1) If a loved one asked me how to handle a difficult situation I would advise them to focus on utilizing their strengths to pull them forward. As the child of Mexican immigrants, I did not find much of a community in my elementary school due to my lack of English. Thus, I made the decision to use my resilience to rise above my situation, and later use my compassion to find a larger community through language learning - ensuring that I would never be, nor have to witness someone else be lonely. I learned English by reading Stephen King and R.L. Stein during this time, allowing me to achieve a high school lexile early on and slowly improve my speaking from there. I used my knowledge of active practice when I began tutoring Ukrainian students in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and Italian through ENGin when the war began to help them quell their fears of “fitting in” wherever it was they wanted to study abroad. I’ve assisted future teachers, diplomats, and researchers, creating life-long friendships arising through linguistic connections that will help them integrate themselves in their desired spaces much faster than I had. I also expanded the effect I could bring with language acquisition through Sharp Hospital’s junior volunteer program, allowing me to authentically support minority families without the use of a mechanized translator while fostering support for cancer patients by organizing annual letter-writing drives through UNICEF Club. However, I aspire to continue to expand my ability to support all communities in healthcare by learning from participating in research articles under Medicine4Youth regarding neuro-degenerative diseases and podcasts on emotional regulation under The Stemistry Project created by UC Berkeley students to educate others on knowledge regarding the medical field and inspire them to pursue their dreams even as young people. By learning more about the medical field and seeing the drives of the peers I inform, I only become more motivated to continue learning to better connect with my future patients and impact their lives in the positive way my work impacts me. Helping others to reach their goals, whether linguistic or medical, prompts me to understand the purpose of professionals in the lives of individuals seeking help because to offer a service, one has to offer it in the best form they can provide it - and I intend to provide said services to my patients in any language we may have in common. Because of this, as I work towards my professional goals while embracing my past struggles of fitting in and communicating with others, I understand the benefit of being bilingual is not just about having a fun fact about yourself or a unique, creative hobby - it is about being able to connect with others both culturally and amicably in a country where that at times can be difficult for the average immigrant family. Growing from a scared, monolingual elementary school alumni into a compassionate, multilingual high school student has encouraged me to learn to be resilient and adapt to my environment so I can help others around me do the same while embracing our individualities and thus supporting inclusivity. Thus, if one of my loved ones were to be dealing with a difficult situation, I would remind them the power of believing in yourself to do the impossible and to use that strength and experience give back later on because we are stronger as a community. 2) A challenge I've faced in STEM, like many other students, has been imposter syndrome. My love for STEM began to be a complicated relationship in high school when I was failing AP Biology. This made me feel incredibly worthless and intellectually incapable of one day being able to full indulge myself in the field of academia - and the worst part is that this belief would have stuck with me for years if it wasn't for my greatest mentor. My AP Biology teacher was my inspiration and my greatest advocate during a low point in my life. She would stay with me after school to revise my butchered FRQs and assist with my understanding of the material. She was always a very energetic lady, always running around the room left and right to help her students and never once seemed to come down from that high while studying real estate at the same time. Without her, I would've continued to doubt myself for years and I would not currently understand the importance of having a good attitude despite hardship because I was vulnerable to low self-esteem within the midst of family and financial issues. She would always tell me how capable I was and how much I would improve in proportion to the effort I would give. I would say I strive to be like her every day. She worked three jobs during college, participated in coaching sports, and traveled solo - which I am working towards emulating as I just obtained my second job at De Neve front desk to pay for my educational expenses and have joined Flying Samaritans at UCLA to travel to Mexico to encourage civilians to monitor their health. Therefore, my recommendation to students facing imposter syndrome would be to find a community and a mentor who believe in you and inspire you because sometimes we need to remember we are who we surround ourselves with and that the love of those around us, and the love we can give to others, can heal our greatest wounds.

Ingrata - ungrateful, is a word considered an insult in my culture that has been used in reference to myself by family members hoping to entice me to submit to their ideals on how to live my life as a first-generation Latina. However, to me it's a reminder of my strength and individuality. As a Mexican daughter, my identity is tied to a collectivized unit, centered around my family’s needs. Financial hardships were a perennial presence in our life. My father is a real estate agent who works preferably with other Hispanics, and my mother is a traditional stay-at-home mom. During my early junior year, the financial strain in my household escalated, prompting my father to ask: "Mija, if things get worse, you have to drop out of high school, move to Tijuana with the family, and work full-time to help me pay off the house". I am fortunate my mother intervened, secured employment and averted this scenario, yet my father's words lingered as a reminder of my future’s dependency on my family. Thus, I propelled myself to achieve a 4.83 GPA, earn California Boys and Girls State recognition, seize a neuro-oncology research opportunity, excel in five additional AP exams, earn accolades such as the Hispanic Scholar Recognition and Small Town Recognition awards, become fluent in Mandarin and Italian, and find part-time employment at my school’s cafeteria (albeit through constant persuasion). I thought that if I excelled in school beyond parental expectations, I could convince my family that I was deserving of the educational path I desired – and it work, however I came to learn that such a victory would also strengthen the retaliation that would ensue each time I expressed a desire for independence apart from a familial unit in the future. Therefore, I had to realize that I work hard to feel a sense of independence and competency by my own hand regardless of how others believe I should consider other people when deciding my future. My accomplishments, regardless of how minuscule some of them may be in comparison to that of my peers in the application process, are memories that make me proud knowing I was in a stressful environment where survival is the main priority over enrichment in most cases – and yet I managed to achieve both. Now, when a relative calls me an “ingrata”, I wear it as a badge of honor that I will continue to carry with me as I continue to write a life-story I will be fond of because it took courage to learn that I can find confidence and self-satisfaction in deviating from the pack. Thus I would advise other girls who are told that they are not the only people who matter when choosing how they wish to live their lives to put those voices towards the back of their head because their happiness and the happiness they can find through independence does not make them any more selfish as a person or any worse as a daughter, even though they may not fit the stereotype of the perfect, submissive ethnic daughter.

I nervously glanced around the classroom, hearing English’s unique rhythmic cadence comparable to that of chewing sticks. I stared at my mother feigning to comprehend the teacher, understanding it was my duty to learn English if I were to survive – and I did, under a few months. Although I felt strange and alone the large majority of the time, I learned English to adapt – but I never forgot the initial fear. Thus, I began tutoring Ukrainian students in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and Italian through ENGin when the war began to help them study abroad. I’ve assisted future teachers, diplomats, and researchers, creating life-long friendships through linguistic connections helping them integrate into their desired spaces much faster than I had. I also expanded the effect I could bring with language acquisition as a Sharp Hospital ambassador, allowing me to authentically support minority families without the use of a mechanized translator while fostering support for cancer patients by organizing annual letter-writing drives as UNICEF Club President. However, I aspire to continue to expand my ability to support all communities in healthcare by learning from participating in research articles under Medicine4Youth regarding neurological diseases and podcasts on emotional regulation under The Stemistry Project created by UC Berkeley students to educate others on the medical field, inspiring them to pursue their dreams. In learning more about the medical field and seeing the drives of the peers I inform, I’m further motivated to continue learning to better connect with my future patients as a neurosurgeon and impact their lives the way my work impacts me. My efforts in obtaining a high GPA have also allowed me to represent my school at the first annual California Boys and Girls State program from which I brought back knowledge of state governments to my Government class, after receiving an award from the California Senate and Assembly for delegation, assisting others in passing the AP exam. Helping others to reach their goals prompts me to understand the purpose of professionals in the lives of individuals seeking help because to offer a service, one has to offer it in the best form they can provide it - and I intend to continue helping others from personal and professional experience in my career. Because of this, as I work towards my goals while embracing my struggles, I realize the reason why I would be considered a unique applicant is because I interchangeably use personal and academic experience to help others learn as I do alongside them. Growing from a scared, monolingual elementary school alumni into a compassionate, multilingual high school student taught me resilience and adaptation so I can help others around me do the same while embracing our individualities. I hope to use the character I’ve developed and lessons I’ve learned to bring any community I join closer together as I move forward on to the next stage of my academic journey where I undertake a pre-med track as a neuroscience student at the University of California, Los Angeles and make this scholarship count.

I recall holding back tears as I left my AP Biology classroom, clenching my backpack straps in my hands as each step of mine felt heavy walking down the concrete halls of my high school approaching the bench where my friends met up every mid-day for lunch. I smiled fondly at each of them as I cursed myself for being incapable of understanding the nervous system. Because of that, I deemed myself as intellectually inferior in comparison to my peers and thus unfit to even continue my passion in Biology. That same day my teacher approached me and continued to work one-on-one with me the entire rest of the year when I required assistance. At the same time, she convinced me into believing that requiring extra exposure to a problem did not undermine any quality I possess. Her support, and that of other knowledgeable figures I've had the honor of acquainting in my life such as Dr. Eleni Chrisoforidou, also known as a neuroscientist at work on Instagram, at my medical organization's career expositional meeting, have taught me to pave through the swamp of difficulty and shine through my own merit. I now have acquired a five on my AP Biology exam, hold class rank number three in a class of about 628 students, and have been awarded a National Hispanic Excellence Award by College Board as well as an Ambassadorship at my local hospital. I believe I am on my pathway to success, all because I was encouraged to continue my interest-related endeavors by authority figures in my life. Today, I am still decided on pursuing a career in Biology; I wish to major in neuroscience in college next year to later go on to medical school to receive the title of "neurosurgeon". I believe the neurosurgeon is arguably one of the most important figures in the hospital. They perform the most anxiety-inducing and life-quality threatening procedures imaginable to man. However, despite the stress associated with their profession, they also prescribe treatment and push for their patients' recovery when they can. After brain surgery, many patients are left with distorted levels of functioning that take years of therapy to heal. For example, 9-year-old Cameron Mott had her entire right hemisphere, which would control the left side of her body, removed from her cranium yet through therapy was capable of becoming a fully-coordinated ballerina. When I claim a neurosurgeon "pushes for their patients' recovery when they can" I convey to you that I am aware that there is only so much they can do with what their occupational role entails. Thus, I also aspire to create a non-profit and use my credibility to raise money for the physical therapy of individuals incapable of affording their treatment- that is the impact I wish to make in STEAM: I aspire to ensure that no man, woman, or child will be denied their opportunity to reach their most desired ambitions however they wish after enduring the most difficult and limiting tragedies life can place in their hands. I am fully aware that any applicant to this scholarship is just as worthy of receiving one of the winning spots. However, as you consider what you should take-away from reading my essay is that I am determined to create change and inspire hope through a career I wish to undertake in STEAM for I have felt my lows and wish to multiple the love and support I have and give that to someone else who requires the helping hand of hope.

Healthcare workers have played a life-changing moment in my life, despite it not being me on the hospital bed. During my sophomore year of high school, my younger sister had a personal incident in which she had to be reeled out of school grounds in an ambulance as I watched in hopelessness. At the hospital, I was inconsolable as all I could think of was my sister under-care hooked up to the bed with little chance of survival. However, a kind doctor who had been involved with her care at the moment reassured me that they would do everything they could to ensure that she would be safe again which gave both my parents and I the strength to pray for her recovery. That day I decided that I wished to be a surgeon more than anything to offer that same strength to other families. The specific profession I am aiming for is neurosurgery. Neurosurgeons are arguably the most important healthcare workers within a hospital; especially when the U.S. has rising numbers of senior citizens with neurodegenerative diseases. I am currently in high school, so my main goal is saving for college to then go on to medical school, yet this idea of one day being the provider of hope for someone's family, whether the patient is young or old, is what motivates me to wake up, go to school, maintain a high 4.8 GPA, volunteer in Medicine4Youth, and apply for any opportunity I have to secure my path going forward. My parents are Mexican immigrants from Sinaloa and we currently live as lower middle class. My parents will be unable to pay for my education in the future; they were barely able to pay for my sister's treatment. Less than 10% of healthcare workers in the U.S. are Hispanic: I wish to increase that number by encouraging others after me that when there is a will there is a way. Apart from using my day-to-day role as a surgeon to emotionally assist those in troubling times, I also wish to manage my own hospital one day and provide financial aid to families of lower incomes in order for them to afford life-saving treatment. Lower-income families often enlist their children in sports in hopes of them being awarded a scholarship in the future. However, around 750,000 children suffer sports-related injuries each year and require professional care; I aim to encourage these children and their parents to be inspired and supported both emotionally and financially throughout my entire career.