I have a full body chronic autoimmune disease called "endometriosis". Endometriosis is a painful disease where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus can grow on other organs in the human body. Symptoms are:pelvic pain, painful, heavy periods, painful intercourse, infertility, headaches, bloating, and fatigue. There is sadly no cure. However can be managed by: laparoscopic surgery performed by a skilled excision specialist, diet changes, pelvic floor physical therapy, and by medications. The experience of living with an autoimmune disease has honestly really humbled me. I'm not able to do things like I was able to do before hand. I'm unable to stay up all night like I used to before being diagnosed with this disease. When I was in my 20's I used to go out with my friends, sleep for 3 hours then go to work no problem. Now, because this disease is so painful, sometimes I do find it difficult to get a good nights sleep. I'll fall asleep no problem, then the pelvic pain would wake me up and I hardly would get any sleep. By the time my alarm would go off, I would literally drag myself out of bed. I would have so much fatigue that I didn't know how was going to make it through the day at work. Although I do have this painful disease, I'm grateful that I can do my job, as well as do normal daily tasks. I'm grateful that this disease didn't stop me from becoming a a mother. I try to encourage women who suffer from endometriosis to not give up on their hopes and dreams of becoming mothers. I have turned my struggle into strength by honestly focusing on my daughter and my dreams. When my endometriosis journey had began, I went through a career change to try and become a certified child life specialist. Child life focuses on therapeutic play for children who have been hospitalized, or if their parent of sibling ended up in the hospital, as well as if they had lost a parent or sibling. It focuses on family centered care and helps them cope through difficult times. I remember my last endometriosis surgery my daughter at the time was 3 years old. I honestly didn't know how to prepare her for my surgery. I just explained to her that endometriosis is a" boo boo that grows inside of mommy's belly, and the doctor is going to cut the boo boo out." What I learned that child life and endometriosis have in common is that we have to educate and advocate. My dream is once I become a certified child life specialist is to work with adolescents that suffer from endometriosis as well as work with children of mothers who suffer from endometriosis.

Throughout high school and attempting to go to college, I never knew what I wanted to do with my life. All I know is that I wanted to make a difference in children's lives. After many trials and errors, I discovered child life. Child life is therapeutic play and focuses on family-centered care helping them cope through difficult times. These difficult times include hospitalization, the death of a loved one, and changes in the childs home. It has been an uphill battle trying to make it in this field. I took a child life class and paid out of pocket just to see if I wanted to pursue it. After my hard work and dedication to that class, I was determined that I wanted to make child life work for me. During the pandemic, I received my acceptance letter from Texas Woman's University to begin my master's degree in child life. Now I'm one semester away from receiving my master's degree. I intend to apply and achieve doing a 600-hour internship in a local children's hospital. After completing the internship, I intend to take the national exam. After passing the exam, I hope to start off working in a children's hospital. After a few years of working with children in the hospital, I hope to receive my grief certification so I can help children cope with losing a loved one. I truly look at the field of child life as paying it forward. I didn't know how to cope when I lost my grandmother at 16. I hope to give someone that gift through therapeutic play and helping them cope with difficult times. As the field of child life is still growing, I hope that more research can be done for children in terms of preparing them for doctor and dental appointments. Going to the doctor for a physical and expecting to get shots and going to the dentist can be scary for children. I hope to prepare children for these appointments. I also intend to bring child life into the schools since children can benefit from therapeutic play. Lastly, my goal and dream is to help adolescent girls and children of mothers who suffer from endometriosis. Endometriosis is a painful chronic illness where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus can grow on other organs. There is no cure. This is important to me because I suffer from endometriosis and have a daughter. My last surgery was summer of 2022, I didn't know how to prepare my daughter. I honestly would just use analogies saying "I have painful boo-boos growing inside my belly. The doctor is going to remove the boo-boos". Although my journey trying to make it in the child life field hasn't been easy, I'm still standing and not giving up. I want to pay it forward and give children the gift of play during difficult times.

The life of my dreams would be besides being the best mom I could be for my daughter Iris, I want to make a difference in children's lives as a certified child life specialist. Child life is described as a therapeutic play that focuses on family-centered care during difficult times. Some of these difficult times may include the hospitalization of a parent or sibling, the death of a loved one, or preparing for a doctor or dental appointment. My journey with child life has been an uphill emotional battle. I discovered child life while working in a school that was combined with a skilled nursing facility for medically complex children. I was going through a career change. I originally wanted to be an occupational therapist. However, I'm not the best at science and discovered the hard way that it wasn't for me. I discovered child life and was determined to make it work for me. I utilized my resources and reached out to child life specialists through social media to figure out what steps I had to take to achieve this degree. The first step I took was to volunteer at the pediatric center I formally worked in. The second step was to apply to graduate schools. I was rejected by the only school I applied to, which was Bank Astreet in NYC. Although I was rejected, I still couldn't get child life out of my head. I decided to take a course at the University of Wisconsin. I had paid out of pocket to determine if this was what I wanted to achieve. I remember I couldn't wait to go home and review and read more, and to complete my assignments. I worked hard and received my first A. I applied to Texas Woman's University as well as Nova South Eastern University in the fall of 2020. I received that I was accepted to both programs and decided to go with Texas Woman's University. I was excited but nervous to start this new chapter in my life. I was in the process of starting a new job as well as grad school. I was wondering "How was I going to do this while raising my daughter, in the middle of a global pandemic?" With God's help, I found a way. I learned so much and couldn't wait to learn more. With 2 classes left to graduate, I am unfortunately unable to receive a loan. This scholarship will help me finish my degree and the next chapter of my life. I want to help children and their families cope through difficult times. I truly believe God put me on this earth to do that.