My maternal Aunt and I were extremely close. When I was 16 years old my best friend and mother left, leaving me, my father and two siblings behind. My Aunt Kathy and her husband Joe were a huge help during this time. Unfortunately my mom was suffering with severe mental illness and refused treatment. For two decades the relationship between my mother and I was rocky and at some points, non-existent. My aunt was there to support and nurture me in ways I wish my mother would have. My aunt and I were thick as thieves and spent every chance we got together. She taught me that forgiveness is the key and that we cannot move forward in life if grudges hold us back. For nearly 10 years my aunt and mother hardly spoke. My mother was upset that my aunt stepped in when she left. I was humbled when my aunt worked hard to reclaim a relationship with her and their sisterly bond was restored. My aunt used this newly forged relationship to help me find positive ways of interacting with my mother. One weekend I was out of town for a cousin's wedding when I got the call that would change my life forever. My aunt had suffered a stroke and was in the hospital. What I was not told at the time, was that the stroke had affected more than half of her brain and there was no chance she would recover. I rushed home and the next day joined my cousins in the hospital at her bedside. The doctors told us that she would pass at any moment. For three days we waited and she persisted to stay in a coma,'brain dead,' but somehow still alive. It was at this time that I offered to take up a bedside vigil so my cousins could finally take a break. The minute I sat down I broke down in tears. I realized that I would no longer have my aunt around to help me further my relationship with my mother and it was now all up to me. I sat with my aunt for 2 hours. In this time I promised her, through my tears, that I would work things out with my mother. I left her room within 2 minutes she passed away. My mother came to me and said, "She was waiting to speak to you before she would go." For next 7 years I fought to rebuild a relationship with my mother just as I promised my aunt I would. It was not easy and there were moments I thought about giving up but I remembered how my aunt never gave up on her sister and I knew that what she wanted most in this world was to see us have a strong bond again. I am happy to say that after over two decades I finally have my best friend back. My carpool karaoke partner is at the wheel once again. Four months ago, I was diagnosed with metastatic neuroendocrine cancer and it has been such a relief to have my moms support during this time and I thank God that my aunt prioritized me rebuilding our relationship. As I enter this new 'fight' I know I am well equipped and have the support I need to make sure I am the one who is victorious and not cancer.

Sometimes the worst experiences in our lives can be catalysts to bring about the most positive changes to our lives. At the age of 39 I decided that I was going to go back to school and become a veterinarian. There is a real lack of affordable veterinary care and I wanted to do my part to fill that gap. So for the next year and a half I took all the classes I needed, started working at an animal hospital and sent off countless applications. In February of this year I was hospitalized for a kidney infection and pneumonia. It was at this time that I was accepted into The Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine. It was also at this time I was diagnosed with metastatic neuroendocrine cancer. An extremely rare cancer that was in my left lung and spine. While touring the campus of The Ohio State, they talked about a dog who came into the clinic with neuroendocrine cancer. I realized then that I wanted to become a veterinary oncologist. I had a dog 7 years ago that passed from cancer and treatments were astronomically expensive. I want to find a way to give families hope in an affordable way. A chance to help their pet without breaking their bank accounts. Last week I had a thoracotomy to remove my lung tumor and next month I will begin radiation treatments on my spine. While recovering from surgery in the hospital, a fellow patient asked me if I still planned on starting veterinary school mid August. I said of course. She said even after all this. I said I’m more determined than ever because I can empathize with my patients and hopefully find ways to help them and their families through a difficult time. While my cancer diagnosis was unexpected and in many ways devastating, it also got me to take a closer look at my future and how I can use this experience to help others. I now know more than I ever did before about cancer and can use this time in my life to help families whose pets are struggling with the disease. While my treatment has been full of highs and lows, often more lows than highs, I am committed to doing what is necessary to aid my recovery so I can start school. Days have been filled pain but I try to push keeping my thoughts on my ultimate goal, trying to focus on what I am working towards and not on the pain. Life is what you make it and moments like these can either make you or break you. I decided it would make me into an empathetic, world class veterinary oncologist.

When I was 18 years old I embarked on my undergraduate college career with much excitement. I was and will always be a huge nerd and the thought that I could finally take courses of much interest had me more than ready for this next step. Within two years my excitement for school had not diminished but with it also came trepidation. Anxiety because I was experiencing physical symptoms I had never before and did not know what was wrong. Doctor after doctor puzzled and after a year and a half I was finally diagnosed with rare autoimmune disorder Beçhet’s Disease Syndrome. While my diagnosis was a challenge (especially since at the time very few doctors had even heard of my disease in the US) I made sure it was a speed bump and not a roadblock. Later that year I began volunteering with Esperanza International and since then, I have taken 14 trips down to Tijuana, Mexico to build homes for families in need. While it was not always an easy feat with my illness, it will always be an endeavor very close to my heart. That first trip 20 years ago taught me that we gain most when we give to others and the most valuable commodity we can give is our time. I went on to graduate with honors. From there I went on to pursue a graduate degree in education. In the 20 years since my diagnosis there has been lots of pain and many tears but also lots of hope. I realized that this illness was a gift. I have made it my mission to help others in need and those with rare diseases such as myself. I have worked in inner city schools teaching students with special needs and have volunteered in a children’s hospital helping patients with cancer. For the past 10 years I have been training rescue dogs at a local shelter. This has led me to take a big terrifying but rewarding leap. I am now beginning a new journey to become a veterinarian. When I was younger I was always told in school that women pursued jobs in education not science. I let that mantra dictate the first act of my life but it will not dictate my second act. My goal is to be able to provide comprehensive veterinary care to anyone regardless of income. I also want to further animal welfare efforts by volunteering my time in shelters. I want to be a remodel for young women to show that even later in life you can successfully pursue a STEAM degree. Three months ago I was admitted into the hospital with a kidney infection and pneumonia. I was in the hospital for 10 days. While there I found out I was accepted into The Ohio State School of Veterinary Medicine. I also found out I have a rare cancerous tumor in my lung. Just like I did with my Behçets and spondylitis, I will rise above this diagnosis and not let it dictate what I can and cannot achieve. The world needs more women scientists and I committed to becoming one of them.

I was diagnosed with Behçet’s Disease Syndrome at age 20 and Ankylosing Spondylitis at the age 28. I remember each one of those diagnoses distinctly. I knew that from this point forward my life was never going to be the same. It took me more years than I would like to admit, but eventually I came to the realization that I defined my future and how it played out and not my diagnoses. These experiences have completely changed my outlook on life. I realized I was given a gift that could be used to help others. I know what it is like to feel hopeless and I am working hard to help others find that spark of hope to help them get through life’s struggles. In the 13 years since my diagnosis I have made it my mission to help others in need and those with rare diseases such as myself, and have worked to counsel those around me with inflammatory conditions. Additionally, I have worked in inner city schools teaching students with special needs and have volunteered in a children’s hospital helping patients with cancer. In 2002 I started volunteer work in Tijuana, Mexico building homes for families in need. That first trip 20 years ago taught me that we gain most when we give to others and the most valuable commodity we can give is our time. I have since returned to Tijuana an additional 13 times and have another trip I am organizing for this July. In 2021 I started volunteering with Jericho Cares, a local food pantry, which has allowed me to make a direct impact in helping local families in my community. So many families were hit hard by the pandemic and Jericho Cares is working hard to help those families who need it most. For the past 10 years I have been training rescue dogs at a local shelter as well as serving on the organizations Board of Directors. This has led me to take a big terrifying but rewarding leap. I am now starting a new journey to become a veterinarian. My goal is to be able to provide comprehensive veterinary care to anyone regardless of income. Another desire is to return to Tijuana to run free veterinary clinics for families in the barios where I have built homes. So many deserving families with beautiful pets who are in need of comprehensive veterinary care. Last June I went to South Africa for two weeks to aid Dr. Johan Joubert, a world renowned wildlife veterinarian in his conservation efforts. I plan on returning next June alongside a close friend who is also pursuing a career in veterinary medicine. This past February I started experiencing severely debilitating back pain. Images were ordered to check the progression of my disease. These images captured a lesion on my spine. Further tests revealed a tumor in my lung and I was diagnosed with metastatic neuroendocrine cancer. Two weeks ago I had surgery to remove the lung tumor and in another few weeks I will being radiation on my spine. This diagnosis has me more committed than ever to pursuing this new career path. I want to commit the second act of my life to providing affordable veterinary care to families regardless of their income. Families should not have to choose between paying a bill or taking care of their beloved pets. Ms. Luke spread hope to those around her through her various volunteer endeavors and this scholarship would aid me in doing the same with my career change.

When I was 18 years old I embarked on my undergraduate college career with much excitement. I was and will always be a huge nerd and the thought that I could finally take courses of much interest had me more than ready for this next step. Within two years my excitement for school had not diminished but with it also came with some trepidation and anxiety. Anxiety because I was experiencing physical symptoms I never had before and I did not know what was wrong. Doctor after doctor were puzzled and after a year and a half I was finally diagnosed with the rare autoimmune disorder called Beçhet’s Disease Syndrome. While my diagnosis was a challenge (especially since at the time very few doctors had even heard of my disease in the US) I made sure it was a speed bump and not a roadblock. Later that year I began volunteering with Esperanza International and since then, I have taken 14 trips down to Tijuana, Mexico to build homes for families in need. While it was not always an easy feat with my illness, it will always be an endeavor very close to my heart. That first trip 20 years ago taught me that we gain the most when we give to others and the most valuable commodity we can give is our time. I went on to graduate with honors. From there I went on to pursue a graduate degree in education. In the 20 years since my diagnosis there has been lots of pain and many tears but also lots of hope. I realized that this illness was a gift. I have made it my mission to help others in need and those with rare diseases such as myself. I have worked in inner city schools teaching students with special needs and have volunteered in a children’s hospital helping patients with cancer. For the past 10 years I have been training rescue dogs at a local shelter. This has led me to take a big terrifying but rewarding leap. I am now beginning a new journey to become a veterinarian. My goal is to be able to provide comprehensive veterinary care to anyone regardless of income. I also want to further animal welfare efforts by volunteering my time in shelters. The second act of someone’s life can also be the scariest. This past February I started experiencing severely debilitating back pain. Images were ordered to check the progression of my disease. These images captured a lesion on my spine. Further tests revealed a tumor in my lung and I was diagnosed with metastatic neuroendocrine cancer. My illness saved my life. Living with a chronic inflammatory condition is all about perspective and whether you allow it to define who you are or limit how much you can achieve. I am applying this same perspective to my second act. Last week I had my lung tumor removed and in another few weeks I will begin radiation treatments. My care team knows August 15th of this year I will be in Ohio to begin my veterinary studies at The Ohio State. They are as committed as I to helping me get there so I can make this second act my most brilliant yet. This scholarship will help me realize my dream of becoming a veterinarian and show the world that while I might be sick and over 40, but I still have so much to give to others and this show is far from over.

During the Spring of 2002 I accompanied my university’s chaplain and 29 other students to Tijuana, Mexico to build a home with Esperanza International. At the time I was 5’4”, 115 pounds soaking wet and unsure of what I had gotten myself into. From the moment I met the family we were building the house for I felt a great sense of rightness wash over me. In the 20+ years since, everytime I attend one of these trips I say it is if my soul has a chance to reset itself. A chance to remind myself why I am here and what my true purpose is. Esmerelda was the owner of the house we worked on. She had boundless energy and her heart was always full of joy despite her circumstances. Esmeralda taught me what true happiness was. Happiness is not measured by the size of your house but rather how much is contained within its walls, transforming it into a home. Five years after my first trip with Esperanza and ran into Esmerelda again. The moment she saw me, her face lit up and she quickly rattled off several questions. How was my family? Did I finish school? Was I now a teacher? Was I married? She told me that as long as she lived she would never forget the kindness and generosity I showed her. Now that I am on a new journey I will keep these lessons close to my heart. One goal for after I graduate is to return to Tijuana to hold veterinary clinics in the communities where I have previously built houses. So many wonderful families with beautiful pets who don’t have access to quality veterinary care. One of my main motivations for pursuing a degree in veterinary medicine is to further my pledge to help vulnerable populations. For years I worked inner city schools, helping the most vulnerable students populations, while spending my free time training rescue dogs at a local animal shelter. I soon realized that animals are truly the world’s most vulnerable population because they cannot advocate for themselves. When patients come into our clinic, one of our primary jobs is to play detective in order to figure out how to best help our patients. When I was in South Africa, I got a first hand look at the crisis facing many of the world’s most astonishing creatures. Humans have decimated the planet and are scrambling to undo much the destruction we have caused. Animals such as white and black rhinoceri are on the brink of extinction due to poaching and habitat loss. I will dedicate a portion of my career to further these conservation efforts, ensuring these animals will be around for generations to come. Receiving this scholarship will aid me in pursuing my degree in veterinary medicine. In turn it will allow me to traverse the globe on my mission to ensure the ethical treatment of animals. Genesis chapter one highlights the important role humans have in regards to animals, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.’” God gave us the important task of watching all living creatures, making certain they are well taken care of. This fellowship will allow me to do just that. It will also put me in contact with like minded people whose goal is to make this Earth a better place, where all life can coexist and thrive.

During the Spring of 2002 I accompanied my university’s chaplain and 29 other students to Tijuana, Mexico to build a home with Esperanza International. At the time I was 5’4”, 115 pounds soaking wet and unsure of what I had gotten myself into. From the moment I met the family we were building the house for I felt a great sense of rightness wash over me. In the 20+ years since, everytime I attend one of these trips I say it is if my soul has a chance to reset itself. A chance to remind myself why I am here and what my true purpose is. Esmerelda was the owner of the house we worked on. She had boundless energy and her heart was always full of joy despite her circumstances. Esmeralda taught me what true happiness was. Happiness is not measured by the size of your house but rather how much is contained within its walls, transforming it into a home. Five years after my first trip with Esperanza and ran into Esmerelda again. The moment she saw me, her face lit up and she quickly rattled off several questions. How was my family? Did I finish school? Was I now a teacher? Was I married? She told me that as long as she lived she would never forget the kindness and generosity I showed her. Now that I am on a new journey I will keep these lessons close to my heart. One goal for after I graduate is to return to Tijuana to hold veterinary clinics in the communities where I have previously built houses. So many wonderful families with beautiful pets who don’t have access to quality veterinary care. One of my main motivations for pursuing a degree in veterinary medicine is to further my pledge to help vulnerable populations. For years I worked inner city schools, helping the most vulnerable students populations, while spending my free time training rescue dogs at a local animal shelter. I soon realized that animals are truly the world’s most vulnerable population because they cannot advocate for themselves. When patients come into our clinic, one of our primary jobs is to play detective in order to figure out how to best help our patients. When I was in South Africa, I got a first hand look at the crisis facing many of the world’s most astonishing creatures. Humans have decimated the planet and are scrambling to undo much the destruction we have caused. Animals such as white and black rhinoceri are on the brink of extinction due to poaching and habitat loss. I will dedicate a portion of my career to further these conservation efforts, ensuring these animals will be around for generations to come. Receiving this scholarship will aid me in pursuing my degree in veterinary medicine. In turn it will allow me to traverse the globe on my mission to ensure the ethical treatment of animals. Genesis chapter one highlights the important role humans have in regards to animals, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.’” God gave us the important task of watching all living creatures, making certain they are well taken care of. This fellowship will allow me to do just that. It will also put me in contact with like minded people whose goal is to make this Earth a better place, where all life can coexist and thrive.

Sometimes the worst experiences in our lives can be catalysts to bring about the most positive changes to our lives. At the age of 39 I decided that I was going to go back to school and become a veterinarian. There is a real lack of affordable veterinary care and I wanted to do my part to fill that gap. So for the next year and a half I took all the classes I needed, started working at an animal hospital and sent off countless applications. In February of this year I was hospitalized for a kidney infection and pneumonia. It was at this time that I was accepted into The Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine. It was also at this time I was diagnosed with metastatic neuroendocrine cancer. An extremely rare cancer that was in my left lung and spine. While touring the campus of The Ohio State, the talked about a dog who came into the clinic with neuroendocrine cancer. I realized then that I wanted to become a veterinary oncologist. I had a dog 7 years ago that passed from cancer and treatments were astronomically expensive. I want to find a way to give families hope in an affordable a chance to help their pet without breaking their bank accounts. Last week I had a thoracotomy to remove my lung tumor and next month I will begin radiation treatments on my spine. This has not been easy but I am determined to not let cancer win. While recovering from surgery in the hospital, a fellow patient asked me if I still planned on starting veterinary school mid August. I said of course. She said even after all this. I said I’m more determined than ever because I can empathize with my patients and hopefully find ways to help them and their families through a difficult time. While my cancer diagnosis was unexpected and in many ways devastating, it also got me to take a closer look at my future and how I can use this experience to help others. I now know more than I ever did before about cancer and can use this time in my life to help families whose pets are struggling with the disease. Life is what you make it and moments like these can either make you or break you. I decided it would make me into an empathetic, world class veterinary oncologist.

If I could have everyone in the world read just one book it would be “The Sneetches” by Dr. Seuss. I remember the first time I read this book as an adult to class of kindergartners. I was struck by how simple yet powerful the message against hate and discrimination was in this book. The book talks about the Sneetches and how there are two kinds, one with stars on their bellies and ones with plain bellies. The star bellied Sneetches believe that they are “The best Sneetches at the beaches” and will not let the plain bellied Sneetches play or eat with them. The plain bellied Sneetches are of course saddened by this, until an entrepreneurial chap comes along who tells them if they pay he can put them through a machine that will give them stars on their bellies. They pay and now the star bellied Sneetches don’t know what to do because they are no longer the best. This chap then approaches them and says if you pay I can take the stars off your bellies. This continues round and round till the Sneetches run out of money and nobody knows who’s who anymore. They soon realize the frivolity of their earlier ways and become fast friends. This world is full of too much hate. Too much animosity toward others for the simplest things, such as speaking another language, practicing another religion, or looking ‘different’. When we die and we are reduced to bones we all look the same, isn’t that quite ironic?

No disease is more dibelating or tragic than mental illness. I remember watching my uncle die of cancer. His body wasted away and that is how I really knew he would soon be gone. In some ways that was a blessing, as hard as it was to see him suffer, because I had time to prepare for the loss. When my mother suffered her mental breakdown there was no time to prepare. One day my mother stood before me and the next a ghost roamed the halls of my house. My mother grew up in a single parent household with an abusive alcoholic mother. My aunt grew up to resent her mother, mother grew up to revere her. The way some spouses cannot leave an abusive spouse, my mother could never cut ties with my grandmother. When she died, my mother felt a significant part of herself had died too and she snapped. I remember many years of tears, anger and disappointments. My sister was 6 when my grandmother passed and I remember telling her when we were both adults that her not knowing my mother the way she used to be was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because she never had to mourn the loss of such an amazing woman (for the one I saw walking around was not the mother I knew for 16 years). It was also a curse because she never got the opportunity to know an extraordinary human being; one that taught me about compassion, honesty and always helping those who are less fortunate. I remember the first time I heard the Lukas Graham song, You’re Not There, and how much it reminded me of my mother. I was 16 when she had her emotional collapse and I spent many years mourning her loss. How many times I wished she was there to celebrate all my achievements, becoming a youth martial arts instructor, graduating high school… The person who was there was not my mother. I used to curse God and ask him why he had to be so cruel as to take her away but keep her here at the same time. It took me nearly 2 decades but I finally learned how to rekindle a relationship with my mother. I spent many years in therapy and many more researching how the mind worked, trying to grasp what my mother was experiencing. I finally realized that if I accepted her for the person she was now I wouldn’t be disappointed and I grew to love and appreciate her struggle in a way I hadn’t before. This journey of understanding has helped me see the beauty in things so often overlooked. It has helped take a closer look at those around me and has allowed me to not sweat the small stuff. I am much more accepting of others' differences in my personal relationships and it showed me how important it is that I always prioritize my own mental well being. It led me down a path of self discovery that has sent me back to school to become a veterinarian.

No disease is more dibelating or tragic than mental illness. I remember watching my uncle die of cancer. His body wasted away and that is how I really knew he would soon be gone. In some ways that was a blessing, as hard as it was to see him suffer, because I had time to prepare for the loss. When my mother suffered her mental breakdown there was no time to prepare. One day my mother stood before me and the next a ghost roamed the halls of my house. My mother grew up in a single parent household with an abusive alcoholic mother. My aunt grew up to resent her mother, mother grew up to revere her. The way some spouses cannot leave an abusive spouse, my mother could never cut ties with my grandmother. When she died, my mother felt a significant part of herself had died too and she snapped. I remember many years of tears, anger and disappointments. My sister was 6 when my grandmother passed and I remember telling her when we were both adults that her not knowing my mother the way she used to be was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because she never had to mourn the loss of such an amazing woman (for the one I saw walking around was not the mother I knew for 16 years). It was also a curse because she never got the opportunity to know an extraordinary human being; one that taught me about compassion, honesty and always helping those who are less fortunate. I remember the first time I heard the Lukas Graham song, You’re Not There, and how much it reminded me of my mother. I was 16 when she had her emotional collapse and I spent many years mourning her loss. How many times I wished she was there to celebrate all my achievements, becoming a youth martial arts instructor, graduating high school… The person who was there was not my mother. I used to curse God and ask him why he had to be so cruel as to take her away but keep her here at the same time. It took me nearly 2 decades but I finally learned how to rekindle a relationship with my mother. I spent many years in therapy and many more researching how the mind worked, trying to grasp what my mother was experiencing. I finally realized that if I accepted her for the person she was now I wouldn’t be disappointed and I grew to love and appreciate her struggle in a way I hadn’t before. This journey of understanding has helped me see the beauty in things so often overlooked. It has helped take a closer look at those around me and has allowed me to not sweat the small stuff. I am much more accepting of others' differences in my personal relationships and it showed me how important it is that I always prioritize my own mental well being. It led me down a path of self discovery that has sent me back to school to become a veterinarian. The world finally seems to be seeing mental illness for the debilitating disease that it was. Growing up mental illness was something taboo, a phrase whispered in the shadows. People wouldn't say oh I think your mother might be struggling with mental illness; instead they would say your mother is selfish or worse yet she's crazy. People with mental illness and their loved ones needed to be acknowledged and supported because there can be no healing if there first isn't a ray of hope shining through.

From a young age I always had a strong connection with animals. My house was like a mini zoo and at any given time there were a steady stream of pets: birds, rabbits, dogs, cats, fish and reptiles, roaming the halls. While the idea of becoming a veterinarian was always in the back of mind, I came from a generation where women in STEM was not the mainstream. I remember my mother mentioning to me once that her gynecologist was male simply because that’s who was available to her at the time. I unfortunately let my doubts get the best of me and I pursued a career in education instead. I have no regrets as I got to know and teach some amazing students in my 15 year career. I also became the science coordinator of a school and realized that I had overcome my doubts and become a scientist. It was then that I remembered the long ago dream of becoming a veterinarian. It would take me 10 more years but at the age of 40 I’m finally realizing my dream as I will be starting veterinary school this fall. I have always had an affinity for working with vulnerable populations and this is what led me to start my career working with young children with special needs. I learned so much from my time as a teacher, skills that will serve me well as a veterinarian. My time teaching made me realize that the most vulnerable population is animals as they cannot advocate for themselves. In an effort to seek better treatment for our four legged friends, I started volunteering at a local shelter and for the past 10 years I have been training rescue dogs. Every summer I volunteer in Tijuana, Mexico building homes with Esperanza International and when I graduate I plan to return and run a spay neuter clinic, something sorely needed in the area. This past summer I did a veterinary internship in South Africa at the Shamwari Game Preserve working in animal conservation. There are so many ways I will be able to use my future education and I plan to make sure I give back to the community as a veterinarian in any way that I can. A dream deferred is not a dream forgotten and I feel blessed that I will soon be able to start my journey to ensuring the welfare of animals around the globe.

When I was 18 years old I embarked on my undergraduate college career with much excitement. I was and will always be a huge nerd and the thought that I could finally take courses of much interest had me more than ready for this next step. Within two years my excitement for school had not diminished but with it also came with some trepidation and anxiety. Anxiety because I was experiencing physical symptoms I never had before and I did not know what was wrong. Doctor after doctor were puzzled and after a year and a half I was finally diagnosed with the rare autoimmune disorder called Beçhet’s Disease Syndrome. While my diagnosis was a challenge (especially since at the time very few doctors had even heard of my disease in the US) I made sure it was a speed bump and not a roadblock. Later that year I began volunteering with Esperanza International and since then, I have taken 14 trips down to Tijuana, Mexico to build homes for families in need. While it was not always an easy feat with my illness, it will always be an endeavor very close to my heart. That first trip 20 years ago taught me that we gain the most when we give to others and the most valuable commodity we can give is our time. I went on to graduate with honors. From there I went on to pursue a graduate degree in education. In the 20 years since my diagnosis there has been lots of pain and many tears but also lots of hope. I realized that this illness was a gift. I have made it my mission to help others in need and those with rare diseases such as myself. I have worked in inner city schools teaching students with special needs and have volunteered in a children’s hospital helping patients with cancer. For the past 10 years I have been training rescue dogs at a local shelter. This has led me to take a big terrifying but rewarding leap. I am now beginning a new journey to become a veterinarian. My goal is to be able to provide comprehensive veterinary care to anyone regardless of income. I also want to further animal welfare efforts by volunteering my time in shelters. This scholarship will help me realize my dream of becoming a veterinarian and show the world that while I might be sick, but I'm still a Boss!