With graduation approaching, I began to run the numbers and map out my loan repayment plan. It’s been over 10 years since I took out my first student loan in undergrad. Now as a graduate student, I will not repeat the same mistake- not have a plan. Over the past 5 years, I’ve invested so much of my time into learning about debt, credit cards and investing. Of course, I wish someone would have taught me this earlier, but like many first-generation college students, we are often the first in our family to learn about it. So, this time I’m determined to make a financial plan and the possibility of winning this scholarship makes me more eager to pay off over $100,000 of student loans, aggressively invest in my retirement plan, financially help my family and contribute to my community. This year has been bittersweet as the second year in the physician assistant program has led me to Oklahoma to complete my clinical rotations. My permanent home is in Santa Maria, a small town in California where my family resides. Once I graduate, I will return to my hometown and serve the community as a medical provider for as long as I can. Because paying off my student loans will likely take several years, there are a few career opportunities that offer loan repayment options which I will apply to. Getting the opportunity to live and work in my hometown will be a dream come true. I’ll serve the farmworkers who are near and dear to my heart and also get the chance to play a part in my family’s lives. I am one of six children and although we can fight like cats and dogs, we do our best to encourage each other. Growing up, I witnessed the vicious cycle that it is to live paycheck to paycheck and I want to help end that. As a child of immigrant parents, it can be challenging to pursue a life different from theirs, such as one that requires leaving for college to pursue a higher education. My parents always wanted the best for us, but financially footing a college bill is more difficult than one can imagine when it’s not part of the plan. I want my siblings to feel supported and have the freedom to pursue their dreams. By being close by, I know my efforts to help them will go further. Currently, I’m assisting one of my younger sisters with enrolling in community college- she wants to be a registered nurse. I’m a very proud Santa Marian. Throughout the years I’ve volunteered for the Santa Barbara county food bank as a nutrition educator for children. I also volunteer for the non-profit Partners in Education where I share my healthcare experience and provide tips to high school students looking to pursue the medical field. I plan to be an active member of the community throughout my career, but also as a volunteer and especially by investing in the youth. The days ahead look bright. I can’t wait to see all the preparation that I’ve committed spending copious hours listening to podcasts and reading books about financial freedom and investing to finally blossom. The little money that I do make with my part-time job as a tutor goes into a Roth IRA and I’m eager for the opportunity to aggressively tackle all of these dreams. If I were to receive this scholarship, it would not only propel my life forward but also the lives of others as I’m committed to serving all those around me.

This past year has been a wonderful experience as I’ve started to mold into the physician assistant I’ve always wanted to be. Early in my healthcare career as a medical assistant, I knew that when I became a PA I wanted to advocate for my patients and provide equal amounts of compassion and strength to get patients through the most difficult times of life. Although I plan to start my career as a PA in family medicine, the beauty of this profession will allow me to maneuver in and out of different fields in medicine for as long as I’m needed. Currently, I’m in my second year of graduate school, completing my rotations in Oklahoma City. Once I graduate, I plan to help diversify the field of medicine by utilizing my culture and working in my hometown of Santa Maria, California - a community deemed as a healthcare provider shortage area and home to many farm workers. I would love to work for my community which is also one of the reasons I decided to pursue medicine. As the daughter of Mexican immigrants and a built-in translator, I’ve witnessed the need for more Spanish-speaking providers. Language barriers make a tremendous impact on a patient’s ability to follow through with health recommendations and their overall health. Although translators are great, nothing beats communicating with a provider that speaks the same language. This is why I’m determined to work in an area that is affluent in Spanish-speaking patients and serve the needs of people like my parents that struggle to communicate with their providers. Currently, I plan to start my career as a family medicine PA. I look forward to managing chronic conditions, but I’m also looking forward to educating patients on preventative health. I’m a firm believer in preventative health. It’s the way I live my life and believe more individuals should implement daily practices in their life to avoid preventable conditions. As a PA, I’ll have the luxury of switching between medical fields and I can’t wait to see where this long journey in medicine takes me. My goal is to be a part of the Santa Maria community for as many years as life allows, serving as many generations to come. In the future, I also plan to pair my love for patient care and mentorship by becoming a preceptor to PA students, obtaining a doctoral degree in medical science and contributing to PA programs by training and inspiring the next generation of providers. Last but not least, I hope to continue to engage in volunteer work, as I’ve done for many years. The goal is to continue to volunteer for the Santa Barbara County Food Bank which partners with the Community Health Centers of the Central Coast, distributing meals to our farmworkers and their families while providing nutrition education. Also, I plan on continuing to combat health issues such as diabetes and obesity affecting low-income children through after-school programs as a nutrition educator. As a medical provider in training, I’m aware that health is multifaceted and plan to be of service in all the different ways I possibly can.

As the daughter of Mexican immigrant parents, I was taught to be proud of my heritage and never lose sight of my roots. Spanish is my first language and growing up, I always felt as if speaking Spanish was my superpower. Now that I’m an adult and have witnessed individuals that were once bilingual struggle to recall the language, I think it’s more than a superpower. It’s a gift that needs to be protected and nurtured. Currently, I am a second-year physician assistant student completing my clinical rotations in Oklahoma. The last seven months have taught me that Spanish has never felt more essential than now, as I witness the scarcity of Spanish-speaking providers in this area. The demographics in Oklahoma City are predominantly African American and white, but there is also a large percentage of Hispanic individuals. Being from California, I mostly encountered people from Mexico, but in Oklahoma, I’ve met patients from Puerto Rico, Mexico, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, etc. Since starting these rotations I’ve noticed a lack of translators. Some hospitals prefer to use a service where the translator is remote and speaks to the patient via an Ipad screen. Although this is a great solution for the providers, it breaks my heart to know that patients are experiencing life-changing moments and not one individual in sight speaks the same language as them. Just the other day, I was in the emergency room when a worried Hispanic mother and her child who was presenting with signs of respiratory distress were rushed into a room. As the nurses hurried to grab an Ipad for translation, I was there to quickly communicate with the patient’s mother and gather the history. I explained the reason for all of the commotion and assured her we were keeping a close eye on her child despite the doctor stepping out of the room to place orders. Despite being a student and having a limited role in the patient’s care, I’ve noticed the way my presence- a familiar Hispanic face that speaks the same language as the patient, has brought comfort and security to some of our patients and their relatives as they experience what could be life-altering moments. As I move forward with my career, I understand now how important it is to continue to utilize my Mexican heritage as one of my strengths and as a motivation to provide excellent healthcare. Specifically, I want to be of service whenever there is a need for Spanish-speaking providers. My goal is to continue to exercise my Spanish vocabulary, medical and conversational, to communicate with Spanish-speaking individuals and advocate for them during their care. After I graduate, I plan to return to my hometown which is home to many Hispanic farm workers and is also a provider shortage area. I hope to relate to this community and serve them but to also help establish creative ways to keep our community healthy. Not only do I want to serve patients directly, but I also want to influence other medical professionals. I can see myself finding ways to educate my non-speaking Spanish colleagues on the language in hopes of improving their patient relationships and experiences. Last, but not least, I look forward to becoming a preceptor and sharing with the next generation of providers the benefits of being a bilingual provider and teaching them to use their identity as their superpower.

As a first-generation college student, there was a lot I didn’t understand about college or its finances. Nonetheless, I was determined to graduate from a 4-year university and behold a master’s program. Money has always been and continues to be a concern, but I know that with hard work, it will pay off. I know that Si Se Puede. I started working at the age of 9 years old, helping my janitor parents clean banks, so it’s safe to say I wasn’t a stranger to the working world. I learned a lot by watching my parents take on several jobs to support our family of eight. Sometimes, I’d get a phone call in the middle of the night, and my mom would say, “I’ll be there in 15 minutes, be ready.” Annoyed that I’d have to clean a bank on my own which always seemed to remind me of horror movies, I still did as I was told. My parents reminded me, "this is what we had to do for now." I internalized their work ethic and it’s what has kept me going during all the trials and tribulations. I’ve always had big dreams and my parents reminded me that I was capable of anything I set my mind to. I set my sights on college and was determined to not financially burden my parents. I’ll be honest- I thought my plan was bulletproof, but this was trickier than I imagined. I was able to use my high school job as a cashier to transfer to a grocery store near the college. In my freshman year, I worked a full-time job and did my best to not flunk out of the chemistry program. I had a friend who would study with me when I’d get home and my parents, who were still janitors, would help me stay awake by calling me every hour throughout the night. Also, my family was still feeling the aftermath of the recession and my parents needed help. I contributed by coming home as much as I could. I’d come over to help clean the house, do my little sisters’ laundry, feed them, etc. After all, it was crucial to me that my sisters felt loved and that someone was there to nurture them. Truthfully, undergrad felt like a blur. Amid the many jobs, trips to my hometown and trying to pass my classes, I learned so much about myself and my ability to persevere no matter the circumstances. With this new mindset, I worked towards my new goal, graduate school. What I thought would be a simple transition, turned out to be a five-year process. I quickly realized that to earn acceptance into the many competitive physician assistant programs, I would need thousands of hours of patient care experience and many prerequisite courses. Having no medical experience, I took on a scribing job that paid minimum wage. I was later hired as a medical assistant and often worked over 40 hours a week while working both jobs. After many years and on the third attempt, I was finally accepted into a PA program. Now, I am in my second year of graduate school, and unfortunately, money is still an issue. To keep my student loans down, I’ve taken on a part-time job as a mentor for first-year- PA students. This has allowed me to give back, but also earn a bit of income that goes toward my food expenses. To me, perseverance means: keep going. I truly believe that Si Se Puede, but it’s also because opportunity has aligned with all of the preparation.

Growing up, my family didn’t have much to give, but they always seemed to find a way to provide love and support one way or another. Whether it was through inviting people over for dinner or buying groceries for immigrants standing outside of grocery stores, my parents taught me the importance of giving and supporting our community. As a child, I didn’t have an allowance, so finding ways to give stemmed from providing physical help and my time. Thus, I became a volunteer. In the early years of my volunteer work, I did anything and everything to help; it ranged from joining 5K walks and supporting Alzheimer’s disease research to cleaning up our high school campus on the weekends. I joined my best friend in fundraising money for peers living on the central coast fighting cancer through her organization, Cupcakes Fighting Cancer. We spent hours baking cupcakes and gathering volunteers to help us join the fight. These years shaped my lifelong desire to support my community. Currently, I'm a second-year graduate student in a physician assistant program and it was paramount that I stay active in my community. The Santa Barbara County Food Bank and its mission to reduce food insecurity have grown near and dear to my heart. My parents are Mexican immigrants and growing up, they struggled to secure a meal at the dinner table for our growing family. Throughout my entire childhood, we relied on free school lunch programs and WIC programs to get us by. Now as an adult, I want to pay it back by finding ways to help the struggling families in our community. Over the years, I’ve volunteered with the foodbank by distributing meals to our farmworkers and their families. I’ve also joined the fight in combating health issues such as diabetes and obesity affecting low-income children through after-school programs as a nutrition educator. I am currently living in Oklahoma for my clinical rotations and now they too have become my community. Once a month, I go to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and help package meals. My school and classmates are also my community. As a member of the outreach program at ATSU, we hosted a Cesar Chavez day event where students donated blood to the local blood bank and made sun-safe goody bags for our farm workers. Even from afar, I do my best to support our future physician assistants (PA) who will soon be caring for our communities. As a second-year PA student, I am a mentor for the following cohort and have the opportunity to tutor, empower, and encourage them as they embark on this challenging chapter. Being in my clinical rotations and attempting to keep up with the demands of patient care, fuels my desire to ensure every single one of our students feels supported and capable of making it to the finish line. What was once a fun pastime, volunteering and serving my community has become an essential aspect of the work that I do as an individual and aspiring medical provider. Volunteering will continue to be a part of my life and I plan on creating bigger and greater opportunities for my community such as providing scholarships, mentorships, and donations to my favorite charity organizations. I cannot wait to see what the future holds.

My heart broke a little the day I learned mermaids weren't real. Mostly because I held Ariel from the Little Mermaid in such high regard. Ariel's curiosity was magical to watch over the TV screen, but most importantly it was inspiring. As the daughter of conservative and Mexican immigrant parents, I was often reminded of my "place" in society. As a woman, I was to do the house chores or remain at home while my brothers enjoyed much more play time with their friends. Evidently, the scales between women and men in my home were unbalanced, but like Ariel, I could not sit back and let this be my life. I believed with all of my might that I was destined for something different. I too became curious and questioned things that hadn't been questioned before. Why do the women have to do all of the cleaning? Why is it that I don't get treated the same as my brothers? What initially seemed like jaw dropping questions, became more palatable to my parents and allowed for a discussion that had never taken place before. It wasn't that I needed to be out at all hours of the day as my brothers, but I did want more opportunities. The opportunity to join sports and stay after school if need be, volunteer on the weekends and not have to clean the kitchen first, or go to college field trips with my AVID class instead of staying behind to watch over my siblings when my brothers were very capable of doing so. Being curious gave me what I consider my freedom. It's a bit mind-blowing, emotionally really, to look back and see how far I've come. It wasn't easy to get to this point as a physician assistant graduate student living in a different state as my family. But I will say this, it may have taken many difficult conversations to get here, but I am now known as the daughter that goes after her dreams, that isn't discouraged by fear or the unknown, and certainly someone that doesn't take no for an answer.

My dreams revolve around a core concept which is to uplift those around me through my volunteer work, my medical knowledge as a soon to be medical provider and by openly talking about the struggles as a Latina and first generation college student. I hope to one day start a scholarship fund and organization for Latinas in medicine, impact as many lives as possible during my time on this earth and hope that those lives will prosper and continue to pass on the wisdom, kindness and love that is needed for our communities to succeed in this life.

Going away for college was a rollercoaster of emotions. At times, it was exciting to be in a new place with new faces and intellectuals looking to pursue their dreams. It was eternally rewarding because I grew confident in my academic skills and college fed my curious mind. However, one does not experience a new environment without its fair share of struggles. Now that I am a graduate student, I ensure to prioritize my mental, physical and nutritional health. It has not been easy, but it has been the best decision I've ever made. As a medical student in her clinical rotations, I am constantly studying and finding ways to cram any bit of useful information into a brain that seems at capacity. It can be a fine line to walk sometimes, but I constantly remind myself that in order to retain all of this information and be the best provider I can be, I need the proper sleep, the adequate nutrition and proper physical health to apply my learning. When I started graduate school as a physician assistant student, I wrote down some non-negotiables. That included getting at least 7 hours of sleep every night, eating at least 2 homemade meals per day and daily physical activity. I follow my sleeping routine to a T, I meal prep on Sundays for the week and I hold onto semi-nutritious snacks that I can grab in case of "emergencies." Which I've learned is a matter of when and not if. I've had to move to the middle of the country for my rotations and I knew it was going to be important to get a gym membership. I would rather run outside and go on a walk at a park, however, Oklahoma gets really cold in the winter and being outside isn't always feasible. Thus, why I ensured a gym membership for that winter season or late night workout sessions. We can do all of the healthy things, but if we don't nurture our mental health, our efforts may reach constant roadblocks. I nurture my mental health by doing things that make me happy and feed my soul. Some of those things include eating good food with friends, enjoying alone time while listening to music and dancing in my room or sitting down to journal. Sometimes it looks like volunteering at the food banks and learning about the community I'm a part of (currently that's Oklahoma City). I love checking in with my friends and listening to their joys and accomplishments. I do not shy from the love and compassion from others, so I do my best to reciprocate when possible. During the hard times, I remind myself that life is good and that obstacles are actually part of the plan of life. No one goes through this life unscathed and that's okay. Lastly, being in the medical field has also helped me embrace the services that are available to me and counseling or behavioral health services are something I can always pursue if things are too challenging to handle on my own. After all, we are never alone and shouldn't have to walk through the hardships alone. Learning to prioritize my mental, physical and nutritional health was not always straightforward. So, digging deep and writing down those non-negotiables continue to be a crucial practice. Sometimes, reflecting on your plan or thoughts on what's important to you can be exactly what you need to ground you and recenter yourself during a challenging, yet exciting time which we call college.

As a first generation college student, I was encouraged to attend college no matter the cost. Unfortunately, I took that a bit too literal and didn’t hesitate to take out a surplus of loans during undergrad. Afterall, I was told that once I had that college degree, my life would be different. Surprisingly, it really wasn’t. I returned to my hometown to help raise my siblings while my parents worked away from home. Two years passed and I realized that the minimum payments I was making toward my student loans was like watching grass grow; a terribly slow and painful process. There was so much I was hoping to do, such as save up for a home, travel the world and eventually go off to grad school, but before I accumulated any more debt, I needed to figure out my student loan situation. Unlike undergrad, I wasn’t planning on working while in grad school. Instead, I decided to focus my efforts on paying down student loans before entering grad school and applying to as many scholarships as possible. At first, I turned to Dave Ramsey’s “snowball effect” on paying off debt. I started with the smaller balances and eventually switched to prioritizing accounts with the higher interest rates. Any extra income went directly to student loans. When I started to see progress, I was motivated to completely pay them off. I nearly did, but then I was accepted to grad school. I knew that if I didn’t take action before starting PA school, that I would be in a similar situation in two years, but this time with over $100,000 of debt. Podcasts started taking off around this time and I started listening to all of the financial literacy podcasts I could get my hands on. My favorite was the “Yo Quiero Dinero” podcast by Latina money expert, Jannese Torres. Not only did she motivate and enlighten me on the possibilities of side hustles, extra income and living debt-free, but her guests such as Yaritza Gonzalez from College Money Chica shed light on the power of scholarships. With Yaritza in the back of my mind, I believed I could find the right resources to help me fund my graduate experience. Since then, I’ve applied to over 77 scholarships on Bold.org. I was a finalist once, but I’ve yet to win a scholarship on this platform. I’ve applied to local scholarships and have been awarded a total of $5,000. I was deemed a Scholar by the Hispanic Scholarship Foundation and I’m waiting to hear back from four more foundations. I’ve also applied to loan repayment programs such as the National Health Service Corps which exchanges a specific amount of loan forgiveness for a minimum of a two year commitment to working in a federally qualified health center. It’s been tough allocating time for essays and scholarship applications, but I’m sure it’ll be worth it. I wasn’t planning on working while in grad school, but a unique opportunity came up and I was hired for a part time position as a student mentor. So, not only will I spend my second year of PA school completing my clinical rotations, but I will also be a mentor for the incoming class of physician assistants. I’ve maxed out my government loans, so I’m looking forward to earning a bit of an income and avoiding private loans as much as possible. The work does not end here and I’m certain I will continue to find ways to reduce my student loan debt long after graduation. Here’s to getting ahead of it sooner than later.

Getting back to the swing of school can be challenging, but having a planner and a schedule laid out can reduce some of that stress. I love creating an hourly schedule for the week and blocking out the time frames I'm in class and/or at work. This helps me visualize my free time which is great for planning any study time, when to run errands and free time to spend with friends and family. If I can plan ahead, I can usually accomplish most of the things I want to do. Don't forget to color coordinate! I still carry a pencil pouch with a million highlighters, pens and sticky notes. When I can associate a color to an activity, class, etc., my days are more efficient and I don't have to allocate as much brain power to what needs to be accomplished in the day. I can save the brain power for important things like studying. Lastly, no matter where you are in your journey of school or life, you are exactly where you are meant to be. Things will work out for the best! Instagram name: @tinta6

It was a warm day in April and I was planning to attend a march supporting immigration rights with my dad. He had been talking about it all week. “We’re going to march through the city. Are you coming?” My mom shot him a look that screamed, don’t put any crazy ideas in our 11 year old’s head, but it was too late. If it had anything to do with protecting our rights as Mexicans in the U.S. or advocating for those that were afraid to walk the streets due to deportation, I was in. My parents raised us to be proud Mexicans, privileged enough to be born in the United States, and reminded us that we had a duty to our Hispanic community. Growing up, my parents emphasized the importance of achieving higher education to help better our community. As the daughter of immigrant parents, I did my best to understand what this meant and did well in high school. Then I was accepted to UCSB and one step closer to bettering my community. I learned so much and grew more confident in my abilities to do something positive for the people of Santa Maria, but there was still so much for me to understand and my role in it all. It wasn’t until I considered joining the medical field that I believed I could start fulfilling my purpose. Within a few months of researching the physician assistant career, I became an emergency room scribe, I started taking prerequisite courses and was hired as an urgent care medical assistant. I began to understand the challenges family and friends often faced while seeking medical care. The ER and clinic never had enough translators for Spanish speaking patients. As an ER scribe, I wasn’t qualified to translate, so the providers had to be succinct, limiting their time with patients as the translator scurried to the next provider. There were also obvious differences in medical care and health education that prevented patients from following the treatment plans. Taking the time to educate patients on the difference of a viral infection vs a bacterial one made the world of a difference, and helped alleviate the constant request of antibiotics when it wasn’t indicated. I’ve also witnessed patients completely misunderstand the pathophysiology of many preventable chronic conditions. For example, while taking a medical history, a patient shared that they had not developed diabetes yet, as if it was an inevitable disease. I knew this wasn’t true, but the patient needed more guidance and maybe a nutritionist to enter the team. Unfortunately, my role didn’t allow me to have any say in it. Being in the midst of it all, convinced me that my life circumstances, education and passion to ensure the health of my community was finally aligning with its purpose. As I approach clinical rotations, I'm eager to learn as much as I can and finally put it to use. I plan to work in Santa Maria which is considered a healthcare provider shortage area, preferably in a primary care setting, utilizing my Spanish on a daily basis and serving patients and their families for many years. Eventually, I would like to obtain a doctoral degree in medical science which would allow me to work for PA programs in hopes of training, inspiring and ensuring the development of culturally competent providers. As a result of these goals, I hope our Hispanic communities will prosper, live happier and healthier lives as they live out their version of the American dream.

She was laughing hysterically with my aunt- reminiscing about the time they decided to squeeze lime juice in their hair to tame the wispy hairs as if they were using hairspray. I laughed too, nearly crying in disbelief. My mom has this way about making any situation seem fun and light, even when she talks about the poverty she escaped. Growing up, she encouraged me to pursue higher education, especially since she wasn’t able to complete her schooling despite being a bright eyed student and enjoying STEM courses. Fate would have a different plan. She had to drop out of school per her grandmother’s request and help raise her siblings, and the other orphaned children. After all, she was led to believe that as a woman, she had no business obtaining an education. Even as a kid when school was unappealing, my mom encouraged learning for the sake of all the little girls that weren’t allowed to pursue an education, her included. My mom loved school. She would go on and on about all of the spectacular grades and awards she received. How she would walk three hours to and from school without complaints, and would do it again in a heartbeat. And how sad her teachers were when she notified them she had to stop going to school. She never failed to tell me how lucky I was to have the privilege of obtaining an education. Amongst all of that, she ensured that I understood that by having an education, I could determine my fate. No one could ever take that away from me. Those inspiring words were my weapon and helped me reach educational milestones. Those words found a way to the forefront of my mind whenever I felt discouraged in undergrad as a first generation college student, and most recently while applying to graduate school. Her life experiences gave me motivation and power to live independently and demand the same respect as my male counterparts. I now know my achievements are bigger than me and encompass the progress of women around the world. I’ve always believed I could make a difference in this world and as I’ve aged, I’ve only grown more determined to see it through. As I approach clinical rotations, I'm eager to learn as much as I can, so that I can finally put it to use. I plan to work in Santa Maria which is considered a healthcare provider shortage area, preferably in a primary care setting, serving patients and their families for many years. Eventually, I would like to obtain a doctoral degree in medical science which would then allow me to be an asset to PA programs with hopes of training and inspiring the next generation of providers. Because I’m always thinking about how to empower women, I want to create scholarships and opportunities for women in pursuit of a higher education and encourage more women to enter high paying fields such as the PA profession. Last, but not least, wherever life takes me, I’ll continue to encourage women to reach their full potential and take action on their dreams.

The laboratory was dead. We were a month into the dormant part of the wine season and it was going to be a few more months until it got busy again. This very literal pause allowed me to think about my future and goals. Had I really pushed through the heart aches of undergrad as a first generation college student, only to sit in a lonely lab and occasionally inspect the amount of preservation in a wine for months on end? What in the world happened to that ambitious highschool girl that wanted to reach the highest ends of education in order to give back to her farmworking community? Had I failed the people of Santa Maria? I didn’t waste any more time. That afternoon, I started researching careers that would give me the opportunity to stay in Santa Maria and enrich the lives of my community. I gravitated to the thought of my parents and their experience in the United States as immigrants and farmworkers. I loved hearing my parents speak about the many individuals that housed and fed them, and advocated for them as they settled in a new country. It was never lost on me how important it was that I continue these acts of kindness, and uplift and care for our hispanic community, especially our farmworking community. So, when I came across the role of a physician assistant, it was a pleasant surprise to learn that I could work on a team as a healthcare provider, see patients of my own and generate thoughtful treatment plans. This instantly attracted me to the profession as I recalled the many times I translated for friends and family at doctor’s offices, only to leave the clinic and realize they had not quite understood their diagnosis or plan. Suddenly, the flood gates opened and I was overwhelmed with the level of impact I could have on the health and future of my community. Within a few months, I became an emergency room scribe, I started taking prerequisite courses and was hired as a medical assistant for the local urgent care. Like clockwork, we never had enough translators for our Spanish speaking patients. We had to be succinct, limiting our time with patients as the translator scurried to the next provider and patient. Being in the midst of it all, convinced me that my life circumstances, education and passion to ensure the health of my community was finally aligning with its purpose. As I approach clinical rotations, I'm eager to learn as much as I can, so that I can finally put it to use. I plan to work in Santa Maria which is considered a healthcare provider shortage area, preferably in a primary care setting, serving patients and their families for many years. Eventually, I would like to obtain a doctoral degree in medical science which would then allow me to be an asset to PA programs and be utilized as a mentor, preceptor or adjunct faculty member with hopes of training and inspiring the next generation of providers. To choose medicine is to become a lifelong learner which I intend to maximize to the fullest extent.

Etched into my brain were the words, “Being an American means having privilege.” A day didn’t go by without my parents reminding me of all of the sacrifices they made to end our ancestor’s poverty cycle in Mexico, or the discrimination they endured as Spanish speaking immigrants in an English speaking country. The expectations were quite straightforward: obtain an education and use it to uplift your family, care for your siblings and maintain a clean home. Access to education in the U.S. is quite different to that in Mexico. It wasn’t uncommon to hear strangers that were also Mexican immigrants encourage my siblings and I to stay in school as if something magical happens if you do. As Americans we have access to public education which is an immense privilege. My mother, for example, only reached the 8th grade because she grew up in extreme poverty. As the oldest she was also obligated to help her grandmother raise the younger relatives. My father was fortunate enough to finish high school, but his father’s passing left the family in a bind, obligating the men to become the new household providers. For my parents, working at a young age was far from rare and they often reminded us of their childhood- selling gum off on a roadside and cleaning stranger’s homes. Understandably, my parents hoped their American born children would one day attend college and pursue stable careers. Surprisingly, it was tougher than we had imagined. Like many cultures, the Mexican culture has deep traditions which often interfered with the expectations. My parents found it difficult to adapt to the American culture and it was even more difficult for me to balance the two. I was expected to excel in school, but I was also expected to share responsibilities with my parents. By middle school I had already missed half of the school year from staying home and babysitting my toddler sisters, waiting for my parents to end their shift as janitors. Sometimes, it was just easier for me to join them and clean the banks. We’d leave at three in the morning and travel up and down the central coast, making it just in time for school. When I enrolled in the AVID program which is designed to provide college guidance for students, I was scolded for threatening my role as the caretaker. As recommended by the AVID instructors, I signed up for college prep courses, volunteered and joined the school’s sports teams, but this only worsened matters. I was viewed as selfish and rebellious, and was often reminded that my place as a woman was in the home. I’m not sure what got into me, maybe I was a rebellious kid, but somehow I knew I would be going to college. So, I persevered even if I didn’t have a clear plan. Despite, my parents’ contradicting views on achieving higher education, I knew they meant well and together we learned how to make sacrifices to reach our ultimate goal which was to get me into college. My college experience was far from what I saw in the movies and I was beyond lost as a first generation college student. I didn’t know how to filter any of the advice that was coming my way, so I absorbed it all. Having worked in a grocery store as a teenager, I was advised to transfer to the nearest store to make an income. So, as a college freshman I worked as a full time cashier and pursued a chemical engineering degree before switching over to the chemistry field. Considering my parents were unable to help me financially, this made sense. At the time my parents were starting to address the foreclosure of our childhood home and were navigating the law suit against the con-woman entrusted to salvage our home. Being the self motivated woman that she is, my mom took the initiative to become a truck driver to increase her income. Unfortunately, this came at a hefty price as she became the primary breadwinner, but an absentee parent. This decision conflicted with my dad’s male chauvinist attitude and my brother’s mental health issues. My brother’s bipolar disorder amplified and the violence in the home worsened. Afraid that my sisters would have to endure the violence I did as a child, motivated me to frequently come home. College was only an hour away, so I’d drive over, do some chores, buy groceries and any other essentials. Seeing that it benefited the family, I kept this going for my entire college experience and before I knew it, I was graduating. Finding purpose in the world seems to make the sacrifices worthwhile. I spent many years looking for my purpose and trying to make sense of the adversity I faced. I believe that a part of my purpose as a fluent Spanish speaking Mexican American is to provide clear guidance and compassion for the Spanish speaking individuals in the United States in the field of medicine. I was fortunate enough to have healthy parents growing up. Had they needed any more of my attention, I don’t think I’d be in the position that I am in today. My cousins on the other hand, were not as fortunate and have spent their lives helping their diabetic, Spanish speaking mother navigate the healthcare system, translate at doctor’s appointments and learning to recognize the early signs of a diabetic coma. Our culture prides itself in being family oriented, but situations like this take a tremendous toll on the women of the family. Since it is usually the women that become the home and caretakers, it results in less women reaching for higher education. Ultimately, my goal is to help Spanish speaking families better understand medicine, health risks and prevention in order to help them live their best life in a country that is already difficult to navigate. Hopefully, as a result, it will allow future generations a chance to excel in life and escape poverty.