When we allow ourselves to be guided by what we feel, we rely on our own understanding and limited perspective to make a decision, but “[t]he fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). And what does it mean to fear the Lord? Well, it means having a consistent and unwavering faith in Him and His word. Our Lord, who is one with Jesus and the Holy Spirit, says, He is the way, the truth, and life (John 14:6). And faith stands in our ability to surrender ourselves fully to God, He who sees the beginning from the end (Isaiah 46:10), and His will. So when we surrender we are denying ourselves; This means we are not led by our feelings, thoughts, or what we see, but by the guidance and counsel of God, because when you acknowledge God in all your ways– “He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:6). With this said, you cannot find truth outside of God, because the essence of God’s truth is not limited to feelings, factual claims, findings, or laws dictated by officials, instead His truth is a way of life that He offers to us. Firstly through salvation by His grace through faith in Jesus Christ, but also by choosing obedience through His word (His truth), which comes hand in hand with surrendering ourselves to Him. Let us consider the following. Our idea of truth is subjective, showing how we all deal with problems and situations differently because we believe something is right or wrong, better or worse, and simple or complex. This is expected because God has given us free will to choose; We choose our truth or to follow Him and be led by the Holy Spirit to know God’s heart. Certainly, there is a clear distinction between our truth and God’s truth because God is love (John 4:16) which means he does not force us to live in His way and truth, nor forces us to believe He is life. However, because God is love, His living word convicts us, warns us, and teaches us about the sowings we reap when we make either election. Ultimately, we, as humans in this physical realm– have a source of truth– but it is limited by what our physical beings can learn, understand, feel, and see in a specific time frame, but when we surrender to God; He becomes our source; He becomes our truth, because He is an omnipotent God who defines beginning from the end.

The glow of the city lights that fade away in the silence of the night as the city limit is reached– creates a breathtaking night view. However, living in the rural side or the unincorporated side of the city for 18 plus years brought to light how certain factors that constitute the rural side of my community, shape the affordability of healthcare and how often it is accessed in low-income, first-generation immigrant, and Spanish-speaking households. This made me question the following. Why if there are many resources and services available through non-profits, gaps in accessibility are still prevalent? This sparked my interest in understanding how social roles, cultural and religious values, and the overall infrastructure of communities influence healthcare access, and the response, at a local and global level, of non-profit organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to target these communities. Therefore, I decided to pursue a Master's in Public Administration (MPA) with a concentration in Nonprofit Administration and Governance. I want this journey to be of great use to assess what public values and interests in my community have been underestimated by the local public, private, and nonprofit organizations, as I learn about the different sectors, how to build a nonprofit, the issues with policy implementation, performance management, strategic planning, etc. Certainly, my ultimate goal is to contribute by merging my passions for the medical and nonprofit sectors. It is my dream to become a physician who works in the public sector. I want to provide medical care and not forget about the real-life circumstances that affect the decision of all individuals to access and receive medical attention, by closing the gaps in resource availability and improving the implementation of policies in the healthcare system. And with the help of God, I am building up for this dream. I want to continue to know the people who have impacted and marked my journey: My parents and neighbors who have shown me what resilience and hard work are. They lead by example as they navigate their life journey as single mothers, first-generation immigrants, young brothers and sisters who sacrifice their dreams for their siblings, and many who are almost at the end of their journey. So when I finish my master's program, I want to start working wherever the need is great– my priority is not the title or the salary, but to win the gift of removing the root causes that prevent my community from accelerating in all aspects of their life.

My humble beginning as a daughter of immigrant parents is a great part of who I am today. They showed me that along with discipline and determination to navigate success, you must be willing to open your mind to the potential of growth in every interaction and circumstance in life. Notably, it was a hard lesson to apply, especially when I understood what being an immigrant meant for my educational journey. Going to college was not something I saw as guaranteed but through the grace of God, I have had many open doors to be where I am today. My childhood experiences and passion for knowing the community I grew up with have brought great opportunities. One of them is a passion for serving underserved communities and rural areas through the medical sector. Living in a rural area and volunteering in hospitals has allowed me to understand that healthcare inequities still prevail because in seemingly booming cities the basic needs of individuals in unincorporated parts of the town-- are often underestimated. The individuals I met were mothers who struggled to receive and even seek proper pre and post-natal care because of the lack of childcare, transportation, and information on its importance. This made me question why if many nonprofits cater to these issues, I was still seeing many mothers and young women who couldn’t prioritize healthcare. To understand the response of nonprofits and the allocation of resources, the distribution of grants to nonprofits, etc., I decided to pursue a Master’s in Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Administration and Governance. My goal is to understand the public sector better and grow professionally in this area. Ultimately, I want to aid in managing resources and implementing policies, particularly in the nonprofit sector. My particular focus will be on nonprofits that cater to the needs of women, like the ones I have met in my community: single mothers, young mothers, senior women, first-generation immigrants, and women who led their households and still worked 1-2 jobs. Overall, women’s health and maternal care, are areas that need lots of attention. Therefore, the first step is to complete my education and grow professionally as a Public Administrator. Further down the line, I want to expand my expertise by pursuing a medical degree and aim to become an Obstetrician/Gynecologist who can provide more than medical care. I want to provide medical care and not forget about the real-life circumstances that affect the decision of all individuals to access and receive medical attention, by closing the gaps in resource availability and improving the implementation of policies in the healthcare system.

Being a daughter of first-generation immigrants and coming from a low-income household has not been easy, but by far, the greatest challenge when it comes to my faith has been when I was a lukewarm Christian. I was living for people’s approval and did not stand firm in God’s truth for fear of rejection. Especially when it came to the topic of abortion, I tried to avoid this topic as much as possible or would side with anyone who threw an opinion at me. As my interest in the medical sector grew, I looked into various areas, until I set my eyes on becoming a primary physician, focusing on Obstetrics/ Gynecology. Therefore, early on I had to grapple with the question that if I decided on this specialty, would I be willing to be trained on abortions and perform them? At this point, I was completing my Bachelor’s in Biological Science with a Biomedical concentration, so I was certainly building a scientific foundation on the reproductive system of males and females and developmental biology. I understood abortion from a scientific perspective but I was still conflicted with my faith. What did God think about abortion? What does the Bible say about abortions? Unable to have an opinion on abortion and other areas of my life, led me to live a lukewarm life. But as I found my identity in Jesus Christ, I started to walk in obedience and seek communion with the Holy Spirit—all my blinds were removed. The beauty I couldn’t understand before became clearer as I saw God guiding my educational pathway. When I was running away from topics that made me uncomfortable, God made me confront them, which led me to also minor in Gender & Women’s studies. I needed to understand the situation not only from an educational point of view but from God’s point of view– I needed to seek his guidance and wisdom. Therefore, today I advocate for pro-life by talking to friends and to anyone willing to listen, because I was once misinformed, naïve, and blind to the fact that God’s purpose is superior. God calls those who are rejected beloved and believes in the potential of every one of us. He sees beyond what we see and his glory and power are manifested in the weak, so I seek guidance from God to help me impact the medical sector by becoming a general Obstetrician/Gynecologist and be His faithful servant. It is not only about not providing abortions, but understanding that God sees the pain and circumstances of many young girls and women, so I currently seek to familiarize myself with the public and private sector to aid in the management of non-profits and non-governmental organizations that cater to maternal care and distribution of resources for struggling mothers in rural and underserved communities. Therefore, I am completing my Master's in Public Administration with a concentration in Non-profit Administration and Governance. This Master’s program will help me gain the professional experience I need. It will serve as a great complement to what I have learned about non-profits and the healthcare environment through my volunteer experience. With the guiding hand of God, I hope to close the gaps of misinformation about abortions in young generations and impact the medical sector by being a doctor who prioritizes hope and the potential of all human beings, by supporting expecting mothers throughout their journey through both medical and resource support.