My chosen field of study is Biotechnology. The reason I chose this field is because I have always wanted to further the capabilities of biological organisms to higher levels. From modifying crops to make them fungi- and drought-resistant, to discovering or developing medicine that would stop chronic diseases like Crohn's Disease or Multiple Sclerosis. My short-term goals at the moment are to finish my Biotechnology degree and gain some industry experience in small or medium startups that are in phase 1 of discovery, or in clinical research facilities that are constantly trying to tackle health problems or diseases to improve the quality of life of those affected. I also want to participate in Agricultural Engineering to help those farmers who are struggling due to the drought present in the state of Utah and possibly replicate the methods in other states. My long-term goal is to eventually become a doctor. I’m currently doing my due diligence in getting all the prerequisites for MD school, lab experience, volunteering, etc., to make this possible. But sadly, I do not have the means to pay for my tuition, nor do my parents. Due to this burden in my pocket and mind, my grades have been affected, though to a lesser degree. However, it still impacts my goals due to the high competitiveness of MD/DO programs across the country. The way this scholarship will help me is by providing relief and allowing me to fully focus on my studies, research projects, internship opportunities, and volunteering efforts to make a change in this world. Along with my long-term goal, I aspire to help underserved people who struggle to access proper healthcare in rural and poor countries and communities across the world. My plan is to first start with the United States, network with other healthcare professionals, and create a coalition to provide free care in other countries. I would start by moving to Mexico and continue down the map to cover the Western Hemisphere with help and accessibility, especially in rural, tropical, and jungle areas where diseases are more common and healthcare is less accessible. Being an underrepresented minority means that your parents do not make enough to cover their needs and the needs of their children. It means that everybody in the house must hold low-income jobs that are only sufficient to live paycheck to paycheck. School becomes a dream as high as the stars. It means that because you had to work when you were little, you couldn’t get good grades and excel like your classmates, even though you had the same potential and skills. It means that you have to go home early instead of playing with your friends because you have to work the next morning. It means that you see your parents getting old and not making progress in life. It means that you will see them working at 70 years old because their retirement is not enough. It means you have to live with them to help pay the rent and provide some relief, and now you get guilt-tripped because you are trying to go to school, but it’s too expensive. It means living with constant stress and anxiety about how you are going to pay for next semester. It means that you have thought about dropping out of school to work full-time in a dead-end job that offers terrible retirement or advancement opportunities. It means that you may never get out of the poverty cycle because there is no help/opportunities for you. It means many things.

The story of immigration did not start when we moved to the United States about 7 years ago. It started when I was 5 years old, nearly 18 years ago. I'm originally from Ecuador, but at the tender age of 5, my family decided to move to another country for better job opportunities because in Ecuador at the time, everything was going down the hill, and Chile back then was a pretty attractive country for others. But my parents did not count on the racism present in the country. Moving to Chile meant that my family of 5, my parents and 2 siblings, had to start from zero in life. I will never forget our first night because we had to sleep on the floor of a very old apartment building, and we had to sleep so close to each other to conserve heat due to the winter season in Chile just setting in. Due to the decision of my parents moving to Chile, I started to wonder where my dad and mom were because they left early in the morning and came back late at night. I rarely saw them at home because both of them were working, trying to provide for their family of 5 members. My siblings, who were just 2 and 3 years older than me, had the duty to take care of me. When I started to go to elementary school, I saw that many of my classmates had parents that were caring for them and were already there when they got out of school. For me, it was quite unique because I used to wait for at least 1 hour or 2 until my mom picked me up, because she was getting out of work around those after-hours of my school. Frankly, it was heartbreaking because I always thought that she did not care for me or my siblings. By the time I turned 16, and when my family was sort of economically stable and I was able to see my parents a bit more often, still living paycheck to paycheck, my mom gathered the family and said the following words: "Chicos, tuve un sueño. Dios quiere que nos mudemos a Estados Unidos. Vamos a salir del país al final del año." To me, my entire world got destroyed because I knew that the same story of immigration, of living in the minimum, would repeat again. And again, I would stop seeing my parents during the afternoons. Long story short, when I moved here, I thought that the people in America, more specifically in Utah, were so naive and oblivious to the scarcity and the fight that many people worldwide live every single day to bring some bread to the table. I could not relate to anybody in high school because I thought that they did not have any idea of what the real world felt like. They did not know struggle or hard work. Like I said, I started to become a bitter person. Due to these experiences, I started to find peace in God and joy in the little things of life. Since I went through all the hardships of immigration since I was little, my heart has healed through God, and now I try to extend my hand to those in need and provide support to those that need it. Being Latino has taught me that it is not about what you go through, but rather, it is about what you do with the things that you've been through, just like the courage and grit shown by my parents.