful goal that was made. Growing up whenever someone would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer was always the same, “A professional soccer player”. But now as I’ve grown up my professional goals have changed, and I am now working towards the path of becoming a pediatrician. I have been working so hard throughout my life by managing multiple things at once such as my mental health, high school soccer, club soccer, high school tennis, homework, my part-time job, watching my younger siblings, and social life. Then after all of that, I would go to my grandma’s house at the end of each day and spend time with my uncle. I never knew what muscular dystrophy was, I just assumed everyone's uncle couldn’t walk or move himself around, but after reality hit me is when I truly saw how special he was. I never treated him differently than anyone, still had arguments and laughs, but I would also have to tend to him in a way is unusual for others such as use his straw machine to suck his excess saliva or mucus from his mouth and move his head or legs around for them to not get too sore. Besides all that, he was the smartest man I’ve ever met, he only lived up to 29 years old, but he outwits everyone in the family till this day. I still like to talk to him as if he was here since his room hasn’t been touched since he left us about 4 years ago. His legacy left and continues to leave a big impact in my life and has further encouraged me to be in the medical field to help see the signs for other children like him and help children in general get the right nutrients they need. His name was Victor Barragan, the son of immigrant parents, and he would spend hours researching why he was one of few with muscular dystrophy only to find out that scientists were still running tests and researching and that their best guess was that it happens randomly. I want to eventually study and figure out how muscular dystrophy starts and how we can prevent it or expand the life expectancy for those who have it.

Since I could remember, I’ve always had a soccer ball at my side. This love started when my late uncle with muscular dystrophy would be in his room watching a soccer match between our favorite team and their rivals. I would know when he was watching a soccer game because he would be yelling at the tv screen or cheering our team on very loud. Whenever our team scored, I would stop what I was doing whether it was eating or mid conversation and go running to his room to watch the beautiful goal that was made. Growing up whenever someone would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer was always the same, “A professional soccer player”. But now as I’ve grown up my professional goals have changed, and I am now working towards the path of becoming a pediatrician. I have been working so hard throughout my life by managing multiple things at once such as my mental health, high school soccer, club soccer, high school tennis, homework, my part-time job, watching my younger siblings, and social life. Then after all of that, I would go to my grandma’s house at the end of each day and spend time with my uncle. I never knew what muscular dystrophy was, I just assumed everyone's uncle couldn’t walk or move himself around, but after reality hit me is when I truly saw how special he was. I never treated him differently than anyone, still had arguments and laughs, but I would also have to tend to him in a way is unusual for others such as use his straw machine to suck his excess saliva or mucus from his mouth and move his head or legs around for them to not get too sore. Besides all that, he was the smartest man I’ve ever met, he only lived up to 29 years old, but he outwits everyone in the family till this day. I still like to talk to him as if he was here since his room hasn’t been touched since he left us about 4 years ago. His legacy left and continues to leave a big impact in my life and has further encouraged me to be in the medical field to help see the signs for other children like him and help children in general get the right nutrients they need. My uncle's name was Victor Barragan, and he used to spend hours researching how he could've gotten muscular dystrophy only to find out it is still in the process of being researched and tested, and in their best guess it happens randomly. My long-term goal is to eventually look further into how muscular dystrophy starts and what causes it so that I can help in preventing it or help make the life expectancy grow longer.

Since I could remember, I’ve always had a soccer ball at my side. This love started when my late uncle with muscular dystrophy would be in his room watching a soccer match between our favorite team and their rivals. I would know when he was watching a soccer game because he would be yelling at the tv screen or cheering our team on very loud. Whenever our team scored, I would stop what I was doing whether it was eating or mid conversation and go running to his room to watch the beautiful goal that was made. Growing up whenever someone would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer was always the same, “A professional soccer player”. But now as I’ve grown up my professional goals have changed, and I am now working towards the path of becoming a pediatrician. I have been working so hard throughout my life by managing multiple things at once such as my mental health, high school soccer, club soccer, high school tennis, homework, my part-time job, watching my younger siblings, and social life. I have become accustomed to this life at such a young age, that I can multitask effortlessly now and believe that I can overcome any challenge that is thrown my way. I understand that I am not the only one with this schedule, maybe there are others dealing with the same things I do, but the one thing that sets me apart from the rest is my determination. This is recognizable not only on the field, but on my report cards and who I am as a person. I never knew how people became doctors or any career that made good money. My dad was a high school dropout, and not because he wanted to, but because he had to go work in the fields to help his parents raise money to provide for their family. My mom was a first-generation high school graduate and went to sac state college where she became a teacher and after years and years of hard work, she then got her bachelor's degree. With that said, my mom is the only one that has entered college in my family and even then, it is hard for her to help me with thinking about my future considering things have changed since the time she went to college. When I was around 15 years old, my grandma took me out to the fields with her to plant tomatoes to see how my dad lived his everyday life, and by the second day of working, my back was killing me, and I was sore all over. I can’t imagine the pain he had to go through mentally and physically. This opened my eyes and taught me the valuable lesson that money is earned with hard work and not provided or guaranteed. So, this led me to believe that I must enter a career where I can help others while still giving back to my family for raising a humbled kid. This is when I decided to become a pediatrician because of my passion for helping others and taking care of kids, I know how it feels when kids are ill such as my sister getting pneumonia when she was 3 and almost losing her life, so I want to help as many other parents as possible to make sure their kids are getting the right nutrition and care.

Since I could remember, I’ve always had a soccer ball at my side. This love started when my late uncle with muscular dystrophy would be in his room watching a soccer match between our favorite team and their rivals. Whenever our team scored, I would stop what I was doing whether it was eating or mid conversation and go running to his room to watch the beautiful goal that was made. Growing up whenever someone would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer was always the same, “A professional soccer player”. But now as I’ve grown up my professional goals have changed, and I am now working towards the path of becoming a pediatrician. I have been working so hard throughout my life by managing multiple things at once such as my mental health, high school soccer, club soccer, high school tennis, homework, my part-time job, watching my younger siblings, and social life. I have become accustomed to this life at such a young age, that I can multitask effortlessly now and believe that I can overcome any challenge that is thrown my way. I understand that I am not the only one with this schedule, maybe there are others dealing with the same things I do, but the one thing that sets me apart from the rest is my determination. This is recognizable not only on the field, but on my report cards and who I am as a person. I never knew how people became doctors or any career that made good money. My dad was a high school dropout, and not because he wanted to, but because he had to go work in the fields to help his parents raise money to provide for their family. My mom was a first-generation high school graduate and went to sac state college where she became a teacher and after years and years of hard work, she then got her bachelor's degree. With that said, my mom is the only one that has entered college in my family and even then, it is hard for her to help me with thinking about my future considering things have changed since the time she went to college. When I was around 15 years old, my grandma took me out to the fields with her to plant tomatoes to see how my dad lived his everyday life, and by the second day of working, my back was killing me, and I was sore all over. I can’t imagine the pain he had to go through mentally and physically. This opened my eyes and taught me the valuable lesson that money is earned with hard work and not provided or guaranteed. So, this led me to believe that I must enter a career where I can help others while still giving back to my family for raising a humbled kid. This is when I decided to become a pediatrician because of my passion for helping others and taking care of kids, I know how it feels when kids are ill such as my sister getting pneumonia when she was 3 and almost losing her life, so I want to help as many other parents as possible to make sure their kids are getting the right nutrition and care. By achieving this goal, I will be empowering women by encouraging them to be who they want to be and make a difference in what they are.

Growing up whenever someone would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer was always the same, “A professional soccer player”. But now as I’ve grown up my professional goals have changed, and I am now working towards the path of becoming a pediatrician. I have been working so hard throughout my life by managing multiple things at once such as my mental health, high school soccer, club soccer, high school tennis, homework, my part-time job, watching my younger siblings, and social life. I have become accustomed to this life at such a young age, that I can multitask effortlessly now and believe that I can overcome any challenge that is thrown my way. I understand that I am not the only one with this schedule, maybe there are others dealing with the same things I do, but the one thing that sets me apart from the rest is my determination. This is recognizable not only on the field, but on my report cards and who I am as a person. I never knew how people became doctors or any career that made good money. My dad was a high school dropout, and not because he wanted to, but because he had to go work in the fields to help his parents raise money to provide for their family. My mom was a first-generation high school graduate and went to sac state college where she became a teacher and after years and years of hard work, she then got her bachelor's degree. With that said, my mom is the only one that has entered college in my family and even then, it is hard for her to help me with thinking about my future considering things have changed since the time she went to college. When I was around 15 years old, my grandma took me out to the fields with her to plant tomatoes to see how my dad lived his everyday life, and by the second day of working, my back was killing me, and I was sore all over. I can’t imagine the pain he had to go through mentally and physically. This opened my eyes and taught me the valuable lesson that money is earned with hard work and not provided or guaranteed. So, this led me to believe that I must enter a career where I can help others while still giving back to my family for raising a humbled kid. This is when I decided to become a pediatrician because of my passion for helping others and taking care of kids, I know how it feels when kids are ill such as my sister getting pneumonia when she was 3 and almost losing her life, so I want to help as many other parents as possible to make sure their kids are getting the right nutrition and care.

Since I could remember, I’ve always had a soccer ball at my side. This love started when my late uncle with muscular dystrophy would be in his room watching a soccer match between our favorite team and their rivals. I would know when he was watching a soccer game because he would be yelling at the tv screen or cheering our team on very loud. Whenever our team scored, I would stop what I was doing whether it was eating or mid conversation and go running to his room to watch the beautiful goal that was made. Growing up whenever someone would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer was always the same, “A professional soccer player”. But now as I’ve grown up my professional goals have changed, and I am now working towards the path of becoming a pediatrician. I have been working so hard throughout my life by managing multiple things at once such as my mental health, high school soccer, club soccer, high school tennis, homework, my part-time job, watching my younger siblings, and social life. I have become accustomed to this life at such a young age, that I can multitask effortlessly now and believe that I can overcome any challenge that is thrown my way. I understand that I am not the only one with this schedule, maybe there are others dealing with the same things I do, but the one thing that sets me apart from the rest is my determination. This is recognizable not only on the field, but on my report cards and who I am as a person. I never knew how people became doctors or any career that made good money. My dad was a high school dropout, and not because he wanted to, but because he had to go work in the fields to help his parents raise money to provide for their family. My mom was a first-generation high school graduate and went to sac state college where she became a teacher and after years and years of hard work, she then got her bachelor's degree. With that said, my mom is the only one that has entered college in my family and even then, it is hard for her to help me with thinking about my future considering things have changed since the time she went to college. When I was around 15 years old, my grandma took me out to the fields with her to plant tomatoes to see how my dad lived his everyday life, and by the second day of working, my back was killing me, and I was sore all over. I can’t imagine the pain he had to go through mentally and physically. This opened my eyes and taught me the valuable lesson that money is earned with hard work and not provided or guaranteed. So, this led me to believe that I must enter a career where I can help others while still giving back to my family for raising a humbled kid. This is when I decided to become a pediatrician because of my passion for helping others and taking care of kids, I know how it feels when kids are ill such as my sister getting pneumonia when she was 3 and almost losing her life, so I want to help as many other parents as possible to make sure their kids are getting the right nutrition and care.

For My Caring Wind (A love poem by Ariana De la Torre) Your eyes shine gold, When mine are blue, A soulmate is caring, It's the definition of you. You bring me peace, When I'm feeling weak, I find comfort in your arms, As you kiss my cheek. Your presence feels like home, Where the wind feels best, I'll wait for you there, As I lay to rest. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For My Restless Ocean (A love poem for a sister by Ariana De la Torre) You are so young, Just like I used to be, You carry my shadow, I apologize you see. You walk around unnoticed, All the attention goes to me, For I am the oldest, And you are invisible because of me. I realize now, The mistake I've done, I love you but hardly say it, But rest assured that change has now begun. Although you go unseen, You make yourself be heard, You always were a loud one, My dear your voice won't be misheard. You're as restless as the ocean, As beautiful as it too, I will always be here for you, You'll succeed in whatever you do.

Have you ever wanted to go on a long-awaited adventure that has no other purpose than to get lost and find yourself? As uncanny or childish as it may sound, the book that has transformed my life is Alice in Wonderland. The runner up is Coraline, which is similar in the sense that both have female protagonists, and both tend to find themselves wandering off in search of adventure which is something I have often found myself to strongly relate to. Whether I am traveling across countries or simply going to the grocery store, I see them as little adventures where I am the protagonist of the story and wander in search of the feeling of freedom and excitement meanwhile completing otherwise mundane and routine tasks. Much like Alice and Coraline, I do not like to stay put nor do I like to be cooped up in my house too long, because I will be driven insane having nothing to keep me busy. These books share the same structure where if you are curious, you have to tread lightly. I have mentally inserted the main ideas of these two classic novels to be that adventure is necessary if you do it correctly, stay safe, watch your surroundings, and always be aware of your environment. During the times that I am home, I have found it useful to maximize the captivity of my room by attaching many forms of artwork on my wall and painting my door in all kinds of shapes and colors in order to keep my eyes entertained and for my inner self to feel like my room is my own little rabbit hole, a hint of insanity but it mainly brings me the feeling of peace. I make sure to always stay moving and appreciate the world around me, there's a story within each step you take.