I remember as a young child forcing my siblings to have “boo-boos” so I could wave a magical hand over them and heal them. As I grew older, this aspiration of mine grew with me. I knew I wanted to become an anesthesiologist. I would watch hours of videos about the work of anesthesiologists, and I fell in love with it. The idea that I could one day have the power to alleviate someone’s pain, to be an essential part of life-saving procedures, and to work in a field where my knowledge and skills could make a direct impact on people’s well-being was exhilarating. Growing up in a family that struggled to put meals on the table put a drive in me—I promised myself that one day, I would never have to ask my children for financial help to fulfill basic needs. I wanted to provide for my kids, not have my kids provide for me. I want to protect them from the burdens of the world, especially financial stress, for as long as I can. Becoming an anesthesiologist would guarantee that I could provide my children with everything they need. I could provide my children with food on the table, jackets in the cold winters, and allowances when they bring home a good report card. More than that, I could provide them with the security and stability that I have always longed for. Spending my childhood in a financially unstable family was a blessing in disguise because I am not sure I would have such a strong drive for success had I not experienced it. My struggles have built my resilience, strengthened my ability to push forward in the face of challenges, and fueled my hunger for knowledge. I will be working towards something—something so important that it will shape my entire future and life. I will succeed, and when I do, I will be able to give back to the people who provided me with the little things, like a meal when I was hungry, and the bigger things, like a bed to lay my head on at night. My excitement to start my own life in college, to prepare myself for academic success and excellence, starts with this next chapter. In a way, I truly see the work of anesthesiologists as a form of magic—their ability to simply take away the pain of a woman in labor, the pain of a child undergoing heart surgery, or a young man undergoing a life-saving procedure to remove a brain tumor. Their work is nothing short of remarkable, and I truly find it beautiful that human beings can do such things. I want to be part of that magic. I want to be a source of comfort for patients in their most vulnerable moments. I cannot put into words how optimistic I am about going to college. It is an absolute blessing that my hard work throughout high school earned me a spot at Baylor for their upcoming freshman class. My mission is not only to fulfill my own needs but to fulfill my utmost potential—to show people that the help they gave me along the way was valuable and deeply appreciated. I want to show others who are struggling that their circumstances do not define them. Hard work, passion, and resilience can carry a person beyond their hardships and into a future they once thought was out of reach. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for taking the time to read this essay. God bless.