Money buys opportunities. The opportunity to choose is something that my parents didn't have, and as a first-generation student I want to take advantage of my opportunity. There is still first-generation guilt that resonates within me because my parents came to the United States with nothing to their name, whereas they've provided me with endless opportunities. The form of opportunity that I will be using the money for, is to make choices. I want to be able to make the choice to go to medical school without worrying if I would be able to afford it or not. It is incredibly disappointing to have to turn down an opportunity to further educate myself just because the cost of tuition is high. Currently, the scholarship money would go towards receiving my bachelors degree in Biological Sciences at the University of California- Irvine. UCI is offers research and a chance to get to know others in the same field as me who can help me reach my goals. After receiving my bachelors, I will continue onto medical school in order to achieve my dream of being a plastic surgeon. My goal to become a plastic surgeon has solidified since junior high school and has remained since. The scholarship money will allow me the comfort to continue on the pre-med path.

“Can you make me look like Kim Kardashian” is usually the response I get after mentioning that I want to become a plastic surgeon. What first comes to mind when someone hears plastic surgery is cosmetic surgery, yet what they tend to neglect is the reconstructive field. The S in STEM is what identifies me as a STEM student. After I discovered reconstructive surgery, I became fascinated with the human body’s ability to heal itself and desired to learn more. As I deepen my research within the field, I quickly noticed the lack of women who are plastic surgeons, which was incredibly upsetting to me due to the fact that the vast majority of the patients within the study are women. The reason for the lack of females in the field, according to online resources and doctors I personally know, is that it is simply too difficult to raise a family and balance the rigorous training to become a plastic surgeon. Being a student who plans on going onto medical school and raising a family, it is incredibly discouraging to watch male medical doctors belittle females who plan to pursue a career in medicine. In the future, I will run into many obstacles where my intelligence is highly underestimated simply due to the fact that I am a woman. My purpose is not to prove them wrong, but to set an example for others and encourage more women to join STEM. Whether I chose to specialize in the cosmetic or reconstructive field, plastic surgery in general sets a deal of trust on the surgeon themselves. Unlike other fields of surgery, the patients are expecting an outcome that changes their exterior appearance to boost their confidence. Personally, I would not only trust, but feel comfortable expressing my insecurities and how I desire to look like to someone within the same gender rather than the opposite. Due to the fact that only 4% of females are plastic surgeons and 92% of the patients are female, there is a very slight chance you would be able to find a female doctor to perform your surgery. There are some physical and mental factors that only women can understand. The lack of females within the field doesn’t decourage me, but motivates me to continue. It would be an honor that I contribute to the increase in female plastic surgeons. Although my love and dedication for STEM is solidified, I am still human and am affected by the words and actions of those around me. Pursuing a degree in a field that is male dominated is intimidating, yet I notice how far as women we’ve come. STEM allowed me to hop onto the pre-med track and to continue to receive my bachelors in biological sciences. I hope that my journey is inspiring to women who are older and younger than me and wish to join STEM. I strongly believe that the next step of my journey is to attend university and to dig deeper into my passion for plastic surgery