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Arianna Guzman

835

Bold Points

1x

Finalist

Bio

My name is Arianna Guzman. I am 19 years old, born and raised in El Paso, TX. Currently I am studying Biology at UTSA. I come from a single parent Mexican culture household. My family includes; my brother, my mom and I. It has always been the three of us. My mom is the light that guides my brother and I. Through her hard work and determination she has given us countless opportunities and pushed us to achieve our dreams. This is what has led me to San Antonio to pursue a degree in Biology. Biology is just the starting point to becoming a pharmacist. This is my second semester being away from all I’ve ever known. While the challenges are real, because of my upbringing, I know I will overcome any obstacles. I am resilient, determined and focused to graduate with a Bachelors in Biology. In addition to working in my Bachelors, I will be pursuing a certification as a Pharmacy Tech. Obtaining this certification will help me with my ultimate goal of getting into Pharmacy School. In addition to working towards my Pharmacist degree, I love to travel, read, watch anime and draw. All of these activities provide different outlets for me to escape reality and reset. While I do take time to recharge, my focus is my academics. Any awarded scholarship or financial help towards my academic goals will not be given in vain. It will be used to propel me forward and help me continue my path towards becoming a Pharmacist.

Education

The University of Texas at San Antonio

Bachelor's degree program
2023 - 2027
  • Majors:
    • Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)

  • Graduate schools of interest:

  • Transfer schools of interest:

  • Majors of interest:

    • Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration
    • Pharmacology and Toxicology
  • Planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Pharmaceuticals

    • Dream career goals:

      Arts

      • Eastwood High School Art Club

        Drawing
        2020 – 2023
      • UTSA clay club

        Ceramics
        2024 – Present

      Public services

      • Volunteering

        ACC — member
        2024 – Present

      Future Interests

      Advocacy

      Volunteering

      Philanthropy

      Entrepreneurship

      Curtis Holloway Memorial Scholarship
      A tall silhouette wearing a black robe with an orange and blue hood draped around her neck, strutting across the stage, shaking the hands of beloved mentors, while the cheers of friends and family erupt from the crowd, my mother graciously receives her master’s degree. Even though I was so young my pink stroller can be found in the pictures, the feeling of pride I felt that day has stuck with me, and they have only become more significant with time. Throughout my life, my mother has faced countless challenges. In hopes of keeping my brother and I safe, she fled from a violent life of domestic abuse and has single handedly continued to provide for us. She has demonstrated resilience, determination, and resolve that I can’t help but marvel. She masks her worries with a smile and puts everyone’s needs before her. Every day she proves to me no matter what oppositions we face, there is no stopping an educated, confident woman with a goal. For nearly two decades, I’ve watched my mother be a beacon of love and compassion to countless souls, despite whatever burdens she may be facing. Moreover, I’ve bore witness to the greatness she has inspired in the students whom she also considers to be children of her own. As one of the lucky two that get to go home with her, I also have unmediated experience with the flaws that make her perfectly imperfect. To know a woman capable of touching the hearts of so many, can struggle with her own demons, assures me that I too can overcome any obstacles. It has been instilled in me, so long as I never stop learning, anything is possible. It’s thanks to my mother, I grew up believing I could achieve any aspirations I put my mind and heart to. She has shown me that in a world dominated by men, women are able to accomplish anything a man could with unrivaled passion and grace. As a science teacher she introduced me to a world of inquiry and exploration. In fact, some of my fondest memories are losing ourselves in discovery with the experiment sets she would buy me and going to her biology class to participate in the dissection labs with her students. I inherited her love of science resulting in me currently pursuing a STEM degree. In studying a degree severely underrepresented with women, especially minority women, I plan to shatter that glass ceiling! Despite how determined I am, this semester at UTSA has proven exceptionally difficult for me. I am alone, far from home, and missing my family and friends profoundly. I am drowning in a sea of endless deadlines and assignments. I have cried more times this semester, than I want to admit. In addition, the financial hardship this is putting on my mom, makes me feel she has taken on a huge burden to allow me to follow my dreams. I know she is struggling to pay for my tuition and apartment, yet every time I call her, instead of telling me to come home, she puts her troubles aside and encourages me to keep going. So, when I feel overwhelmed and want to give up, I think of my mother who is more than my inspiration, she is my motivation to keep pursuing my education. As a firsthand witness to the trials, she’s endured, and the tribulation we’ve conquered, because of her I am destined to succeed not only for my benefit, but so she may one day find comfort in the struggles that helped shape us.